COURSING EXPERT

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18135, 26 July 1924, Page 14

COURSING EXPERT

SYDNEY SPORTSMAN'S VISIT. Mr H. V. Foy,. a .well-ksown Sydney sportsman and president of the National (New South Wales) Coursing Association, is visiting Christchurch, and has brought three greyhounds to compete in the Australasian Waterloo Meeting at Sockburn next week: Mr Foy visited the Sockburn course yesterday, and stated, in an interview, that he was very well pleased with the ground. It would be better and softer going for the dogs than the Rooty Hill ground at Sydney, and as it was expected that 64 dogs would compete, this year's meeting should be a success. The hares seemed -big and strong, and they were evidently well-fed and trained. The dogs brought by Mr Foy are two bitches, Versed (Macawber—Universe) and Hazel Bloom (All Coined)' —Hazel Dawn), and a dog puppy, Harbour Heights (Famous Verse —Hazeldene). Versed got into the final four at the Victorian Waterloo of 128 dogs last year, and into the last eight at this year's New South Wales Waterloo ot 64 dogs. Hazel Bloom won twr courses of the Dewar Cup at Sydney this year. The two best dogs in the kennel competed in Victoria last week, and could not be brought over. Coursing is booming in Victoria, according to Mr Foy, and the sport is improving in Xew South Wales and Queensland. There was an attendance of 5000 at the Geolong Waterloo Meet ing, and 128 greyhounds ran. Three years ago Mr Foy brought seven dogs over to the Waterloo Meeting at Frankton Junction, and won the main event with Drew's Hope. The same dog also won at the New Plymouth meeting later on. His High Plume won the New South Wales Derby this year, and his Hall Dawn was runner-up in the Oaks. High Plume also won the Beaten Stakes at Geelong last Saturday. Mr Foy imported White Hope, who was the greatest sire ever brought from England. His stock won £II,OOO in stakemoney. He took to England one of the only two Australian dogs that ever ran in the English Waterloo Cup. This was a bitch, Clare, which got into the last eight of 64 dogs. Mr Foy has followed the sport for 35 years, and he" knows something of its history. "There is a record of coursing in 36 8.C.," lie volunteered, "and in Queen Elizabeth's time it was a great sport. It is a peculiar fact that we are running under exactlv 'the same rules to-day as we did in Elizabeth's time." He believes that if thehares are properly fed' and trained there is .very little cruelty in the sport. Mr Lamb, of ; the .Root? Hill course, he said, fed his hares like raceliorses on crushed oats and maize and green lucerne. Theywere so well trained that they went straight to the escapes, and very few dogs, could catch them. In a three days' meeting only four hares were killed., -