A REAL TEST

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 111, 13 May 1933, Page 7

A REAL TEST

QUALIFYING HUNTERS

In previous years the remark had often been passed as to the easy nature of some of the fences that horses had to jump to qualify with the Pakuranga Hunt, but at the-official opening meet at East. Tamaki recently it took a jumper to get into the first paddock, for a couple of. substantial pieces of timber were' erected ,at a. very fair height along that portion of the fence opposite the factory, where the members had to enter Mr. Wright's property, and whe.re hounds were thrown off. A good number of horses, with only the width of the roadway to take off, negotiated the obstacle, but there were rrtany who. balked repeatedly, and their riders had to be content to view the hounds from the roadway. The master , (Mr. H. Bullock Webster) had stressed/in his opening speech, the necessity for follower* being properly mounted, so that, the farmers' lands, over which they hunted would not be knocked about, and there was no doubt that the horses who got near the hounds could jump all right. Another feature of the matteriwas not dealt with, but it should be mentioned (says the Auckland "Star"). Horses to qualify, for hunters' races have to follow the hounds on a, certain number of occasions. The Hunt should see that they qualify properly and are proficient jumpers when the certificates are issued. If they cannot jump properly in the field. it is hardly to be expected that they will do so in a race, and such horses are only a menace to other competitors, let alone the danger they form to their riders. The Hunt is to be congratulated On providing such an obstacle for the first jump, as they did on opening day, for those horses who cleared it were entitled to follow the hounds and have> certificates issued to1 their owners as to their competency. '