THE CHRISTCHURCH HOUNDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8146, 18 April 1887, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH HOUNDS.

OPENING DAY OF THE SEASON. These hounds, which have had some half-dozen by-days since the beginning of the month, rang up the curtain for the legitimate business of the season on Saturday last. The meet was, as is generally the case on this occasion, at Mr Wollerton’s. Long live this staunch supporter of hunting, says your correspondent, a wish that he knows will be heartily echoed by every lover of sport in the neighbourhood. Before giving a short description of the day’s sport, allow me to prophesy for these hounds better sport than any they have yet had, always provided that the fates in the shape of Jupiter Pluviue, Auster, Boreaaque, will not prove unduly adverse. The master has spared no pains to bring his pack to the highest possible pitch of perfection, and as he has a grand young entry of sir couple, the pack is safe for the next three or four seasons. Now to the sport. At 2,35 the Master trotted off, followed by at

least eighty equestrians, a dozen of whom were of the fair sex, to draw a clover paddock. This, and the next two or three fields, proved blank, hut a hare jumped up under the fence in some potatoes, and the hounds were at her in a trice. Turning sharp through the fence she made the best of her way across the next paddock to the road. This she crossed, and the hounds seemed to be settling nicely. At a cross road, nearly grown over with gorse, however, they checked, and some minutes elapsed ere they hit her off again. A friendly holloa, however, put us once more on the line, and they ran prettily for three or four fields at a fair pace, and with plenty of music. Another check of five minutes, and again a holloa told us that she had made for homo. Stuart soon had them on the line, and they ran prettily across the road and down to the river-bed, along this for some 400 yards, then turning sharp to the left hank up wind, they ran a cracker for four fields into the road, and sharp to the left to the river bad. Again here, after patient hunting, they had to own themselves run clean out of scent; time, 37 minutes. After drawing for some time without success, a hare jumped out of a fence almost in the middle of the pack, and gave us a really brilliant 14 minutes. Patting her head for the road she ran up to the fence, turned along it to the left, to the left again, and so down to the lowlying land on Mr Amyes’ property. Wheeling again to the left, she ran all along the bottom, giving the gluttons at jumping every opportunity to distinguish themselves, especially over wire (we saw one young lady on a young one jump two wire fences in brilliant form) ; turning to the left again, she would have liked to point for home, but the hounds were at her too close, so she ran the road for half a mile, finally turning through a gate into the enemy’s country, much to the disgust of your correspondent, who would gladly have seen the hounds blooded. Home was then the word. Scent in the early part of the day was very catchy not to say indifferent, and they could run but little down wind with our second hare, though things improved a great deal, and they ran fast and carried a real good head all through the last gallop. The young hounds shaped really well, and those who are here during this season will see some capital sport with the Christchurch hounds.