OUT WITH THE HOUNDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19625, 2 May 1927, Page 6

OUT WITH THE HOUNDS.

j PAKURANGA HUNT CLUB. OPENING MEET OF SEASON. EXCELLENT DAY'S SPORT. LARGE NUMEER OF < FOLLOWERS. In glorious autumn weather the Pakuranga Hunt Club opened its season on Saturday It was a great day, the sue. tendering h fresh breeze, and excellent sport was enjoyed Aucklanders, many of them, do not ' realise with what munificence nature has endowed their city. East Tamftki is only a little ever half-an-hour's driva from Queen Street, but in that half-an-hour the city dweller can find him transported to a patch of smiling countrywide. " Jiko a little spot of the Old Country," as one delighted huntsman exclaimed on Saturday. Without the surroundings the hunt would have been nothing It was a gay scene outside the East Tamaki Hail about noon on Saturday. In ones and twos the huntsmen The scene was robbed of some of its one-time splendour. Man hss developed a self-consciousness in matters of dress, and although the green frock coat, white lidinsj tVousers and high black boots are still to be seen, the younger huntsmen prefer to bo seen in tweed jackets of a moro fashionable cut. However, under riding • co*t or sports jacket, the i heart' beats the same. The old vie with ' the woung in keenness, all strain to their | utmost to keep up with the hounds, and all have a wonderful number of stories to tell about hunts that have passed, of the fences taken by horses now long dead. The followers lunched in the East Tamaki Hall, and gathered at the crossroads'a few yards away. Then, through a clump»of trees down in a hollow of the road came the pack, clustering round the horses of three red-jacketed horsemen. The master, huntsman and whipper-in joined the followers, some ISO strong. A blast on a punting horn, and the whole cavalcade moved off down tho road, to turn to the right, just past the kennels into a little country la ne. The Ho'tusdn In Tall Ory.

Here the scene, wsji beautiful. On either side, green stretched, flanked by hawthorn hedges, stripped bare of their leaves but red with the berries of autumn. Among some evergreens on the top of a hill were trees, the leaves of which relieved the predominating green with splashes of red, gold and russet. There was a little brick chapel on the hillside, and from behind the clump of trees curled the timoke from a peaceful farmhouw fire. In such a setting, enjoyment of the day's sport was assured. Two hounds we?® put over a rock Jwssfe 'uto a psddock of Mr. Smale's farm, and they cosed round looking for a scent. They were both old warriors, moving; at a short run with their noses pressed to tho ground. Suddenly one of them gave tonguu and the pack, yelping, tumbled pell-mell over .the fence. 'With eyes gleaming, huntsmen put their horses to the wall.

It was a fins sight to see the magnificent animals rise into tho atr, take the fence beautifully and gallop up the hill after the eager pack. There was dignity and impudence. One fino old . hunter carried his rider over tho wall in 'beautiful fashion, and just behind , him came a couple of children on Shetland ponies. They rode up to the wall, surveyed it, wistfully, and then discretion took tho place of valour. They sighed, and went further down the road to a gap in the wall. Before long all tho followers were over, and the hun-; disappeared over the brow of a hill, ' Tlrat Kill at tte Keunato. Then there was a rush of motor-cars, fully fifty of which followed the hunt, to skirt the paddocks and take up a position where the progress of the chasu could be" followed. Ine hounds were hot on tho scent of a hare, which was, put up ori Smale's mountain. The hunt followed in earnest, but tho quarry was lost under the old homestead on the property. The followers then crossed on to Mr. C. Allen's farm, and hunted over it, and also Mr.' K. Ross' property, without i uccess. However, the next run war more iiuccessftil. A strong hare was put tp on Mr. Smales' property, and a hard chase ensued. Hounds and horsemen wen> given a great run by a wily quarry. At on» stage the hare came out from u hedge on to* the road, lit stood practically under a follower's horte for soma moments, but Mmm the hounds picked up the iscont again and the chase continued. The haie. with praisaworthy impertinence, ran rijibt into the kennels, but the hounds knew their own ground too well, and Ibera registered thejr first kill. Another excellent run resulted in a second hare being killed on Mr. Preston's property. But the kills were only a secondary consideration to most of "the followers. It was in the rush across conntry at the heels of the park that the greatest pleasure lay. Fences were taken, an occasional ditch jumped, and overy run enjoyed to the full. Old Sportsmen and Young. It was not only the younger sportsmen who enjoyed tho hunting. Tim older followers revelled in it. Mr. B. H. Bishop, on his fine mount Grey Peter, took bis fences in excellent style, sitting his horse lightly itnd with a grace befiittinjc one who has hunted with the club practically since its foundation. Then there was Mr, Jack Use, another of the oldest members. His first hunt must have been we'll ovot 40 year* ago, hut ha was up with the youngest and liveliest of the field on Saturday. H« took four walls and a wire fence wjth the care-free spirit of a schoolboy. Afterwards, with n retrospective twinkle in his eye, he informed some of the " youngsters" that he was good for many more fences yet, but not as many as ha had been in the old days. Mr. TUe won steeplechases afc Ellerslio at the time when the steeplechase course ran right across Green Lane. Credit must be given to the secretary, Mr. B. D. Neat, for the excellent Arrangements made /or the opening meet. The organising ability of Mr. Ne«l and of the master, Mr. Ff. Bullock-Webster, has undoubtedly been the means of raising the Pakuranga Club to the position of the premie? hunt club in the Dora3«ion. .rollovers of the Hunt, Among those who followed tho hounds on Saturday were 'The master, Mr. H. Bullock-Webster. 00 Gunner; the huntsman, Mr. P. H, Hmith, on Hideaway; Mr. A. Bel by, on Highowr; Mr. R. i". Seal. on Captain; Mr. K. J; Ra»«, no Glenligbt ; Mr. H. M. Johnston, on Qui Bono; Mr. C. Allen, on Snlvalwy; Mr. A. M. Wilson, on Merry Ma id; Mr. T. Duder, cm Mona;, Mr. T. Peat, on Recovery; Mr. 8. Paton, on Laddi<e; Mr. J. Peters., 011 Llewellyn; Mr. R. J Rainger, on Dearie; Mr. J. Adams, on Fashion; Mr. W. B. Uwd, on Mystery; Mr. B. If. Bi?.hop, cm ftrey IVter: M B. Rae, on Simplieitasj Mr. J. If. Bradstreet, 00 Marquis; Mr. B, H. Carroll, or Pukekawa; Sir. C, W. Afiderson, cn Mm»; Mrs. P. Ff Smith, on Molly Boon; Mr*. VV. W. McLaughlin, <»r> Bridget ; Miss E, Sutherland, ou a chm*nut; Mica E Lloyd, on Paddy, Miits M, Lichfield, on Maroumeen: the Hon. Mrs. Blytb■ on Mercury; Miss L. Petes, on .* bay; Mi» Thomas, on Ifeeftor; Miss Mors a Elliott, on W«s Maejsregor.