HUNTING IN ENGLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 14

HUNTING IN ENGLAND

GREAT POPULARITY OLDER PEOPLE ACTIVE " Hunting is becoming increasingly popular in England and tho fields contain a great number of older people who take a most energetic part in the sport," said Mr. P. H. Smith, huntsman to tho Pakiu-anga Hunt, who returned from England by tho Rangitano yesterday, accompanied by Mrs. Smith. During a stay of several months in the Old Country Mr. and Mrs. Smith were hospitably entertained by a number of English visitors who have hunted with tho Pakuranga pack. A considerable part of their time was spent in Devon, where they had two days a week with tho Taunton Valo, the Stovenstone and tho Cattistock hunts. While in East Anglia they were out with tho Norwich Staghounds, the Henharn Harriers and tho Barrington Court Beagles, thus getting a wide experience of different phases of the sport. The winter had been a particularly bad one, Mr. Smith stated, with heavy rains and frosts and snow. As far as harriers were concerned the frequency of plough and crops made for a slower paco than was usual in New Zealand with tho almost universal grasslands. In tho West Country jumps were often very difficult and the pace was very fast. Mr. Smith said the cost of hunting was very high compared with that in New Zealand, with a cap of £1 a day in mout places, making for a cost of fully £5 for a day's sport.