COURSING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1695, 24 August 1904, Page 55

COURSING.

OFFICIAL CALENDAR. The "New Zealand Mail” is the "Official Calendar" of the New Zealand Coursing Association, and notices appearing .under this heading are published for the information of affiliated coursing clubs. FIXTURES, 1904. Rangitata C.C. —August 25th. Wellington and Suburban C.C.—August 27th. Dunedin C.C.—August 27th. Oamaru C.C.—September Ist. NAMES CLAIMED. Victor, by Vickers—Fair Sceptre, Artillery, by V ickers—Fair Sceptre. Skrapneil Snell, by Vickers—r air Sceptre. The Pear, by Aldershot—Fly. NOTES BY “GO-BYE.” ? Mr J. S>. Stevens, of the Lower Hutt, owner of Lady Advance (Advance — Lady Retford) who ran up in the Members Stake won by Day Dawn on July 30, issued a challenge to Mr F. Biel, of Petone, to run his dog Fortress (Maxim —OLementina) best two out of three courses for £IOO or any part of it. Mr Riel accepted the challenge and notified Mr Stevens that he would accommodate him and a meeting was arranged to take place at the Central Hotel, Petone, on Thursday last to sign articles. Mr Biel was in attendance, but the challenger failed to put in an appearance, evidently thinking better of his hot-headedness. By the ’Frisco mail I have to acknowledge receipt of a very chatty letter and some fine photographs from Mr E : . / W. Arnold a V. P. of the Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club. Mr Arnold informs me that he has been having a good time with the Sussex County Coursing Club and the country round about is a perfect coursing country. Mi- Arnold, who is studying medicine is now working hard for his degree he wishes to be remembered to all coursing friends. Garryowem (Rory-o’-Mor©—Shyrose), owned by Mr F. J. McGovern, of Trentham Park, has run his last, course. After competing at Mastefton last week, where he started favourite for the Maiden, he was taken home and died on Sunday last, from the combined effects of a couple of grullers and a nasty knock that he gave himself by colliding with a tree. The Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club conclude their 1904 season on Saturday next, when a 16-dog stake will be decided at Tien, th am Park. I notice in exchanges to hand from Victoria that the match of the champions Goldbar and Great Heart is not likely to eventuate this season, but Mr Tom White, writing to Melbourne “Punch,” says that as Goldbar and Great Heart will be both of the same , ; age next year, if the owners of the N.S.W. champion issue such a challenge as was recently published in this column. the Messrs Fryer Bros, (owners of Goldbar) will favourably consider the same, although they will not allow the owners of 'Great Heart every consideration „re ground, judge, etc. I have heard of a rather funny circumstance connected with a newly registered club (says Bilakomere) which locally "uts forth most flaring advertisements, although the stakes are of the smallest dimensions known in the world. It is said that on the second morning of the coursing the slipper was an absentee, for there was only the de-

sider to be run. Naturally the owners and judge were there and also the übiquitous small boy. Who was to slip the dogs for this great stake? Neither of the ’owners knew anything of the mysteries of slipping, but the judge did, and so he took the small hoy’s services to hold his horse whilst he discharged the dogs and then he mounted his steed to judge them. As this same judge is well known to he anything but a first-class equestrian, one may imagine how far away he was from his dogs, and yet such is styled coursing. The N.S.W. St. Leger and Champion Cup meeting was decided at Rooty Hill on August 3 and 4. The following are resuits of finals: — N.S.W. St. Leger of 15 dog and bitchx puppies at £2 2s each; winner £l6 16s and trophy; runner-up £8 8s and two dogs at £3 3s. —Mr R. Ooombes’s n s f d Chronograph by Booty—Golden Queen beat Mr S. Bladon’s r b Best Blend by Braddon’s Blot —Rloomee and won the St. Leger. N.S.W. Champion Cup of 8 all ages at £3 3s; winner £l2 12s and trouhy; runner-up £6 6s and two dogs at £3 3s each. —Mr J. Weirs’s f d Wapping by Black Douglas—Goldsmith’s Maid beat Mr S. Bladon’s bk d p Braggadocio by Braddon’s 810t —Bloomee and won the Champion Cup. Dear Sir, —Kindly allow me space in your valuable columns to reply to “GoBye" in your coursing notes. Being judge at the Wairarapa Coursing Club’s meeting I take exception te bis remarks as not being fair criticism. He is not a good sportsman or he would he able to take a beating without trying to justify his bad judgment in backing the loosing dog at my .expense;.no judge can 'give the flag to the winning dog and still please the layers of odds. In regard to the course between Gun Metal and Blue Belle I decided in far vour oi the former because he tried all the way, and when Blue Belle stopp©'*drove puss home hims If, twice forcing her from her line-in doing so, which entitled hun to the win. As for Ghattan’s work in all his cou'-ses he showed his opponents a clean pair of heels. In conclusion I agree with your correspondent tc the public everything appears quite different and good coursing men will hear out my statement that the Farming viewed from the fiat and the judged box is not the same. Hoping you will publish phis.—Yours, etc., W. DOWLING. - [ln reply to the above I can see nothing in the letter to cause me to alter my opinion expressed last week. The judge was certainly in error in the course botwe n Gun Metal and Blue Belle and it is quite obvious ho is not conversant with the rules of the N.Z.O.A. under which the meeting was supposed to have been carried our. I viewed the courses that I criticised from directly behind the judge’s box, distant about 10 yards, and the decisions that I differed with the judge about were pretty well one-sided in my opinion. Another point that I did not touch on last week was the judge g am the actual number of points scored by each dog after the finish of each individual course and the calling out of the points scored to the public. I remember one course wh re the points given were 12 to 13 and another 41 to 4.. This in my mind is ridiculous for any judge to attempt and perhaps tin's.method of judging was responsible for the errors made. I got a man alongside of me to put down the scores ,as I judged the courses (to try the judge’s method) and in only one case in 16 courses did my actual scores and the judge’s agree and that was in an undecided course .between Navy Blue and Full Cry, when the scores were 5 each. —“Go-Bye.”l Mr Ei. F. Tyree informs me that Vagrant Lady, the dam of Wanderer and Noble Lady whelped on Aug. 10 to Vickers, five dogs and four bitches.