COURSING.

NZ Truth, Issue 477, 8 August 1914, Page 9

COURSING.

<By "Master McGrath.")

Last week, under the presidency of Mr. L. Wilson; the Canterbury Coursing Club came into being m. Christchurch. This is welcome news, Mr. J. H. Reid -was elected secretary, Mr. B. McKenna . treasurer, while Messrs. M. Pox and W. Wellington were appointed to act with them on the racing committee, which will prepare the programme -without delay for the opening meeting. The first meet of -the new dub ,, will be m the open at Hororata on August i 29. An all-aged Btake, open to ah unlimited number of dogs, with a minimum of sixteen, at two guineas each, will be run off. As the coursing season is nearly over it was agreed that the club could not hold many meetings, but some valuable stakes may be put on next season. f . ',* The Canterbury coursing- sports should be able to resuscitate the Hornby: Plumpton for next season which was quite a good one. Secretary Reid intends shoving: -\ on the sport [ strenuously, and backed by good sports i be should have no difficulty. \ The Nelson meeting, held recently, did not turn out a great success from the* public point of view owing to the many hares killed. This was easily foreseen, as the Nelson Club underwent serious difficulties. After securing and working the ground for three months they had to give up the place, and when the hares arrived no ground was ready. , Naturaliy, untrained hares resulted. However, it the meeting did not come- up to public

anticipation, it was' a financial success for the club, and this is very-en^ couraging. * • , Moree Statesman, owned by Mrl Rose, won the Maiden quite easily. In fact the going of this hound was quite extraordinary. The owner says he only had him for two months and that the dog never -saw^a hare m its life. This really can't -be the case, as the dog showed form ,'aiid astute trainingf and also is Australian bred, and according to the owner himself, just fresh from Sydney. This is a matter for the Coursing Association to take up at ■• once and press every inquiry. If the i dog was a maiden it was really a j phenomenal one. In the interest of j clean sporting some one should have j protested, that would have settled the matter speedily, for no doubt the owner will be easily able to -explaia-every-thing. Dates should be allotted so as to make the meetings ten weeks apart, as this would immensely suit dog owners. As a correspondent says, "Take for instance the Greymouth and Reefton Clubs — on both occasions this year I intended to send dogs up but have been unable to do so as these meets have been about ten days within the Dunedin meet. I have no doubt if the dates ' suited m with our meets, ' we would have some of the best West Coast dogs down. If the meetings were at the different places fortnightly the season would finish sooner which would mean a good deal to men who have to pay for their dogs being trained. Take for instance the Dunedin sporta— unless they travelled with their dogs, they must keep them In work from June 6 last to the "next meet on August 22 — a matter of eleven weeks. I think some men m preference to keeping a dog so long m work on the chance of winning, s wpuld not bother." The point made is deserving of the prompt attention of the Association. * The present system of fixing dates is a happy-go-lncky way, and worthy of much curtailing, together with the two items noted last week.