COURSING IN AUCKLAND,

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 31

COURSING IN AUCKLAND,

By Taihoa.

Auckland, July 18,

Here we are after our first Plumpton meeting — a grand success. How did the hares run ? Well, we had 30 hares lef b out of 44 after two days' coursing. For a first event, this takes beating. As my southern lovers of the leash want more sport, rest assured we shall be able to supply it. Of all the leading officials who directly and indirectly brought this great success about I must name Mr W. A. Fenton, an old coursing sport, who owned Sailor Boy. I reokon both dog and owner are known down your way. May be, however,|none of my southern coursing friends know of the hard luck Mr Fenton has had with oH Sailor Boy. This dog was sent to Australia to compete in a big stake and was stolen. Mr Fenton pretty well knows where he is, however, and is. still trying to sheet the offence home. The Avondale Plumpton meeting, on the 12th inst., despite the weather, passed off without a hitoh. The meeting was commenced with an all-aged stakes, called the Avondale Cup, a sweep of £2 10s each, the winner to receive £31, the second £13, two dogs £5 each, and four dogs £2 10s each. The arrangements of the park gave every .satisfaction, and the attendance was considerable, and the committee and officers were apparently at home in their several duties. Mr J. R. Henderson noted as judge, Mr J. Ferguson slipper, and

Mr T. M'Ewan and Mr Broadwood carried out their duties in a satisfactory manner, although some fault-finders thought the slipper allowed puss too much "law." In the way of law if, however, he committed any error it was on the right side. The work was got off expeditiously, and two rounds (24- courses) were run with only the loss of 12 hares. The hares were in splendid form. The second day's coursing took place on Saturday, and the weather being fine overhead, although sloppy underfoot, the club was favoured with a much larger attendance of the public than on the previous Wednesday. The sport throughout was very exciting, the hares being in magnificent form. As public sympathy throughout was with puss there was general satisfaction when she made good her escape, and indeed there were on the whole very few killed. Should the hares warrant it a Consolation Stake of 30a, for dogs, was to follow. The following are the results :—

Avondale Cup.

First Round.— Mr J. W. Russell's Rock beat Mr Torrens's Snowflake ; Mr Broadwood's Rose beat Mr M'Ready's Sweetwater ; Mr Arnabelk's Loafer beat Mr Caverhill's Maori : Mr M'Kee's Blue Bell beat Mr Quinlan's Pat ; Mr Edwards's Major beat Mr Philpotf s White and Blue ; Mr Hans's Master Bob beat MrPhilpott's Lady Smuggler ; Mr M'Kee's Kotiro beat Mr Ligar's Modesty ; Mr J. Hall's Laddie beat Mr Philpott's Nellie ; MrAppleby's The Rambler beat Mr Edwards's Colonel ; Mr A. M. Gallagher's Satyr beat Mr J. W. Russell's Stormfiend ; Mr Pennell's Adelaide II beat Mr Edwards's Carbineer : Mr M'Ewan's The Pirate beat Mr Ligar's Miss Lynn ; Mr M'Cready's East Lynne beat Mr P. Quinlan's Dartmoor ; Mr Lakefleld's Union Jack beat Mr Broadwood's Nellie II ; Mr Broadhurst's Smoko beat Mr J. W. Russell's Rockbait; Mrs M. Baker's Jack Tar II beat Mr Farquhar's Pegasus. Second Round.— Rose beat Rock, Blue Bell beat Loafer, Master Bob beat Major, Kotiro beat Laddie, Satyr beat The Rambler, Pirate beat Adelaide 11, East Lynn beat Union Jack, Smoko beat Jack Tar 11.

Third Round.— Blue Bell beat Rose, Master -Bob beat Kotiro, The Pirate beat Satyr, Smoko beat East Lynue. Fourth Round.— Master Bob beat Blue Bell, Pirate beat Smoko.

Final Round.— Mr Beehan's r d Master Bob, by Rudolph— Bethna, beat Mr M'Ewan's blk w d The Pirate, by Smuggler— Black Rose, and won the stake. Consolation Stakes, a sweep of £1 10s each for eight dogs. Winner, £6 ; runner-up, £2 10s ; third, £1 103. First Round.— The Rambler beat Major, Carbineer beat Pat, Laddie beat Rock, Jack Tar II beat White and Blue.

Second Round.— Carbineer beat The Rambler, Laddie beat Jack Tar 11.

Final Round.— Mr Edwards's f d Carbineer, by Nelson— Sunshine, beat, Mr J. Hill's blk w d Laddie, by Caradoc— Minn's bitch, and won the stake.

It must be noticeable to southern coursers that with numbers of dogs which have performed well, their breeding traces back to Mr Thomas M'Ewan's Bluecap, winner of the Dunedin Champion, and Waterloo Plate ; also to Sailor Boy, winner of the Dunedin Waterloo. We shall hold a big coursing event, which will be only advertised in the Witness, at the end of August, to meet the wishes of our southern coursers. The committee of the Auckland Coursing Club will fix the dates at the end of the week, and I will wire the Daily Times.

Now that coursing is booming let southerners and northerners bump shoulders and" have a good Waterloo alternately. Our coursers will fall in, and it only requires the southern contingent to join to make it a success. I may mention that we are sending three dogs down to your Champion meeting — Master Bob, Satyr, and The Pirate. I feel great pride in our being enabled to send such a strong team to represent Auckland's first Plumpton. It has been' a hard battle to get coursing under swing. Mr Beehan, [owner of Master Bob, is president of our club, and I hope he will again come out on top. Satyr belongs to the popular host of the British Hotel (Jack Gallagher), whilst The Pirate belongs to a section of the Piako Coursing Clab. Look to your laurels, southerners !

Several of our members who have been beaten have sent to Australia for dogs, so we hope now to boom, if friend Fenton, of Temuka, and "Spectator" help me with a further supply of hares.