Birchwood Hunt Club.

Southland Times, Issue 19089, 3 July 1903, Page 4

Birchwood Hunt Club.

Under the new management this old institution seems to be flourishing ag-ain and the several tuds already held this season have been weil attended by followers on really good sorts of hunters - that i would dc* credit to any district. It ia indeed something to Southland's credit that it» has been able to keep* the ohly : pack of hounds south -Of Timaru running continuously now for -17 s©aBonsv "while similar institutions at Waimate, Dunedin and Gore have been allowed to die out. This year the hounds are again in the able hands of Mclvor, who has them in good lettle, and, strange to say, as whip -he has a nephew of tho first huntsman in Southland in the person of Alex. Saunders. Both of tbem are good, fearless horsemen, and it is a pity that they are not in charge of a pack that could go .across country in its natural state, instead of drag hounds. But as the old adage has it " half a loaf is better than no bread," "and SbutWand hunting men from, Tapanui to the. Waiau «.re glad to get what is going, and hope for the real cross-country, pack in the future. The season was opened - ? at Otautau, tfca now headquarters of the pack, on 13th June, and the country laid off was an ideal run for the first of the season, nice, natural country plenty of goree and little wire, while a good view of the whole run (quite three and a half miles) waa obtained from tbo' road. The field was as follows at the finish : — Miss Gardiner on Monster Lass, the Master (Mr McGavock) on Ulysses, Messrs. S. Gardiner oh Kingsman, Henderson on Violin, Church on St. Hiko, Brown on Remembrance colt, Affleck on Lnllbum, Taylor on Justice, Sneddon on Seaman, M. Mclvor on Robin, Laidlaw, W. Gan-. diner, C. Affleck and a few others. Nightcaps^ was the scene of the second run, and owing to the very severe frost there were numerous spills, the whip showing the way to. mother earth at several of tbe fences. Still, though the country was very difficult, both owing to the hard frost on both sides of the fence and the big fences, most of those wlta saw the- throw oil also saw the finish. As usual Mr Groves made a good master in this- difficult country, and was a good iUustration of the hunting song— " For even iff maturer years The chase true pleasure gives." Mr Ritchie entertained the foUowers in true " Blyth ■* style. Among those w o ll up at the death were the Master on - Derelict, Messrs McAnnelly on Duntree, HOgan on Tommy, Flynn on Seldomfed, i Church on St. Hiko, Henderson on Violin, darkey on Glencoe, Duggan on Harry, Dempster on Little Bob, Beck on Maori Chief, Clifford on Waicola, Egan on Sub Rosa, Hammond on Blue Metal, Casey on First Attempt, and fuljy a dozen others.^ At Calcium last Saturday the run' was laid over the farm of Mr Laidlaws, perhaps the most ideal hunting country in the province. The field here was not suclJ a large one, bat they were all in at the death, after after a very pretty run up and down' dale and across trim gorso fences with a big ditch 'thrown in every now and then. The foremost fonowers were Misses Mclvor on The Earl, Sweetman on Snider, ; and Gardiner on Billy, the Master on . tPlysses," Messrs Henderson on Violin, Kelly on Ironworker, on St. Hiko, Gardiner on Florrie, McNay , Walker, and several others. On, Wednes. the hounds met at Wallacetown, and the day, a splendid one..*.;- for tto sport,, tempted a good number r of. both followers and lookers on in that "direction. The run 'was- laid off over ; country placed at the disposal of the Club by Messrs RusseU, Robertson 'and Brass. The stiffness pf the country very considerably €hinnod out the field before the end of the. second run. Those who were close up at the death were Messrs HeDderson .(acting-master) ■on Violin, A. Jopp on Santa Claus, J. Jopp on Uncle Tom, and-: A, Mathesbn on Dunbar. On Saturday another run will be held, when the "throw -off" will take place eitlfcr at On© Tree -Point or ■the Junction.; ' >