HUNTING.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3237, 16 April 1900, Page 3

HUNTING.

— -* ! OPENING OF THE SEASON. < The hunting season opened on Thurs- ] day last with a meet at the Kennels, m j weather that was more like spring than * the beginning of autumn. Considering £ that it was not a holiday, the attendance I was very good, ladies particularly mug- c tering well. A bountiful luncheon pro* 8 vided by the master. Mr Arthur El- * worthy, was laid out on the lawn m front J of the cottage. After due justice hnd 8 been done to this, the party made for r one of the Hadlow stubbles. A hare was v soon found, and led the field towards a the Kennels over some fresh ploughing, <j and then on to Mr Matthews' and Mr j 1 Brosnahan's, and back to Hadlow, when fc puss was lost m a gully behind the T homestead. A Becond hare was lost m 8 the same gully. A third was put up, v which gave a run towards Mr Parkes' p house, and past it, and then was also ' lost. This closed a good afternoon £ of sport, and the party returned j-j to the Cottage for afternoon tea, which " was greatly appreciated after such a warm ride. The Master rode Gay Lad, 1 who was In fine form. The Huntsman, a Mr Orton, was on Rollick, who has come 8 on well during the past year and is the makings of a first flight hunter. The c Whip, Gibb, rode Pareora, who was m a his usual good form. Mr B. rode Greywood.the latter getting through £ his first essay with a field capitally. Mr P. t Blworthy was on Darkie,Mr Bond on Sam, v Mrs Bond on J oker,Mr Jameson on Trust, fc Mr A. Austin on Tommy, Mr Kernohan on c Bell-bird,Mr J.Maze on a bay, Mr D.Rob- a ertson on Kilemenny, MrsG.H. Rhodes * on a nice dark bay cob, Master Orbell on v Kaikoura. Several others were present, c but they only took a fence here and there. l There were several driving parties, and a some cyclists out to see the sport. Horßes c and hounds shaped very well for the c opening day, hounds being very keen § whenever the scent held, while they were s kept well m hand. The late dry weather a made the going hard, and a good rain J 3 could be welcomed by sportsmen as well as by farmers. On Saturday the hounds ' were to be at Mr Goodwin's, Fairlie, and ' to-morrow a meet is fixed for Crickle- J wood. * . __ ■ ■ g PRESENTATION TO THE MASTER. JJ _____ Q On Saturday afternoon a few members \ of the Hunt Club met at the Grosvenor Hotel to make a presentation on behalf 0 of the club to the Master, Mr A. 8. q Elworthy, m view of his approaching c marriage. o Mr S. Higginbotham was voted to the p chair, and made the presentati<fti, a t handsome and suitably inscribed silver _ salver, as a wedding present, c and as a memento of the mem- g bers' appreciation of the manner a m which Mr Elworthy had carried out v the duties of the mastership during the a last three years. The club, said Mr t Higginbotham, had been exceptionally j fortunate m having from time to time B as Masters men who had gone into the % thing with zeal and thoroughness, men v who had experience m the Old Country, t and had given hunting m South Canter- < bury every possible show. When v Mr Elworthy accepted the post he was } the youngest man who had ever under- • taken it, [consequently the position < must have been rather a trying one for v him. Nevertheless he went into the j sport from the start with such detei* a mi nation that the members soon rea- t lised that they had the right man m the v right place. (Hear, hear.) He always r had his servants well mounted, always f saw that the hounds were m the best of 8 fettle r and consequently the members t were proud of their Master, and all a hoped that he would long see his way to j retain the position. Old England had j always gloried m hunting, the sport of i kings ; English colonists all over the i world did the same, and New Zea- c landers were not behindhand m this t matter. There were excellent packs m a New Zealand, and it was to such xien as E Mr Elworthy, men of some position, c who have the time and means a at their disposal, and who are not c afraid of putting their hands into \ their pockets occasionally, who had c m3de hunting what it is m this colony, c and Mr Elworthy had been no exception, f but had assisted the club m a most j. hearty manner. The members wished s to congratulate him upon becoming a c Benedict , and they trusted that his c future wife would often grace their meet- g ing, and they wished them every happi- £ ness. The salver he had the pleasure of presenting on behalf of the club, they t hoped would remind him of the many £ happy days he had spent m the hunting t field m South Canterbury. t Mr E. R. Guinness, Mr D. McLaren, E and Mr Studholme, endorsed what the \ chairman bad said, and congratulated t Mr Elworthy upon his approaching. ( marriage. \ Mr Elworthy'a health was then drunk t with three times three. r Mr ElwoJthy made a brief reply, j heartily thanking the members for their ] beautiful present, and the chairman and t other speakers for their kind remarks j and kind congratulations. He would always be proud of the memento, as he j appreciated highly the good feeling that ( prompted the gift. J A vote of thanks was passed to the , chairman, and the gathering separated. , The presentation is a very handsome ] silver salver (obtained from G. and T. \ Young) and very nicely engraved upoa ? it is the following inscription:— "Pie- , sented by the members of the South j

Canterbury HuntQlub to A. S. Elworthy, Esq. (master) on ihe occasion of his marriage, April 18th, 1900."