HUNTING

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13276, 3 May 1907, Page 3

HUNTING

THE HON, J. ANSTEY'S MEET. .. Yesterday the South Canterbury" hounds met at the Hon. J. Anstey's farm, Beaconsfield, about sevpn miles from town. Apart from a big field, the majority ojE whom TOte well mounted, a good- few ladies and spoitsnien founds their way to the meet, and watched- the sport, soma driving about the paddocks in traps' and others •following the hounds oh. foot. All were rewarded by the! .pleasure of seeing hounds hunt particularly well under the unfavourable odds of the country being very much dried up and a hot sun overhead and a fairly strong breeze during the early part of the afternoon especially, and;all could not {rat feel 1 hat thehearty welcome from.their cheerful host and hostess added considerably to> : the enjoyment of tils, afternoon's sport. A rape and: young grass paddock which looked too tempting for any hare to refuse was the first draw but it proved! b'ank. The adjoining turnip paddock which looked as if it ought to b?> bristling with bares was, also drawn blank, so a young grass, paddock was resorted to. 'Hie Ho! She Ho! and a touch of the master's, horn .was smartly responded to Tiy the huntsman who cheerei his hounds- on to the line of a hare viewed creeping through the fence into Mr Peter Watson's turnips. Every hound is busy, even the pups have th.«ir heads down and seem to understand that the fun is soon to begin, the field meanwhile are settling in their saddles as they know full well that some of the BeaconsMeld country needs jumping. A whimper here and there from some of the old; and trustworthy hounds is foon drowned by the combined music of the pack a.s they carry the line in the direction of the reserve road. But when leaving the - turnips it was very noticable that they iceased to throw their ' tongues so confidently when hunting over grass land! except when under the shelter of ferices tliat'the quarry had clung to. When hunting the line on three different occasions under a fence where thi f.cent was warmer it was pretty and encouraging to notice the drive and dash with., which the pack cairried the line as compared with the equally good quality of fclow and careful hunting of a oatchv scert in the bp-ai. By making the mn."t* of th'iir opportunities- hounds' were able to give us a fairly fast half mile spin or more before checking under the reserve road fence, but not for long. The hare was soon to be soen dodging about amongst the pack apparently dead beat, bu>- she clever'y ■ avoided the thirteen couple of hungry mouths each of which st-emed to have bad a dash at her, and mn.de a plucky run baclv to the paddock adioining the'turnips she was found in before b.ing pulled down in the open, bhe w a weak hare, Ae distance was hunted not being probably more than a, mile- and a half, but it was a very pretty hunting run nevertheless over some of the country belonging to Mr Peter Watson, a true, lover of .the sport - who always looks at the bright side of a gap in his best fence.. Later in the .afternoon a nice run ended in the hare being lost on Mr Abel Fox's land. She took the field from Mr Anstey's across the reserve road, and after making a left handed ring round Mr William Richards' farm recros:.ed the road into Mr James Simmons', and across Mrs Facon's land back on to Mr Anstey's farm. Here she mada a big left-handed circle, crossing a very nasty gully, and rccrosi'ed the r.Eerve road into Mrs Foss' paddocks ,where sh-a was lost. On returning to the homestead b:foro going home,, a very thirsty gathering of field and Onlookers thoroughly enjoyed the refreshments spread for them on the lawn, and did full justice to Mr;- Anstey's kind hospitality. Before leaving; the Master, Mr A. S. Elworthy, took the opportunity of thanking tihe Hon. J. Anstey. for the day's sport which had been enjoyed at his invitation, and at the same time congratulated the Hon. J. Anstey on behalf tff members of the Hunt on his. appointment to a seat in tho Upper House, with the hope that thei time ' would come when more farmers of similar stamp would occupy not only similar positions in the Upper House, hut also in the Ministiy.

Cheers were then given for Mr and Mrs Anstey. The Hon. J. Anstey, m reply, said it was always a pleasure to him every year .to see the hounds hunting over his country, and he was more than glad if iu gave pleasure to others, and in referring to his appointment to the Upper House he expressed the hope that he would never ■iiso-race the honour bestowed on him. besides thofie driving and on foot tho following were present at the hunt-.—Mrs C E Thomas on Bourndale, Mrs Williamson, on- Whisky, Mrs T, W. Mee on Jack, Miss Jackson on Lyddite, .Miss Cleveland on Enchantress, Miss Anstey on Bob, Miss Hutton ; on Joan, the Master (Mr A.:. b. Elworthy) on Craigmore,the Huntsman (M v . Orton) on Brisk, the Whip (S. Selwood) onKuroki, Messrs H. Elworthy o n Gnat,'W. Bond on Loch Erin, S. Williamson on Swagger, D. G. Bell on Albury, P. Lindsay on The Parson,. W. Hutton os Crumble, G. Hutton on Anything, F. Kerr on Bachelor, H., Black on Flossie, A. J. Black oil Regi-t, J. Black on Fairy, U. H. Edgar.on Victory, T, Anstey on Tim, H Anstev on Polly, J. Depree on Exile II B. Gibson on Nell, -K M. Hurdley on Rosemorn, H. Maze on McDougald, Tv.W. Mee on Hini Kahu, W- Smith on Pauline, T Ward on Rodney, E. Deneby on.Beniamin R., W/ Brassell on Polly, W. J. Robertn jun. on Blackbird, J. T. Passmore on Baden, F. P. Evans pn Lucky Star, and C. E. Thomas on Brownhill. The next mee 1 . will bs at Mr C. N. Qrbsll's, The Levels.