WAIMATE HUNT CLUB.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20311, 22 May 1934, Page 10

WAIMATE HUNT CLUB.

Guarantees to be Sought for Race Meeting. The committee of the Waimate District Hunt met on Saturday, those present being the president (Captain N. A. Rattray), Messrs R. Harper, J. Waldie, A. Medlicott, H. J. C. Harper, T. V. Cooney. F. Brown, D. Macdonald and E. B. Fraser. Approval of the programme for a proposed race meeting on July 26 was received from the New Zealand Trotting Conference and the Canterbury District Committee. The president stated the main purpose of the meeting was whether to hold a race meeting or not. Last year, he recalled, a race meeting had been held on having obtained private guarantees of up to £6O, and as the meeting had cleared itself the guarantees had been returned. The arrangement with the Racing Club for the use of the course had been half the profits and the putting of the course in order again. As it happened, there had been no profit and so the Racing Club had received nothing. He thought if they decided to hold a race meeting this year it should be on condition of guarantees being obtained. The overdraft at the bank amounted to £2OO. and shortly would come due to the South Canterbury Hunt for meets in the district the sum of £IOO, and the definite limit of overdraft was £3OO. The club's property had been leased at reduced rent. Factors which had influenced the committee last year were that a meeting had not been held for two

years, and the totalisator returns of racing clubs had been going up. while now the reverse was the case. A budget had been made out la.«t year which had worked out fairly well except for gate receipts. This year, however the totalisator receipts would have to be up £ooo or more on last year. It would be necessary, he thought, to put through £3500 in order to clear and perhaps make a few pounds profit. Mr Harper said he was of the same opinion as last year, that he was not in favour of a meeting. He thought the club should be run primarily for hunting. and a race meeting could be run if finance were available. Mr Fraser said he thought a meeting should be run only if guarantees were obtained. He moved that a race meeting be not held unless £75 in guarantees were obtained, these to be obtained by May 26. The motion was carried unanimously. After considerable discussion in committee, it was reported that guarantees amounting to £29 had been provided by the committee. A committee comprising the executive officers and Messrs Macdonald and Medlicott was appointed to deal with the guarantee next Saturday night and decide if the meeting should proceed, point to Point. For tne point-to-point meeting on June 28 it was decided to adopt the same programme as last year, with the deletion of the farmers' race and the inclusion of two gymkhana events. Mr Harper said it was Questionable whether the farmers' race should be gone on with, as it had never been well supported . . . . _ The president agreed, but said the question was to fill in the afternoon. He added there would be difficulty in putting on a heavy-weight event. It was decided that all horses in the hands of licensed trainers carry a pen-

alty of 71b, and that a maiden horse be given an allowance of 71b. Mr Harper offered to give £3 8s for prizes in the gymkhana events. Mr Medlicott reported that Mr Paape had offered a £3 3s trophy for the heavyweights. and the speaker offered to find a trophy for the light-weights. The president offered to give the hunters’ trial trophy. Honorary officials were elected as follows:—Judges, Messrs E. C. d’Auvergne and E. B. Fraser; starters, Messrs N. A. Rattray and H. J. C. Harper; clerk of course, Mr F. Brown; clerks of scales. Messrs T. Wilce and K. Stewart; surgeon, Dr Wylie; veterinary surgeon, Mr W. Smith; selectors of course. Messrs N. A. Rattray. E. C. Studholme, C. S. M’Laclilan, 11. J. C. Harper and A. Medlicott.