HUNTING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue XXI, 22 May 1897, Page 640

HUNTING.

(By

Onlooker.)

THE opening meet of the Pakuranga Hunt Club took place last Saturday at ‘ Aborfield,’ Ellerslie, the residence of the Master, Colonel Dawson, who, with Mrs Dawson, kindly provided luncheon and afternoon tea. Amongst the lady riders were Mrs Willie Bloomfield on Blue Peter, Miss Roberts (Molly Hawke), Miss Rathbone (Warratah), Mrs Harry Tonks (Billy), Miss Tribley (Dainty), Miss Dunnett (Roger), Miss Maud Buckland (Villiers), Miss Amy Taylor (Tim), Miss KerrTaylor (Nimrod), Mrs Daveney, Mrs Selby, Misses Tanner, Sellers, Gorrie (two), Buckland, Griffiths, Ware, Bull (two), Mrs Gilmore, Mr Gorrie (Jimmy), Mr Gordon (Tommy), Mr J. Philips (Oceolo), Mr Elliot (Saxon), Mr Skipwith (Dad), Mr Carminer (Ingorina), Mr Dunnett (Opawa), Colonel Dawson (Ike), Mr McLaughlin (Betty), Messrs Pollock, Varnum, Lambert, Gilmore, Hayr, Elliot, Kerr-Taylor, Colonel Craigh and two sons, Colonel Noakes and two sons, Messrs Bloomfield (two), Wynyard, Tonus, Hall, Thompson, Kensington, Roach, etc. We missed Miss McLaughlin on her jumping grey. Cattian, and were sorry to hear the steed got cut with corrugated iron, as he exercised himself trying to jump the lower part of a stable, and I also missed Miss Percival, who, I hear, is away in Wellington. After being photographed, three drags were laid by Mr Selby, junr., and Mr Walktr, the first starting from Colonel Dawson’s lawn through Crowther’s property in a westerly direction, turning round by the racecourse, and finishing up in a bye-road opposite ‘ Aborfield.’ This was very fast indeed, all the drags, which were like steeplechases, being exceptionally fast and furious. Our master was seen throughout the three drags to the fore on gallant old Ike, and I also saw three ladies in the first drag—Misses Rathbone, Roberts, and Tribley. The second drag started at the back of * Aborfield,’ running down a bye lane towards the Ellerslie and Panmure Road. Crossing here, a wall and stiff rail fence had to be taken, and several other stone walls of a stiff character had to be negotiated. Taking the double on the South Road and over a flight of numerous walls, we finished close to the Penrose Junction. Amongst the ladies in this drag I noticed Mrs H. Tonks, Misses M. Buckland, Tribley, Roberts, Kerr-Taylor, and Rathbone. The third drag was started in a paddock off Penrose Road, running parallel to the South Road for five fields, where we crossed this road, and bearing to the left, jumped into the Jubilee Road close to the Ellerslie Hotel, and up by a side road near the racecourse, finishing in a field below Colonel Dawson’s, the same ladies making a good finish as in the second run. The members and friends then adjourned to ‘ Aborfield ’ to partake of afternoon tea, kindly provided by the master and his hospitable wife. Afterwards pussie was sought, but many thinking their steeds bad had sufficient, turned homewards. There were a few spills, but happily none attended with any serious results. Mr Harry Tonks’ steed jumped into wire ; Mr Elliot’s Saxon brought a line of fence down ; Mr A. E. Gilmore’s Kiwi got into barbed wire and was taken to • Aborfield,’ where his equestrian was doctored by the gentlemen onlookers, and became the cynosure of every eye.