HUNTING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue IX, 21 August 1897, Page 273

HUNTING.

(By

Onlooker.)

THE Pakuranga Hounds met last Saturday at St. John’s College, where an excellent day’s sport was enjoyed. This was another day of this season which enthusiasts will mark with a red letter. Some time was spent in drawing for pussie in her usual haunts in the gorse and scoria land near St. John’s College. At last one was started, and gave us a run of some length, in which many tricky jumps, such as gates and slip panels, had to be taken. Pussie was caught finally near a haystack. We then made our way to ‘ Glen Innis,’ the estate of the late Mr William Innis Taylor, where one of our finest runs was enjoyed. In this run, which lasted for threequarters of an hour at a rattling pace, the following jumps had to be negotiated; three wire fences, besides various other nasty fences, one a bullfinch, where we got rather scratched. These our huntsman took, the foremost of the followers taking all except wire here. As a rule, our huntsman always pounds the field for we do object to wire. At the first wire jump only Mr Crowe successfully followed. Over the second he was followed by Mr Crowe, Mrs Bloomfield, and Miss Kerr-Taylor, but the third, which was a combination of a wire fence, hedge and rail, the last t vo being a foot distance from the wire, which made it rather a wide jump, he was followed again by Mr Crowe, but the ladies objected and the next gentleman who attempted disfigured his face by smashing his nose, and another steed turned a somersault. We then had the wire tied down and managed thereby to be in at the kill. Our steeds, as well as the hounds, by this time were all thoroughly knocked up, so after giving our mounts time for breathing we turned for home. Now for those present:—Mr McLaughlin (who is acting Master for Col. Dawson. The latter, of course, will be unable to be present for some time, owing to this bail accident the other Saturday) was riding Betty, but will appear next hunt on a new mount, having purchased Mr Skipwith’s Dad ; Mrs Bloomfield, Mrs Tonks, Mrs Kelly, Misses Buckland (two), Dunnett, Gorrie (two), Taylor (Mangere), KerrTaylor, McLaughin, Tanner, Percival, Roberts, Morrin, Peacock, Ware, Bleazard-Brown, Bull (two), Messrs Tonks, Gorrie, W. McLaughlin. Buckland, Pollock, Skipwith, Varnutn, O’Dowd, Kinloch (two), Crowe, Elliot, Dunwoodie, Ellett, Philips, Dunnett, Carminer, Hyde, Harrison, Noakes, Shera, Gilbert, Gordon (two), Goodman, etc. Driving were Mrs (Col.) Dawson, Mr Elliott, Mr — Elliott, Miss Elliott, Miss Percival and friend, Mr and Mrs H. Walker, Mrs H. Gorrie and Miss (Frank) Buckland, Misses Sellers, Kempthorne, and Mr Bain. Walking were Mr W. Bloomfield, Miss Henderson, and Mrs Markham. Much a nusement was afforded by one of our hunting ladies abusing those riding ahead in these runs. Ido not think they moved quick enough to please her.

Mr STOTT, Inspector of the National Bank, is visiting B'enheim, and with Mrs Stott is staying at the Criterion Hotel.