COURSING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 854, 19 July 1906, Page 6

COURSING.

(By

“The Judge.”)

Next Saturday the North New Zealand Coursing Club will make a commencement with their July meeting, the chief event of which will be the Middleman Stake, which has attracted a good entry. There is a plentiful supply of good racing hares, and some excellent trials are looked forward to. Mr Coombes will again act as judge, while the slipping will be in the capable hands of Mr. Brennan. To enable patrons to reach the course easily a speciali train will be run out to the enclosure, leaving Auckland at 12.20 p.m., and returning shortly after the last course. Mr. Tapper, the hon. secretary, is hard at work arranging the details for the meeting, which means that everything will be done properly and on up-to-date lines, and the committee are also doing their full share of the work. It is to be hoped the public will in increasing numbers support the club in their efforts to once more popularise the old-time sport.

After the first meetings at Otahuhu reports were rife that all was not quite in order with two of the dogs competing at the meeting. At first there did not seem mucjj evidence to go upon, but the committee of the North N.Z. Coursing Clqb did their best to sift the matter. Ultimately the persons chiefly concerned were asked to meet the committee, and the evidence was given and attested before a J.P- At this meeting which took place on Friday, one of those interested made a clean breast of the whole matter, and the committee were thus able to discover what had really taken place. The result has been that one man has been disqualified for life, two others for the remainder of the season, while two dogs will not be able to take part in any coursing for twelve months. These disqualifications have been reported to the Association. The committee of the club had done an immense amount of voluntary work .in forming the enclosure and endeavouring to popularise the sport, yet at the very first meeting there were people ready to spoil everything by arranging, what can only have been a swindle. Such people do not deserve one iota of pity, and the club has been warmly commended tor taking such prompt steps to keep the sport clean. Although desiring that all shou'd particioate. in the game, . the Coursing Club are firmly determined that corrupt practices will not be tolerated for an instant, and at all costs the interests of the public will be protected. There is no reason whatever, why coursing should not be a clean sport, and if it is not so in Auckland it will not be for want of effort on the part of the local club.