Hunt Photo Competition

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The result of our Hunt Photo Competition affords interesting example of the way in which the fair sex has invaded - and invaded most successfully -the realms of photography. Even a professional photographer will admit that it is most difficult to snapshot of a hunting scene which will provide not only a satisfactory impression of horses and hounds, either at the meet or on the move, but a harmonious picture with the general surroundings. A knowledge of how to handle the camera is not the only requisite in taking a hunting photograph. There must be a quick perception of the

picturesque, accompanied

by some familiarity with hounds and hunting and things likely to interest. the general body of hunting people. We think that these qualifications are possessed by the majority of those whose pictures have been published in THE BYSTANDER during the past six weeks, and there has been no question as to the success

of the Competition The most interesting series was that sent in by

MRS. G. C. W.
FITZWILLIAM,
Milton Park,
Peterborough.

Six of the photographs submitted by this lady have been reproduced during the course of the Competition, and accordingly she has been awarded the pony trap which was offered as first prize. Readers who have

previously gained valuable experience in the Cattistock country, and being a fine horseman, a really good huntsman, and possessing a thorough knowledge of hounds, Mr. Hargreaves kept up the best traditions of the B.V. He was not allowed to sever his connection with the Hunt without receiving an acknowledgment of his services from those to whom he had shown sport. This acknowledgment took the shape of a silver fox from the members, and another gift from the farmers. The presentation took place at Mr. Hargreaves's residence, Templecombe House, and the pleasant scene is depicted in our illustration. Among the company can be observed the new Master, Colonel Percy Browne, under whose leadership the followers of the B.V. are not likely to find any fallingoff from the high standard of good sport set by his predecessors in the position.

pack consists of two widely varying sorts of country. Two-thirds of it is composed of small fields, with big double fences, and here the going is generally very holding, requiring a strong-backed, short-legged horse with the best of hocks and loins. In the other part of the district you must have your horse as well-bred as you can get him, for it is a veritable flying, grass country, and when the meets are there-usually on Tuesdays-a slow customer, however plodding and sure he may be, will be of little value to you if you want to see the best of the fun, and that, I take it, is what most of us hope to see when we go out with hounds. The Blackmore Vale Hunt has recently been under the necessity of changing its Master, owing to the resignation last season of Mr. John Hargreaves, who succeeded the late Mr. Merthyr Guest five years ago Mr. Guest's name will never be forgo ten in the annals of the Blackmore Vale Hunt, and Mr. Hargreaves had a difficult task in following him. But he had

Flourishing Condition of Irish Fox-Hunting

In spite of the recurrence of agragrian troubles now and again, it is doubtful whether fox-hunting in Ireland has ever been in a more flourishing condition than at the present moment. Many English sportsmen are crossing the St. George's Channel for the purpose of spending a part, and in some instances the whole, of the hunting season in Ireland, where, generally speaking, the foxes are stout, the soil has excellent scent-holding properties, and the forage is cheap. Not much trouble is caused by wire, and frost and fog do not interfere with hunting to such an extent as in England. The facilities. too, for enjoying sport in Ireland are good. First of all, there is the admirable system of the London and North Western Railway, which takes us so comfortably from Euston to Holyhead. Then the Irish railways are not behindhand in catering for hunting people

Take, for example, the facilities given by the Midland Great Western Railway Company. They include special hunting trains when ordered by the Committees of the Ward Union, the Meath, the Westmeath, and the Kildare Hunts, many of these trains being run during the season. Riders, horses, and rooms are conveyed on a combined ticket at a reduced rate, and the Midland Great Western also issue tickets at a special low rate during the hunting season to riders who keep their horses in the various hunting districts.

The Westmeath and their Popular M.F.H.

In view of the facts mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, the Editor of THE BYSTANDER COnsiders it an opportune time to present a series of interesting photographs of the best Irish hunting districts, and for that purpose a special representative is making a tour of the chief countries. This week the Westmeath

photograph shows Mornington Cannon in a costume which will seem strangely unfamiliar to those who only see him riding ra es on the flat. But in the winter Cannon is an ardent votary of the chase, and one of the hardest of the many hard riders in the Vale of Aylesbury, where he throws in his lot with Lord Rothschild's Staghounds and the Whaddon Chase Foxhounds. The popular "Morny" resembles most of his brother jockeys in being a keen hunting man, and when the Newmarket and Thurlow are near to the headquarters of the Turf their following is largely swelled by wellknown jockeys. That fine horseman, Harry

Hounds are dealt with, and in our next issue the series will be continued with the Duhallow Hunt. Rejoicing in a Master who is as keen as can be, and is brilliantly mounted, the Westmeath Hounds have a splendid record. Mr. Harry Whitworth is widely known in the world of sport. He is an excellent polo player, he handles a high-class team of coachers to perfection, and whether riding to hounds or between the flags he wants a tremendous lot of beating. It was said of Mr. Whitworth's first season in Mastership in 1903-4 -that no such run of sport had been enjoyed in Westmeath for many years, and only a few days since the wish was expressed by the people of Castlepollard that a few more sportsmen of this type could be induced to settle in their midst.

Custance, was, in his day, one of the best men in Leicestershire, and another famous jockey always in the first flight with hounds was Fred Archer.

Shooting at Christmas Although the best of the shooting is past, there will be many pleasure-parties for the Christmas holidays, and the careful keeper will have no scarcity of birds for his master and friends, even when the coverts have already been shot through. It is his business to concentrate his remaining stock in the central coverts,

and with judicious management in fairly well-stocked preserves, it should not be difficult to ensure some satisfactory sport at a second or third shoot. In view of the breeding stock which should be left in all well-governed coverts, the keeper will treat the hens with natural solicitude, and the cock pheasants will pay the heaviest toll, in addition to the ground game. Not only are the late December shooting parties invariably pleasant social affairs, composed, as they mostly are, of relations or old friends, who only come together once or twice during the year, but they give plenty of keen enjoyment to the expert shooter, the birds being harder to kill than earlier in the season; they are stronger on the wing, and having, in all probability, learnt something of the ways of beaters and gunners, they break out of the preserves at all manner of unexpected places, and usually want a great deal of stopping. A. W. C.

J. T. Newman

The first of our illustrations on this page shows the. West Somerset Foxhounds, assembled at St. Audries, Bridgwater, the residence of Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, who is closely associated with the Hunt, and finds an occasional day with the pack a pleasant diversion from his onerous Parliamentary duties. Our other