A meet of the Croome Foxhounds at Croome Court, The Earl of Coventry's Worcestershire seat Photos by The North Staffordshire Hounds, of which the Earl of Huntingdon is Master Whitlock The North Staffordshire Preparing for the Opening Meet All is bustle and activity in the hunting world. The preliminary period of cubbing, so necessary for the education of the young hounds, and, it must be added, of the young foxes as well, is nearing its end, and within less than three weeks of the appearance of these pages, most of the opening meets will have been held. All the best hunting quarters in the Shires and the most attractive provincial and Irish countries have long since been secured for the regular season, and very many of them are already occupied by those who are keen enough to go out with the hounds during cub-hunting. The hunting tailor and the dealer in horses have the wane, it must be confessed that very few signs of declining interest can be detected in any direction at the present time. The Chances of Sport Whether sport will come up to the average of recent years during the ensuing season depends largely, of course, upon the weather. Granted an open winter and favourable scenting conditions, the likelihood is that it will prove a most successful season. Rarely have the reports from the different countries been more encouraging than those which have just come to hand. With very few exceptions, they tell of an abundance of foxes, of a tolerably satisfactory period of cubbing, and of the uniform excellence of young entries. Distemper wreaked sad havoc in some kennels a few months Earl Fitzwilliam An all-round sportsman, who maintains alike been kept at high pressure during the past few weeks, and though we are continually being warned that the grand old sport of fox-hunting is on The Quorn Kennel: The hounds at their toilet 81 It will be seen, therefore, that Captain Forester's reign starts very promisingly, and the removal of the hounds into their newly erected kennels will tend to increase the chances of his success. The new buildings will probably be ready at Christmas, but Captain Forester tells me the hounds will not be moved until the end of the season, as it would be inconvenient to make the change in the middle of hunting. Lord Lonsdale, as well as the retiring Master, will give his valuable assistance to the new M.F.H., and his lordship has generously guaranteed the annual sum of £500 so long as Captain Forester remains in office. There is no alteration in the arrangements of the Cottesmore, and those who hunt with the Oakham pack are very glad that things will go on as before, for their sport has been extraordinarily good since Mr. Hanbury became the Photo by [Whitlock The Earl of Lonsdale A prominent follower of the Quorn Foxhounds, which ran delightfully last week after a cub on the Corrington Gorse. His lordship has guaranteed £500 a year to the pack while Captain Forester is Master has always distinguished it, and if the pack itself has suffered in any respect during recent years it has not been for the want of a capable and painstaking Master, but rather because the accommodation at the kennels has become quite inadequate and, in fact, unsuitable for the requirements of the leading packs. Everyone in the Quorn country has extended the warmest of welcomes to the new M F.H., Captain Frank Forester, who is well known with the pack, and has the advantage of having previously served in the Mastership of Hounds, though he will certainly find the leadership of the Quorn and its hard-riding field a very different task from managing the Old Berkshire and Muskerry countries. In the Shires there are not many to beat Captain Forester in a quick thing with hounds, and his knowledge of horses, hounds, kennels, stables, and all that concerns hunting, is exceptional. |