1877] A NOTABLE DAYS SPORT. 11 



old sportsmau, who. I am happy to say, saw the find in his gig.* Away goes 

 a veal good fox at oiice. In the l)ottoni runs a brook, wide and treacherous ; 

 a select few have it in their stride, and those few alone saw the run, for 

 hounds raced over the valley (all grass) nearly to Farn])orougli, then, turning 

 once more over the water, they left Mollington on the right, and pointed for 

 White's Bushes, the pace up to this point being very fast. Skirting the side 

 of the hill, they ran iu the direction of Wroxton, but the fox was too pressed 

 to make his points, so once more he tried the valley, and found a friendly 

 drain open about a mile from tlie covei't they found him in. Forty-five 

 minutes was the time, and as good a run as men need wish to ride to; the 

 fences big, yet fair, the line mostly grass. The only drawback was tliat it 

 was not straight. Let me not do injustice by omitting the names of any 

 who saw it, Init I heard (it was but liearsay, as I was not in it myself) that 

 the following comprised the lot : Lord and Lady Willoughby de Broke (who 

 rode beautifully throughout on a horse called Dynamite, who had never 

 carried a lady befoi'e),t Sir C. Mordaunt, Mr. Jenkins, of Upton House 

 (well known formerly under the soubriquet of Mr. Merton) ; Mr. Elridge, of 

 the Bicester Hunt ; Mr. Merry, hunting from Banbury ; and Mr. Knott, who 

 fell in with them after the hounds had been going fifteen miniites. I lieard 

 also that a lad — I believe a nephew of Mr. Chamljerlain's — went wonderfully. 

 Some went home, amongst them, I am sorry to say. Lady Willoughl)y, but 

 many remained to see a fox found that afforded a run which will l)e an 

 historic one in the annals of the Warwickshire Hunt. About two miles from 

 Farnliorougli there is a wild sporting coA^ert called Page's Gorse, and from 

 that covert, about 3 p.m., one of the grandest foxes I ever saw went away at 

 once. Up the hill we went at a tremendous pace, then over the Banlniry 

 Road, and within a field of White's Bushes. Dipping again into the valley, 

 two or three ugly fences and a small boggy In-ook materially thinned the 

 field ; then on to U])ton House, and without a check along the Ijrow of Edge 

 Hill. Here those who lived with them thought they would have got a pull, 

 laid if the niu had finished then, all would have said what a good one it had 

 been ; but it was not so to be, and Orvis, the huntsman, shouts to the noble 

 master, "My Loi-d, the hounds are away iu the Vale ! " And such a vale ! Many 

 old sportsmen will remember the rich valley that runs below the Edge Hills, 

 stretching away to Kineton, Gaydon, Oxhill, and Pillerton, with its flat 

 grass fields, its stifp blackthorn fences, and its wide, deep ditches. Over that 

 Vale did the bitch pack fly, and at the risk of our necks down the side of 

 Edge Hill did we, the few remaining, pursue them. Over that Vale for 

 nearly four miles did that l)itch pack fly, but for the last two miles I 



* Alas ! the glories of Chamberlain's gorse are departed. Squire Cliamberlain, too, 

 is dead. His historic old mansion at Adderbury has been bought by Mr. Larnacli, a 

 good sportsman, however. This house was formerly the residence of the celel^rated 

 Rochester. We used freqiiently to ruu from Angel's Piece to Chamberlain's, and rice 

 versa, but we seldom do now. This line was the one chosen by the late Captain Benyon 

 for the first point-to-point race in Warwickshire. This shows how good it is. — W. R. Y. 



t Bendigo was the name of the horse. See Lord W.'s diary. It is true he had 

 never carried a lady. He was bought from Mr. Spencer Lucj', and afterwards sold to 

 Mr. Tritton, of Bodicote. He was a little, strong, bold jumping horse. I have reason 

 to remember him, for he jumped me off near Great Tew, and broke the muscles of 

 my shoulder, and it lost me the good run of November 21st, 1878, the start of which 

 I witnessed v\-itli Mr. Walter Marshall, who was also Iwrs de coinhat, from a dogcart. ^ — 

 W. R. V. 



