THE BADMINTON HUNT 



lower of the Duke, till his admiration for Jem Hills 

 and the Heythrop hounds led him to take up his 

 quarters for hunting at Chipping Norton. 



Among the pictures at Badminton is one of the 

 fifth Duke and his huntsman and whipper-in, Ketch 

 and Alderton, Lord Worcester (sixth Duke), Mr. 

 Benjamin Hollo way, Dr. R. Penney, John Long, 

 (the father of Will Long), all grouped round a tree. 

 The whipper-in is holding the fox in the fork of the 

 tree, and the Duke has a well-known hunter called 

 " Fox " by the bridle. Among the group beside 

 those I have named, is Mr. T. Estcourt, and I 

 suppose that many of the same name have seen 

 the Beaufort hounds break up their foxes. The 

 Estcourt property is near Tetbury, in the midst of 

 that famous light plough and stone wall country, 

 which is only second to the grass of the vale in the 

 estimation of the followers of the Dukes of Beau- 

 fort. 



In Nimrod's time, the Beaufort hunt does not 

 seem to have been considered a school for hard 

 riders. Indeed, the country never would lend itself 

 to the steeplechases of Leicestershire. In order to 

 cross the country safely, and to see the end of the 

 runs, it is advisable to ride slowly at the fences. 

 One of the best riders in this part, seems almost to 

 pull up before he tries one of them. In good 

 scenting seasons the ground is sure to be deep, and 

 the flippant style of riding that suits parts of 

 Leicestershire would not do in Gloucestershire or 



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