Lovers of the Horse 



41 



THE TORONTO HUNT 



THE Toronto Hunt is probably the most popular institution in the smart set of 

 the Queen City. It was not until tlie year I8G0 that Toronto, then a town of 

 only about 40,000 population, could boast of an organized Hunt. There is, 

 however, a meet of hounds on record held at the toj) of Bathurst Street, on April 30, 

 1862, at which history records that every available horse and saddle was brought into 

 refjuisition. This was not a meet of the Toronto Hunt, but a meet of a private pack 

 belonging to au Englishman named Steers, who had, during the few preceding years, 

 kept half-a-dozen couples for the amusement of himself and his friends. No doubt, 

 however, it was largely due to the enterprise of ]Mr. Steers that, in 1865, a number 

 of Englishmen got together and organized the Toronto Hunt. Among tlie gentlemen 

 actively concerned in the organization were to be found those having such well- 

 known names as Copland, Worts, Hendrie. (iodson. Thomas, Smith, Ileward, 

 Boswell, Leys, Dundas, Bond, Walker, Nordheimer, Dwight, Kiely, Donaldson, 

 Shedden, Gillespie and Gooderham. Most of these gentlemen have passed 

 awav, but there are several who are still active members of the Hunt. Nearly 



The ToKONro Hunt 



