200 England's oldest hunt. 



ride a horse." To be still more paradoxical, every man who 

 mounts a good horse does not ride him, and one not infre- 

 quently discovers that it is those who ride the crocks who are 

 there at the end of a run. Jack Parker had not always the 

 best of cattle, but he was possessed of what in Yorkshire 

 sporting vernacular is perhaps somewhat vulgarly termed " a 

 good heart in his belly." This is more valuable than the best 

 hunter in the world. Parker used to admit himself 

 impatient with those who did not " ride on " in the hunting 

 field, no matter what they had underneath them. "If t' 

 man's keen he can alius git his hoss ower, under, ur through," 

 he used to say, and I believe from what I have seen this is 

 the case. 



A story is told of Jack going to buy a horse at 

 Northallerton Fair. Eventually, after much deliberation, 

 he settled upon a big upstanding Irish hunter, a chestnut, 

 which he called Tip, and which carried him on many a hard 

 and long day. On the day succeeding the purchase he 

 meant to hunt his new horse after riding it through from 

 Allerton to Kirbymoorside. But it is the custom in York- 

 shire, after buying a new " quad," to " wet its head," and 

 pledge success to it. The Sinnington huntsman was not 

 averse to a " drop o' gin," and after doing honour at North- 

 allerton to the old custom mentioned, he rode on to Thirsk, 

 where he stayed to have supper with the stud groom at the 

 hall. It was midnight when the cobblestones of Kirby- 

 moorside announced his arrival. He tied up his mount, 

 and entered the house, well satisfied with his bargain, of 

 which he painted a glowing picture to his wife. She got 

 him off to bed ere she went out to " fodder t' new hoss an' 

 bed it up fer t'night." To her surprise, she discovered, 

 not the 16 hands chestnut of which her spouse had spoken, 

 but a grey pony. On going to join Jack in the upper regions 

 of the house, she said, " Ah thowt thoo telled me it wur a 

 chesnit hoss 'at thoo'd bowt." " Sartainly, Ah did," replied 

 Jack sleepily. " Well, Ah deean't knaw what thoo's deean 

 wi't then, for its a grey gallower thoo's fetched back yam." 

 In an instant, John saw that either solicitous for his welfare 



