280 England's oldest hunt. 



in the season is also to be remembered. The Master was not 

 out on the former day, being, unfortunately detained by 

 his recently adopted Parliamentary duties. Lord Helmsley 

 is very fond of shooting. He prefers grouse driving to any 

 other form of sport with the gun, and, after that, walking up 

 partridges. He is also a stalker. He is no great fisherman, 

 but sometimes throws a fly on the Rye, which trout stream 

 runs through Duncombe Park. He has not played much 

 polo since he left Oxford, having had many demands upon 

 his time, and an occasional game has been all he has been 

 able to play during the last three seasons. Lord Helmsley 

 takes a great interest in every department of horse breeding, 

 more especially in the breeding of hunters and polo ponies ; 

 he is greatly interested in the work of the Polo and Riding 

 Pony Society. He represents the Thirsk and Malton Division 

 in the Conservative interest, having been elected at the 

 general election in 1906. 



Viscount Helmsley showed some excellent sport during 

 the season 1906-7, and during the present season, 1907-8, 

 foxes have been found plentiful and sport first-rate. 

 Plenty of foxes and plenty of fun have been the order of 

 events in the Sinnington country, together with a number 

 of exciting incidents. The noble master had one unpleasant 

 experience on January 10th, 1907, when the fixture was at 

 Harome. A Muscoates fox crossed the Normanby Beck 

 during the course of a fast journey, and Lord Helmsley, 

 essaying to follow his hounds became entangled in some 

 barbed wire in the swollen stream. Eventually, after en- 

 deavouring for some time to free his horse, he swam or 

 scrambled to the bank, and ropes had to be procured to release 

 the horse, which was nastily cut. After procuring a change 

 of clothing at Col. Scoby's at Hob Ground, Viscount Helmsley 

 continued to see the day through, and a few days later, 

 in the course of a speech, said that hunting without danger 

 would not have half the fascination for the hundreds who 

 now ride to hounds. Thus he agreed with Lindsay Gordon : 

 No game was ever worth a rap 

 For a rational man to play, 



