THE GENESEE VALLEY 



the sport, believing that with the growing scarcity of game it is by far the 

 best and most democratic country amusement. He has been much more 

 anxious to interest his neighbors than to call in the outsiders, and, to use his 

 own words, " would rather see a farmer's boy on a mule at a meet than the 

 most elaborate creation of the London tailor." The so-called " qualifier," 

 who takes his would-be steeplechaser to the meet, lets him have a look at 

 the hounds and larks him over a few fences in sight of the Master in order 

 to obtain a so-called "hunter's certificate" is an individual for whom he has 

 no use. To quote his own remarks on the subject: 



" I don't know that the Genesee Valley Hunt is a racing club, or ever 

 intends to give race meetings. I consider it a fox-hunting club. 



" I have always treated the racing people with courtesy, but as every 

 Master of Hounds knows, the qualifying of hunters for steeplechase pur- 

 poses is a humbug. The horses so qualified are not and never have been 

 hunters, and everyone knows it. They are merely a certain class of steeple- 

 chasers, a different animal, for instance, from that which should be shown in 

 the prize ring as a hunter, so I think the best way is to keep the two things 

 separate, and let the men who want to race, race ; and the men who Wcint 

 to hunt, hunt. Let each define a hunter as he chooses." 



Major Wadsworth's hatred of the qualifier is such that, to quote him 

 again, " I have invented that splendid aggregation (?), the Livingston County 

 Draghounds, to keep the professional dealers and racing men's jocks out of 

 my Fields." 



Very different is Major Wadsworth's feeling for the men who hunt. He 

 has spared neither trouble nor expense to get together a pack which will 

 show them the best sport. His hounds are for the most part of pure English 

 blood, although he states that some of his best have a slight infusion of the 

 American in them. This, however, is so slight that no one could tell from 

 looking at the hounds that it existed. In 1 880, the first draft came from the 

 Meath, followed in 1 884 by a draft from Lord Fitzhardinge's, among which 

 he mentions, — 



"Ruler," 1876; "Viscount," "Frantic," and "Castor," 1880; and 

 " Vocal," 1 88 1 , as being exceptionally useful. 



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