THE TORONTO 



nels built, more property acquired and its popularity has continued to in- 

 crease from that day to this, especially since the entering into office of the 

 present Master, Mr. George W. Beardmore. 



At the outset, before the unlucky introduction of barbed wire, the fox 

 alone was hunted, but of late years, this great obstacle to sport has increased 

 so rapidly that the drag has been substituted, although there are strong 

 hopes of dealing with the wire evil by systematic panelling methods and 

 thus enabling a return to the better sport of fox-hunting. 



The country is a first rate galloping one, the fields in the eastern portion 

 of it being very large, comprising grass land and pasture wath clean fencing 

 and, as yet, not much v^are. When hounds meet in this section, the mem- 

 bers of the Field are apt to be mounted on horses which are clean-bred or 

 have only a very small infusion of cold blood, as hounds run very hard on 

 the grass, and two and sometimes three lines of four to six miles each are 

 usually laid. In the north and west countries, the going is quite trappy 

 and the fields cramped, and as there is a good deal of wire to be met with, 

 a more temperate mount is required; most of the Field riding three-quarter- 

 bred horses. As the fencing here is plentiful and much diversified, a clever 

 jumper is a sine qua non if one wishes to be carried with comfort and 

 safety. 



At present the landowners are very friendly, as a general thing, and 

 the efforts of the Hunt authorities to interest them by means of horse 

 shows and race meetings have met with considerable success. 



In 1 908, Mr. Beardmore, feeling that new blood was needed in the ken- 

 nels, went to Ireland and personally secured a number of hounds, includ- 

 ing several stallion hounds from the Tipperary with which he hopes to 

 greatly improve his pack. 



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