Beech Hill Park 



CHAPTER VII. 



Beech Hill Park — The Point to Point Races at Hatfield Heath, 1897 — Major 

 Ricavdo and ^^ General Banks" — '^ Catapult" — The Annual Meeting, 1897 — 

 Mark Hall Wood — The fortunate few — S. Chisenhale Marsh and " Wheel of 

 Fortune" — F. Loyd and '^Rosamond" — Cyril Charrington and his hunter 

 " Bullfinch "—A Sharp burst from the Moors — Going toivards Shenfield — ■ 

 My. Henry Charrington on " The Swell " — Bailey hunts the hounds for the 

 first time in season 1897-98 — Fitz Walters — Mrs. Grossman's "Ruth" — 

 Douglas Grossman's "Sweetmeat" — Tyler's X — Guy Gilbey — Wavzvickshire 

 Brooks — A. Waters — Mrs. Waters — A.J. Edwards— " Baroness" — Guy and 

 Noel Edwards — Garnish — Wilson Springs — A gallop at last — Sydney V. 

 Green — Two favourite hunters — The Annual Meeting, 1898 — A. S. Bowlhy 

 on "Piccadilly" — Rev. Austin Oliver — Endon Oliver — W. Dalton — The 

 Point to Point Races at Stondon, 1898 — To Finish the Season — A teorst 

 on record — Writtlc Park — Langleys — Killing Deer in the field. 



THE Point-to-Point races were not postponed after all, though the day 

 before all sorts of rumours were flying about that they would be, the 

 ground being simply in a terrible condition. But postponement might 

 have done no good, for who could tell whether the ground would be any 

 drier in a week's time, and, if it were, in would go the barley, for now it 

 is weeks behind time. So perhaps it was as well that they were not put 

 ofif, though it would have been difficult to have held them under more 

 adverse conditions, a morning sun only tempting people out to their 

 destruction, for the races were run in pitiless rain storms. That many an 

 owner would not run his horse, notably Mr. W. Buckmaster his " Success," 

 which was very much fancied, was not surprising : but that no serious 

 casualties to horses or riders occurred is certainly worthy of comment, for 

 falls were numerous, as horses reeling from exhaustion simply staggered 

 into the winning field or fell helpless and inert ere they reached it. " The 

 farmers won't go tumbling about," said an onlooker, and ere the words 

 were out of his mouth three were down in a row. That " Sir Frederick," 

 Mr. Milbank's horse, should add another to his numerous victories, shows 



