DIANA 167 



for 12 seasons. " Diana" was by no means the easiest mare in 

 the world to ride, and would go quick at her fences, but in spite 

 of giving him several falls she was ever the Master's favourite. 

 The mare had a wonderful capacity for going through dirt, and 

 the way she performed in the following Point to Point races 

 with her owner up furnishes sufficient evidence as to her 

 jumping and staying powers. It is doubtful whether any better 

 hunter has ever been seen with the Essex Hounds. 



1888. — 2nd, Point to Point, Thaxsted. 



1889. — 2nd to Harlequin, Light-weight, Rundells. 



1890. — ist, Point to Point, High Roothing. 



1892. — ist, Point to Point, Epping. 



I St, Welter Race, Rundells (14 st.) 



1S94. — -2nd, Point to Point, Easton. 



Monday, Januar}' 28th. Thornwood Gate. A balmy sort of day, rather 

 dry, and the plough not carrying we had a couple of good runs. A fox from 

 Parndon Woods to ground at Maries Farm need not be reckoned with. 

 But a fox away from Latton Park towards Rundells, then back to Harlow 

 Park with a false alarm in the direction of Hastingwood Common, and then 

 on his tracks again in Harlow Park, was quite another thing. One was more 

 than fortunate to secure a good place with them as they came away over 

 the Common and embarked on the closely fenced country leading up to 

 Barnsleys; bearing right-handed over Hubbard's Hail Farm they ran smartly 

 up to Foster Street Road — nearly to Moor Hall Farm ; turning back by 

 Roll's Farm, they ran on fast and well to Belgium Springs, and killed him 

 in the open, close to Mr. Lucking's house, a very pretty hunt. 



Our next find was Mark Hall ; this fox gave a hard run through Gravel 

 Pit woods, on to Todd's Brook and Mark Hall. Found another fox outlying 

 close to Harlow Station, late in the afternoon. He soon crossed the railway 

 and canals ; to dive under the one through the tunnel and turn the other 

 by a ford at a mill close by was the only thing to do to give you a chance 

 of seeing hounds again. To reach the mill, hov/ever, a very wide open 

 ditch had to be reckoned with. Mr. Green and the huntsman flew it all 

 right, my cob tried to cut it, and in we went a blobber right over the saddle. 

 I freed myself from him as soon as possible, and he careered up stream. 

 Luckily, I managed to hook him and pull him out the right side. Young 

 Corvell, who went in at the same time, was not so fortunate, and after 

 getting a thorough drenching his horse came out the wrong one. Catching 

 the hounds as they crossed the road, we had a capital hunting run through 

 Eastwick Wood, losing some distance beyond it. Probably this was the 

 same fox that gave us such a good run on January i6th. Young Neville 

 Dawson rode a pony of Ball's, fresh up from grass or a winter's run in a 

 loose box, and the poor brute died from exhaustion about 11 o'clock the 

 same night. 



Mr. Jameson will remember the snowy day at Coopersale on Feb. 4th, 

 and how we all, including huntsman and hounds, had to seek refuge in 

 Mr. Jordan's farmyard from the heavy snow-storm that came on as we 

 moved ofif towards the side coverts. First finding in Bush Wood a fox, 

 which had come away from Barber's, we ran him by Theydon Rectory 

 and Loughton Shaws to the Forest, winding up the day with a very sharp 

 15 minutes from Knightsland, killing near Shalesmore. 



