The Horse and the Country to Select 



be a very bad scenting day in a grass country that 

 you do not get at least one or two sharp fifteen 

 minutes' spins ; and there is more sport in the day 

 to be had. There is no sport giving the same 

 amount of pleasure, for which you pay at a like 

 scale as hunting. Those that do hunt in the 

 shires are, or should be, prepared to pay liberally, 

 and in remaining countries according to scale. 

 A horse costs, roughly, taking into consideration 

 wages, forage, &c., ^loo per annum. Nowadays 

 the number of horses in a stud has to be kept 

 down so that hunt subscriptions to various packs, 

 &c., can be paid by those living in a busy hunting 

 centre. 



The day is not far distant when sporting rights 

 in certain districts may have to be obtained and 

 paid for. Take an ordinary week in the season 

 and glance down the list of fixtures in some of the 

 leading countries. First of all you have the Bad- 

 minton at Tolldown. This means Sudbury Vale, a 

 delightful part in this varied county — walls and 

 fences here abound. Notley Abbey, near Oxford, 

 with the Bicester, is in the best of that famous 

 country. The Cottesmore at Somerby connects 

 one's mind with sharp bursts to Ranksboro Gorse. 

 Cranoe with Mr. Fernie's is always a well-favoured 

 meet ; it means Langton Caldwell and Stanton 

 Wood. A Friday with the Quorn at Ashby Folville 

 is not to be missed — coverts small, grass fields, 



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