144 The Bedale Hounds, 1832-1908 



and go-ahead community. It was called 

 the ' * York Union Hunt Club/ ' and consisted 

 of members from all the Hunts in Yorkshire.* 

 These were about three hundred, and 

 the subscription was three guineas a 

 year. It was started in 1835, and pros- 

 pered well till about 1856, when the annual 

 Race Meeting connected with it dropped 

 out ; and as a Club, after this date, it rather 

 languished. It held each year in York, a 

 week of more or less general festivities. 

 There were two days racing, a Hunt ball, and 

 one, if not two other dances. 



The following are the names of the prin- 

 cipal races which were run each year. 



''The Club Gold Cup.*' ''The Union 

 Club Stakes.'' "The Ladies Plate'' (a 

 handicap, to which was generally added a 

 silver tea service, subscribed for by the 

 Ladies connected with the Club). "The 

 Farmer's and Tradesman's Stakes." ' ' The 

 Champagne Stakes," and the "York 

 October Race Club Stakes." 



My father and my uncles regularly ran 

 horses at this Meeting, and the former was 

 fairly lucky in his attempts ; as he ran 

 second for the Gold Cup in 1835, with a mare 

 called Jewess, won a travelling clock and 

 stand (race not mentioned), in 1839, with a 

 horse called Slyfellow. Won the Gold Cup 

 in 1843, with a horse called Linger opper. 



* Vyner in his ' Notitia Venatica,' states the number was 

 thirteen. 



