STAGS 81 



A. Yes, most deservedly so, and they have a 

 splendid country to ride over. At the time that 

 the late Empress of Austria was hunting from 

 Summerhill in Meath the Wards had one of their 

 most famous deer, the " Enfield Doe." It used 

 to be said she had never been taken under fifteen 

 miles, and usually the runs she gave were much 

 longer. The writer has two runs marked on his 

 hunting-map after this famous hind, in the first 

 of which she was turned out at " The Black Bull," 

 and after crossing the well-known Bush farm she 

 left Dunshaughlin about a mile to the left, went 

 past Gerrardstown, and was taken near Boyne 

 View, about a mile from Navan, a distance of nine- 

 teen miles in an absolutely straight line on the 

 map, and of course much more as the hounds 

 went. 



On the other occasion, on March 5, 1879, the 

 Enfield Doe was turned out at Norman's Grove, 

 and after crossing Fairy-house, left Ratoath some 

 two miles to the right, then swinging round by 

 Tobergregan House she passed over Garristown 

 Hill, and leaving Bellewstown to the right was 

 taken within two miles of Duleek. This run was 

 slightly over fourteen miles in a straight line on 

 the map, from the starting-point to the end, but 

 it was a twisting run, so a good many more miles 

 were traversed. In neither run was there a 

 check to speak of ; we were galloping all the way. 

 The writer assisted to take the Enfield Doe on 

 each occasion, and rode a five-year-old English 

 mare by Speculum, that had only been ridden in 

 a flying country, and had never seen a bank in her 

 life till she came to Ireland the previous October. 

 The late Lord Randolph Churchill took keen 

 interest in watching the mare being trained to 



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