18 



THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Mr. John Corbet 

 1791-1811. 



Mr. Corbet's 

 plate at the 

 races. 



A memorable run 

 from Compton 

 Wy ni a t e s, 

 1801. 



The finish 



Mr. Corbet would reserve some favourite covert for it. 

 A day or two previous to this the hunt races were held 

 at which he gave a plate of £50 to the farmers. The 

 conditions were that they should ride half-bred horses, 

 which had regularly hunted with the Warwickshire 

 hounds, and who had never won a race. They were to 

 carry 21 stone, in two mile heats, and to be ridden by 

 gentlemen. 



A memorable run was that which, on the 10th of 



December, 1801, originated in a meet at Lord 



Northampton's seat at Compton Wyniates. With the 



first fox nothing worth noting was done, but a second, 



found in the gorse by the side of Epwell White 



House gave them a day's sport, which those — and they 



were few — who saw it to its end would remember for 



the rest of their days. He went away over the rabbit 



warren, and took a circle round Compton House into 



Tysoe Field, and then returned almost to where he was 



found. He then made for Shutford Hill, and after 



taking a somewhat devious line and touching Tadmar- 



ton, he arrived at Wroxton Abbey, from which he 



passed right on to Banbury town. Here he lay down 



in a garden and was viewed by most of those present. 



But he had some splendid sport in store for them 



yet, and being started again gave a clipping run 



over a very fine district to Bourton-on-the- Water. 



Here, however, the run did not end, and he took them 



off again with a great extent of fine country before 



them. At a quarter past five o'clock, the hounds 



were still running hard, and as it was getting dark, they 



were stopped by the huntsman on a hack. They had 



run four and a quarter hours, the distance being at 



the very least five-and-thirty miles. 



I doubt if, in the whole course of its existence, "the 

 Warwickshire " can show many runs to equal this one, 

 for the extent of the country traversed. Let my 

 readers get a map and note the points for themselves. 



