THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



23 



Robert Canning comes next, the crack man of the hunt. 



Let him ride what he will, either hunter or hack, 



Sure by some means or other, to be with pack ; 



At the end of the day, almost always alone, 



And scarse ever behind tho' he rides sixteen stone. 



In his wake pressing close and with much the same plan, 



Frank, his brother, keeps up, tho' a heavier man. 



Mr John Corbet 

 1791-1811. 



And so they were, as a rule, well up at the finish, 

 notwithstanding their weight. Francis used to make 

 a practice of walking a certain distance every non- 

 hunting day in winter. In summer time he would 

 walk excessive distances, often 30 or 40 miles a day, 

 without regard to temperature. That his constitution 

 must have been of a Herculean nature will be seen by 

 some of the feats he performed with the idea of reduc- 

 ing his weight. On one excessive hot July day he 

 walked 35 miles swathed in flannel. On another 

 occasion he accompanied Lord Dormer on a tour 

 through the Highlands. The journey of course, was 

 made largely by road conveyances, but Canning, seizing 

 an opportunity to help to bring about the riiuch 

 desired reduction in weight, declined to avail himself 

 of riding, and walked the journey throughout, a total 

 of 1,600 miles. A loss of weight was the result, but a 

 loss of frame was, of course, not to be so easily acquired, 

 and reduce his flesh as much as he would, his frame was 

 such that he could not enter the scale under 15 stone. 

 His stud, with which he had extraordinary success 

 consisted of five or six hunters, and his stables are 

 described as being excellent. He also possessed the 

 admirable trait of character of knowing how to treat 

 his horses, and invariably thinking of them as well 

 as himself in his enjoyment of the chaae. Sometimes, 

 even, he would walk by their side many a long and 

 dirty mile to reach home after a severe run. His horses 

 had, of course, to be selected in accordance with his 

 weight, and with a few exceptions his style of animal 

 was coarse. Large heads, large hips, in fact large every- 

 thing, were the points of his horses, but they were 



Mr. Francis Can- 

 ning. 



His weight- 

 reducing ex- 

 ploits. 



His Horses. 



