SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



Poltimore, Grafton, Warwickshire, Brocklesby, 

 Grove, and Lord Portsmouth's have been 

 utilized. The territory comprises light hill 

 country, some heath, a strongly fenced vale 

 mostly grass, and a good deal of woodland. 

 Wire has been greatly taken down in the vale, 

 but rabbit netting in the hill country is a great 

 hindrance. Some country loaned in 1858 in 

 the east and north was given up when foxes be- 

 came more numerous, and a small exchange of 

 country was made with the Blackmore Vale 

 when Mr. Wingfield-Digby was master of 

 that pack. Two or three small coverts have 

 been planted, and Lord Portman r^ts one 

 large covert called Doncliffe, and two small 

 gorses. 



The kennels were rebuilt about 1889 on the 

 plan of Lord Miildleton's, and are perfect models. 

 Foxes are plentiful in some districts, but in other 

 parts of the country, owing perhaps to the 

 increase of shooting tenants, are not so well 

 preserved. The farmers, as in other parts of 

 Dorset, are keen sportsmen and staunch sup- 

 porters of the hunt. 



On 16 January, 1890, these hounds had a 

 memorable run. Meeting at Harley Gap they 

 found in the gorse close by ; the fox made 

 his point for Lord Shaftesbury's Harley Wood, 

 and, breaking at the lower end, crossed the down 

 to Waite. At Monkton, where there was a 

 check. Moss cast by the meadows to the bridge, 

 where hounds hit off his line. Up to this time 

 the pace had not been great, but now commenced 

 what was perhaps one of the fastest runs on 

 record. Over that splendid open country, with 

 hardly a fence, it was a perfect race to Water 

 Lake through Cranborne Farm to Blagdon Hills. 

 Hounds drove their fox without a moment's 

 check into Martin Wood, where a man was 

 holloaing, but as they still stuck to his line. Moss 

 showed good judgement in letting them alone. 

 Without a pause they pushed him on to High 

 Bowlesbury, and away into the open again, 

 across Ridley Farms to AUingford Water and 

 Rockbourne Knoll. Here the fox was seen steal- 

 ing away by the Down Farm for the Tenantry 

 Down, and was pulled down just before reaching 

 New Buildmgs. Thirteen miles as the crow 

 flies, and sixteen miles as the hounds ran. Time, 

 from find to finish, I hour 12 minutes. 



POINT-TO-POINT RACES 



In connexion with the Dorset hunts the 

 Blackmore Vale and Lord Portman 's hold annual 

 point-to-points at the end of the season. The 

 Blackmore Vale have races for heavy-weights 

 and light-weights open to the Dorset hunts, also 

 heavy-weights and light-weights open to farmers 

 and one open race. 



Lord Portman's have races for red coats, 

 heavy-weights and light-weights, and farmers' 

 welter and light-weights. 



STAG-HUNTING 

 The Ranston Bloodhounds 



For some eight seasons, George second Lord 

 Wolverton hunted the carted deer (and some- 

 times a drag) with a pack of bloodhounds, chiefly 

 over the Blackmore Vale country. These hounds 

 originated from a draft of eight couple of blood- 

 hounds* bred in County Meath by Captain 

 Roden of Kells. In 1875 the Ranston pack 

 numbered 16 j couple standing 27 in. at the 

 shoulder, and according to Major Whyte-Mel- 

 ville ' their limbs and frame were proportioned 

 to so gigantic a stature, and thanks to the Master's 

 care in breeding, and the freedom with which he 

 had drafted, their feet were round and their 

 powerful legs symmetrically straight.' As a rule 

 they hunted red deer, chiefly hinds ; a few stags 

 were kept, but they did not answer so well. 

 James Young was Lord Wolverton's first hunts- 

 man, to whom John Boreham succeeded. Tom 

 Lane, the head keeper, had charge of the deer, 

 drove the deer cart, and sometimes carried the 

 drag, as did also Stark, who was a bold horseman 

 and knew the country well. As with all packs 

 of bloodhounds, it was always either a very good 

 or a very bad day with them, since they hunted 

 entirely by scent, never raising their heads for a 

 view. 



A good run is recorded by Miss Serrell with 

 these hounds. On 7 March, 1874 : — 



Lord Wolverton's fixture was at Fifehead Magdalen, 

 as he had settled to look for a hind that had been 

 seen for some days feeding with the cows on Loder's 

 Farm at Buckhorn Weston. This hind had given a 

 capital forty minutes from Mansion the week before, 

 and had been lost at the end of the day near 

 Rodgrove. 



The hounds and the field — the latter numbering 

 about one hundred, were shut into the yard for 

 twenty minutes, and then the chase started over the 

 open-trenched fields and their stiff fences in the 

 direction of Rodgrove. Thence towards Shanks, and 

 at a gallop down the lane till there was a short check 

 close by Langham. Hounds soon recovered the line, 

 and crossing a ploughed field, bore down to the South 

 Western railway, and passing under the arch, went 

 round towards EcclifFe Mill till the river lay in front. 

 A somewhat deep ford here let both hounds and field 

 through, and going fairly straight for Stour Provost, 

 the pack crossed the Todber Road, and leaving Nash 

 covert on their right, came down once more to the 

 river. For a while they ran along the bank till they 

 came to City Mill, where they crossed, the narrow 

 plank bridge at this point allowing the field to get 

 over in single file. At Pentridge the Somerset and 

 Dorset railway had to be crossed, and now the pace, 

 which up to this point had been good, grew slower. 

 The hounds, however, never left the line, and the big 

 doubles that lay in their path, and which they could 

 cross but slowly, brought out their deeper and more 



' Captain Roden's hounds had come from Mr. 

 Jennings in Yorkshire and Mr. Cowen of Blaydon 

 Burns. 



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