CHESHIRE UNDER DUKE OF WESTMINSTER 85 



chestnut hunter, Skylark, King Alfonso laughed his 

 happy way in the company of the Duchess as hounds 

 came flying like phantoms to Champion's horn, 

 away out of the Eaton Coverts to the Beechins, 

 going on to Bolesworth. It was a great day's 

 sport, and the bitches later got out by Handley, 

 running on till His Majesty, tired and happy, could 

 hunt no more, turning his horse's head for home. 

 The following is an account of the day's sport from 

 the Cheshire paper, Friday, November 29, 1901. 



•' There was a special meet of Cheshire hounds 

 yesterday at Eaton Hall, in honour of King Alfonso's 

 visit. The King, wearing the silk hat and scarlet 

 coat of the Hunt, came into the great quadrangle in 

 front of the hall a few minutes after eleven o'clock, 

 where the Duke of Westminster, who is the M.F.H., 

 was dispensing hospitality to a large and distin- 

 guished company. Many spectators drove or walked 

 from Chester. There were no restrictions except 

 roped -off space immediately outside the "golden 

 gates." The King sat a handsome chestnut, and 

 as he came through the entrance gates he and the 

 Duke rode respectively on either side of the Duchess. 

 The little Earl Grosvenor, heir to the title and his 

 sister, the Lady Ursula, came in an open brake, 

 while Lady Grosvenor and several ladies of the 

 house party followed in a carriage. Hounds were 

 thrown into Aldford covers and a fox was almost 

 immediately holloaed away. He took a line across 

 a typical Cheshire hunting country, and after a 

 fast run of eighty minutes went to ground at Duck- 

 ington. The King, who is a splendid rider, took 

 every fence and kept close up to the hounds 

 throughout. There were two subsequent runs, one 

 with a fox found in Handley Gorse and another in 

 Crow's Nest Cover. 



