SPORT WITH THE BLANKNEY HOUNDS 109 



the magic spell of the chase. At the last performance 

 of " Dorothy," the company presented a silver hunt- 

 ing-horn to Tom Isaac, who had appeared nightly 

 with three couples of the best stuff from the Blankney 

 kennel. A successful huntsman is necessarily a 

 man of many parts, ready for any emergency 

 work. 



The Blankney entry of 1911 was considered a 

 good one, the judging taking place in the spring 

 when hounds came in, and therefore it was a full 

 entry of thirty-two and a half couples, which sub- 

 sequently was very much reduced in size by dis- 

 temper. The judging was undertaken by Mr 

 Thomas Wilson, master of the Burton, Ben Capell, 

 huntsman to the Belvoir and Jim Smith, huntsman 

 to the Brocklesby, with Charles Isaac, ex-huntsman 

 to Mr Fernie's, there in the position of referee. 

 The task was no light one, but eventually the judges 

 placed a very nice dog by Belvoir Ragman at the 

 top, and it was a great disappointment for the 

 kennel that he succumbed later to distemper. The 

 pick of the entry were undoubtedly the bitches, 

 the four sisters by Brocklesby Speaker, from Destiny, 

 taking all the prizes. They all had shoulders 

 that horsemen like for a Leicestershire hunter, with 

 bone right down to the toes, and capital second 

 thighs. 



At the subsequent luncheon Sir Robert Filmer 

 presided, supported by the Earl of Londesborough, 

 the Earl of Westmoreland, Lord Burghersh, the 

 Hon. Hugo Denison, Captain Spicer, Mr T. Wilson, 

 Mr A. L. Jessopp, Mr J. H. Dean, Mr R. H. Spooner, 

 the Rev. J. Trefry. Sir Robert delivered an excellent 

 puppy show oration, full of advice for his followers. 

 Holding in his hand the new volume " Hounds, 

 Gentlemen Please ! " by Commander W. B. Forbes, 



