234 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



as Asheton Smith must have ridden, eager only to 

 see his favourites hunt. Lord Annaly wiU not 

 have hounds lifted or interfered with, and they are 

 full of the hardest blood derived from Brocklesby, 

 Lord Henry Bentinck's, and other proven sources ; 

 for no pack has been more sensibly bred during the 

 past thirty years. Harking back to the 'nineties in 

 Mr W. M. Wroughton's mastership with John Isaac 

 huntsman, this kennel won the champion cups at 

 Peterborough in 1899 ^^^ 1900, for the best dog- 

 hounds, Pytchley Potentate (1897) by Belvoir 

 Gordon, and Pytchley Marquis (1899) by Belvoir 

 Dexter. To-day both these hounds are represented 

 in the kennel, and in the summer of 191 1 the 

 Pytchley competitors won some of the spoils on the 

 flags at Reigate show. 



The meet had a decided note of cheeriness, Lord 

 Annaly making a splendid figurehead to the cele- 

 brated old country ; for no master could be more 

 successful than the urbane Irishman, with so 

 genial a manner and tactful disposition, to control 

 and lead " the white collars " of the Pytchley. 

 The country under his management has entered 

 upon years of prosperity, and hunting-boxes have 

 sprung up in all directions. From the meet we 

 rode to the w^ooded hills of Marston ; a long pro- 

 cession which included Lord Althorp, the Hon. S. 

 Stanley, Mr Harold Lowther, Mr J. G. Lowther, 

 Lady Bridget Coke, Mr Bristow, Mr A. Church, 

 Mr de Trafford, the Misses de Trafford, Mr Mark 

 Carzenove, Captain Pennell Elmhirst, Mr T. Guy 

 Paget, Mr H. G. Peachey, Miss Naylor, Mr W. M. 

 Wroughton, Mr, Mrs and Miss Loney, Mr and Mrs 

 Mason, Captain G. Paynter, Mr Nickalls, Mr Gwyer, 

 Major Campbell, Captain R. B. Parker, Sir A. C. 

 Cory- Wright, Miss Potter, Mr Schihezzi, Mr After- 



