72 GOOD SPORT 



the acknowledged best of their time, serving long 

 tenures of office. The mastership of a noble family 

 lends distinction to a hunt and a community, 

 for there is something alluring in the idea of the 

 great lord of the manor thus providing for the 

 amusement, not only of his own tenants and de- 

 pendants, but also for the whole country-side. It 

 is a remnant of that powerful splendour which 

 enabled the old feudal lords to carry into battle 

 their own followers. Under the mastership of the 

 present and ninth Duke of Beaufort, everything 

 connected with the Badminton Hunt is done in 

 princely style, sport in the field being conducted 

 with state and decorum. 



The fame of the Duke of Beaufort has been 

 sung by Whyte-Melville, who enjoyed his best 

 sport with this hunt, praising the hounds over a 

 stone- wall country, and his last resting-place is on 

 Badminton soil. One of the largest countries, ex- 

 tending over three parts of Gloucestershire, it is at 

 the same time one of the best, offering every variety 

 and condition of hunting. On the Severn side, 

 next the Vale of White Horse country, there is 

 grass, second only to the pastures of Leicestershire, 

 and near Beckhampstead hounds can race over 

 the downs, which are fine as any in England. The 

 intermediate portions are fenced with stone walls 

 and every variety of fence to test the ability of a 

 hunter ; the large tracts of forest being excellent 

 nurseries for foxes, and exceptional schooling ground 

 for hounds. The Badminton country is full of 

 foxes, quite seventy brace going to make a cub- 

 hunting bag, and the average of hunting days 

 exceeds that shown by most packs. 



As might be expected, the kennel is one of 

 the largest in area, with day-yards to accommodate 



