HUNTING WITH THE COTTESMORE 201 



the best horse I ever rode was called Sir Bache, a 

 strong, short-tailed bay. He never gave one fall in 

 six seasons, and I now have his hoof mounted, 

 which Mr. H anbury gave me. Another fine per- 

 former was a mare called Nesta, sold for 370 gns. 

 when Mr. Hanbury gave up the mastership. Socks, 

 another of my favourite mounts, I bought for 

 270 gns. at the sale, and now hunt Mr. Fernie's 

 hounds on him ; he is a wonderful hunter. The 

 following were all long-tailed blood horses : Mischief, 

 Riversdale, Goodman, Johnny Lyons, Chinaman, 

 Nesta, and Socks. Then I rode Snowflake, a grey 

 bob-tailed horse, a very fine jumper, bought by the 

 Hon. W. R. Wyndham ; and Badger, a white-faced 

 black horse, with a short tail, a chnking good 

 hunter, bought by Mr. V. Hemery for 180 gns., 

 when all the horses were dispersed. 



" My best hounds in the field were Falstaff ('01) 

 by Lord Middleton's Freshman ('95), out of Fallacy 

 ('97) ; he was quite the best hound in chase I have 

 ever seen. Another good dog was Ambrose ('03) by 

 Brocklesby Augur ('90) out of Captain Johnson's 

 Amorous ('99) ; he was a clinker, so were Denmark 

 and Dolphin, by Belvoir Dexter ('95) out of 

 Songstress ('93)." As a whipper-in Thatcher gained 

 much experience with Lord Middleton's hounds, so 

 Falstaff breeding would be known to him. 



The Cottesmore has always been regarded as one 

 of the most desirable hunts from a social point of 

 view, and it would be hard to find a better country 

 in which to pursue the fox. It is not, therefore, 

 surprising that all the elite of the fox-chase ride 

 with the Cottesmore, for it is the one country of 

 all others where a bold mian on a good horse may 

 enjoy himself. The bulk of the country lies in 

 Rutland, one of the most conservative counties on 



