HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



slow, and Backhouse threw up his post and even- 

 tually returned to the Holdernesse, with whom he 

 remained as huntsman for the rest of his life, some 

 twenty-five years. 



Mr Robert Kennedy again comes to my aid with 

 some interesting recollections of Backhouse. At the 

 time we are considering second horses were almost 

 unknown in Kildare, and, says Mr Kennedy: 



" Backhouse as a consequence was a most careful 

 man to nurse his hounds, always saying when 

 hounds ran fast * They didn't want me, so I held 

 hard.' He once lost during a long hunting run 

 a silver presentation horn, and next day had all his 

 family out to look for it, including his wife, with 

 the happy result that it was found. His wonderful 

 double on that horn when a fox went away was 

 stirring to hear, and the same triumphant note was 

 heard at every race at the Hunt meetings as the 

 horses jumped the last fence. 



" Backhouse was much helped in the field by 

 Wilson, an excellent first whip, who had a wondrous 

 voice, and whose * Who-whoop ' was grand to hear. 

 Wilson went from Kildare to Ballydarton, where, 

 when Mr Robert Watson was one day lecturing 

 him, he put on his hat, and with the remark that 

 it covered his whole family, he left Ballydarton 

 for good and all. O'Connor Henchy to the last 

 drove out in his carriage only to hear the cry of 

 hounds." 

 170 



