SEASONS i84i-i86c>. 89 



an officious stranger his horn, remarking that there could 

 not be two huntsmen. 



He was a very fine horseman, and with his own hounds 

 was a very hard man, always with them, and ready for any 

 emergency ; but when he was hunting with other packs he 

 scarcely rode so hard. As a gentleman jockey he had a fair 

 measure of success at local meetings, and often rode in the 

 Thirsk Hunt Cup and similar races. He steered his own 

 horse. Egg Sauce, to victory in the Thirsk Hunt Cup in 

 1859, and it is needless to say that it was a popular victory 

 in every sense of the word. Two years later, on Mousetrap, 

 he was second to Sir George Strickland's Lady Bird, who 

 was ridden by Mr. Thompson, and who only won by a length. 



In those days the Thirsk Hunt Cup was an important 

 event ; indeed, it was well nigh the most important event of 

 the meeting, and it shows what was the class of horses that 

 ran in it when Sir Charles hunted hounds on Egg Sauce 

 and Mousetrap. They were hunters in the best sense of 

 the word that took part in such races in those days, and it 

 is much to be regretted that races on similar lines cannot 

 be run now. It is, however, impossible to revive these hunt 

 races, as someone would be sure to farm them with a cast-off 

 racehorse. 



Sir Charles soon began to show good sport, and within 

 a week of the commencement of the regular hunting season 

 he had a splendid run in the Monday country, of which the 

 following is an account : — 



'November 7th, 1853. Met at Aldwark Bridge, A very thick 

 ' morning, but cleared away about eleven o'clock. Trotted 

 ' away to Aldwark Wood, drew it blank, went on for the covert 

 ' where a fox of the right sort was unkenelled, who went 

 ' away with hounds at his brush for Linton village, left 

 ' it on the right, turned short to the left for Linton Spring, 

 'which he skirted, then through Linton Whin and Linton 

 ' Ings, turned short to the right over ToUerton brook. 



