1 82 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



The season wore on and sport continued to be good, 

 scent generally serving well, and day after day there was 

 something to talk about. Nor was the sport confined to 

 one district as sometimes is the case. North, south, east, 

 and west the sport came, and there seemed little to choose 

 between the various districts either for a show of foxes or 

 for an average of sport. The following was, perhaps, the 

 best day which took place during Captain Brocklehurst's 

 mastership ; unfortunately he was unable to be out : — 



' Tuesday, January 20th. Skip Bridge inn. Cold and hazy. 

 ' Did not find in Skip Bridge Whin. Directly hounds were 

 ' put into Red House Wood there was a holloa the far 

 ' side, and hounds ran at racing pace nearly up to Poppleton 

 ' village, but fox was headed close to the Red Lion inn, 

 ' where he turned to the right and crossed the railway to 

 ' the left of Hessay, and ran to within a field of Harewood's 

 ' Whin, where he turned to the right, and ran leaving 

 ' Hutton Thorns a few fields on the left to Wilstrop Wood, 

 ' which he left on the right, and got to ground in river bank 

 ' by Skewkirk. One hour ten minutes ; very fast and very 

 ' good run. Drew Harewood's Whin, when a fox was 

 ' holloaed on the far side entering it. Hounds ran with 

 ' screaming scent through Grange Wood to Askham Bryan, 

 ' and over the road and on to Askham Richard, where he 

 ' turned short to the right, and back through Grange Wood, 

 ' and killed him in the open at Clark's farm close to Acomb 

 'Grange. Thirty-seven minutes ; raced all the way. Very 

 ' good day, the best the York and Ainsty have had for 

 ' j'ears.' 



Captain Brocklehurst was prevented from being out by 

 a bad fall he had had the day before, his mare having put 

 her foot in a rabbit-hole and given him a severe shaking. 

 It was hard luck to miss such a good day, a day such as 

 has seldom been surpassed in the Ainsty district. It is, 

 however, open to question whether it was a better day's 

 sport than that with an account of which this chapter 

 commences. Captain Brocklehurst's second season and his 



