The Bramham Moor. 25 



nerve is only prolonged; Hock and quarters, baclv 

 and ribs, are the cardinal points of a liunter for this 

 region — if he is to keep his rider with hounds, and 

 himself on his legs. If he can add pace and shoulders 

 to these other qualifications — then he is fit to go any- 

 where in the world. The Bramham Moor is not a great 

 horse-breeding district — though its neighbour the 

 Holderness at one time had a great reputation on that 

 score. The farmers do not lend their attention to 

 breeding a high class of horse for sale ; while those 

 who hunt (and their number is but limited) have more 

 often aimed at being comfortably carried about their 

 farms than at earning the distinction of being well 

 mounted at the covert side. The largest fields are 

 naturally found at the fixtures nearest the towns — 

 Harrogate and York to wit. Leeds is a manufacturing 

 rather than a sporting place ; but Harrogate not only 

 finds a strong contingent of its own, but brings in a 

 gathering, by road and rail from over the border. 

 York, too, is always full of hunting men; and has 

 ever been popular with all soldiers of becoming- 

 proclivities. 



The west of the country, as already mentioned, 

 gradually merges into moorland and stonewalls : with 

 a great scent on the open hills whenever hounds are 

 tempted there. As a matter of fact, they do not 

 profess to go beyond a line drawn from about Darley 

 in the north to Burley in the south (from Burley to 

 Leeds again, being scarcely within the pale of fox- 

 hunting*) . Yet, as a sample of what may occasionally 

 happen, the outline of a great and enjoyable run of 

 last season (1880-81) is worth following on the map. 



