THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



woods are full of wild foxes, since for generations they have 

 been well preserved, and yet left to their own devices. They 

 learn to know a wide extent of country. The splendid oppor- 

 tunities this state of things gives for cub-hunting have enabled 

 the huntsman to educate the foxes, and to train and condi- 

 tion the hounds, so that the Belvoir pack are able to pursue 

 foxes over the open, with the knowledge and self-reliance 

 acquired only by practice in the woodlands. The fox has 

 hitherto almost everywhere been of more importance than 

 his rival the pheasant, and this state of things is owing not 

 only to the nature of the country, but to the love of hunting 

 so deeply engrained in the Lincolnshire men. 



In every successive generation the Belvoir has had in its 

 field such men as the Whichcotes of Aswarby, the Welbys 

 and the Gregorys, the Reeves of Leadenham, the Fanes of 

 Fulbeck, the Neviles of Stubton, the Turnors, Heathcotes, 

 Tollemaches, Norman Thorolds of Syston, the Brownlows 

 of Belton, the Parkers, Hutchinsons, and Hornsbys of 

 Grantham. And what a race of farmers and yeomen have 

 been bred up there ! How keen, how hospitable, and with 

 what knowledge of farming, and what love of sport! Where 

 will you find, save perchance in Yorkshire, such judges of 

 horses, cattle or sheep as in Lincolnshire ? Then how they 

 rode ! To this day the name of Wing is remembered in the 

 vale. " ' John Wing, of Sedgebrook, was one of the best 

 riders across the vale as a farmer in those days tremendious. 

 Him and I's gone together for miles ; he was about my age.'"^ 

 Then there was Mr. Burbidge, of Thorpe Arnold, after whom 

 Lord Forester named the covert which gives the Duke's 

 followers many a chance for a " go " over the Cottesmore 

 or the Quorn. In order to get a start from " Burbidge's " 

 you have to get over the river, and many a gallant sportsman 

 has been called back when trying to poach a start at the 

 bridge, and sometimes been left behind, as illustrated by the 

 incident in the following verses by Mr. John Welby : — 



* Silk and Scarlet, p. 50. 

 274 



