THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



hunters came from the Brocklesby and the Southwold 

 countries. In these the farmers have always had a gift for 

 making good hunters. Some of these horses were home- 

 bred, but many came from Howden fair, where they were 

 bought, and sold again at a profit in Leicestershire after they 

 had learned their business. 



Looking at the portraits of the hunters at Aswarby and 

 Belvoir, and wherever the pencil of Ferneley has been em- 

 ployed, we are tempted to wonder whether the hunter of 

 that day was not better than those we can get now. But 

 then the prices were larger, and in our time nothing but a 

 race horse or a polo pony would fetch the sums freely paid 

 by such buyers as Lords Chesterfield and Plymouth, Lord 

 Alvanley, the fifth Duke of Rutland, Lord Wilton, and Lord 

 Forester, though the two last-named sportsmen were good 

 judges and seldom gave much more than the horses were 

 worth. 



But men rode hard and a trifle jealous in those days. 

 Lords Waterford and Dysart are said to have raced neck to 

 neck for the one practicable place in a fence, and another 

 rider, whose name is not given, Nimrod saw "clear a ditch, 

 a strong hedge, and a cow, all in one leap." The horses 

 indeed came from all parts, though I think as many or more 

 than at present were bought in those days direct from hunting 

 farmers, but then the latter were a much more numerous class 

 in 1825-57 than they are now. Another very well-mounted 

 and hard-riding man was Lord Cardigan. Very unpopular 

 he was, for the gallant spirit in Lord Cardigan was mated 

 to a most impracticable temper. Another desperately hard 

 man was Sir James Musgrave, who occasionally had charge 

 of the Belvoir hounds in the absence of Lord Forester. He 

 was one of Dick Christian's idols, one of the men also who 

 were always in good things. Most of these riders, after 

 riding against one another all the season, met again in silk 

 at Croxton Park, where Nimrod himself earned some 

 credit in the saddle, and when Lord Waterford, Sir David 

 Baird, Lord Wilton, Lord Delamere, Lord Dysart, Sir F. 

 Johnstone, Lord Howth (a constant visitor to Melton), Mr. 



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