THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



is a good strain of blood for stoutness, etc. I have also a 

 capital litter of this year's entry by Vanguard — he is by 

 Valiant sire Gameboy. I always find the Belvoir blood mix 

 well with Fitzwilliam, as, of course, this is the same blood as 

 they had at Melton in their palmy days." 



In Essex they all favour Belvoir blood, so far as I have 

 been able to ascertain, and Cokayne, the very successful 

 young huntsman of the Puckeridge, would like more than he 

 has. I notice that the Gambler and Gameboy sort seem to 

 do well in cold scenting and difficult countries like the Tick- 

 ham and the Albrighton. Ned Farmer, of the East Essex, 

 a plough country, has much Belvoir blood, especially from 

 Gordon, Nominal, and Traitor. 



Frank Goodall, so well known as the royal huntsman, and, 

 before that, the much-valued huntsman to Mr, Tailby, and 

 brother of William Goodall, of the Belvoir, writes : — " When 

 I was at Ascot, and during Lord Cork's mastership, we had 

 the pick of the Belvoir draft, and I put nineteen couple for- 

 ward, which I consider were the making of the Queen's pack, 

 and I remember when I was with Lord Portsmouth, in 1854, 

 he took it also, which did him great service." 



The name of Frank Goodall recalls to our minds the palmy 

 days of Mr. Tailby's mastership of the South Quorn, when 

 he ruled over what was without doubt the best four-days-a- 

 week country in England. Mr. Tailby himself, to show his 

 view of Belvoir blood, sent me his hound list from the year 

 1872. The celebrated pack of bitches that used almost to 

 fly over high Leicestershire were almost entirely Belvoir. 

 In the entries before me there are but three sires — two 

 of Milton, and one of Mr. Muster's — not of Belvoir blood. 

 Senator and Rallywood were the favourites with Mr. Tailby 

 and his huntsman. 



Mr. Tailby's country — now Mr. Fernie's — is a good scent- 

 ing country, nearly all grass, and when I had the pleasure of 

 riding over it I can hardly remember seeing a ploughed field. 

 But it was not only in such a country as this, where every- 

 thing is in favour of hounds, that Belvoir was so effective. 

 The York and Ainsty is a very good example of a difficult 



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