THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



3. The Duke wishes no subscription from Leicestershire. 



These proposals form the basis of an arrangement which 

 has subsisted to the present time. 



By this time Gillard's reputation had been fully established 

 for some years, both by his kennel triumphs and good runs. 



"The most favoured sires among the stud hounds in 1876-77 

 were Whynot (1870), in his eighth season, a wonderfully good 

 son of Senator (1862), and Woeful, by Wonder — Susan. His 

 shoulders were perfection and his wise grey face full of intelli- 

 gence. The seven-year-old Royal, son of the younger Rally- 

 wood; the light-faced Admiral and Albion, in their fifth season; 

 the four-year-old Barrister, and the two-year-old Rockwood, 

 were all good ones, who left the mark of high lineage on 

 many a subsequent entry. Saffron, in his seventh season, was 

 the most favoured of the Senator race, though the six-year-old 

 Firebrand, by the same sire, from Frolic, and his brother 

 Brusher, were in great favour. ... Of all the sires, however, 

 none were so generally admired as Fallible (1873), a three- 

 year-old son of Melton Furrier and Prophetess. His bright 

 black-and-tan coat, supple, muscular limbs, clean shoulders, 

 deep, full chest and ribs, and shapely head, show true fox- 

 hound style in every line. His reputation would have been 

 lasting if it had ended with his son Stainless (1881), a hound 

 said to be incomparable by Mr. Chaworth Musters." ^ 



" Belvoir bursts " became proverbial. This means, of 

 course, that the huntsman had won his hounds' hearts, so 

 that they came to him quickly. I quote here from a letter of 

 a well-known Meltonian. 



" On many occasions in Gillard's time I have noticed the 

 ' Belvoir burst' Hounds, leaving the covert, bustle up their 

 fox in fifteen to twenty minutes, racing as if for their lives. 

 It wasn't once, but on many occasions. I have never seen 

 other hounds do it so persistently. I think in old times the 

 Belvoir were noted for the hardest riding ' first whips ' in 

 any country. One of the finest horsemen in that capacity I 

 thought was Will Wells. I am sure we owe debts of gratitude 

 to the house of Belvoir, and no one would be more pleased 

 ^ Hunting Retnmiscences, by Frank Gillard, pp. 89, 90. 



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