THE OLD ORDER CHANGES 



But changes were already in the air ; the Duke's health be- 

 came worse, and many of the old members of the hunt had 

 passed away. The stout old race of squires, parsons, and 

 farmers of the Belvoir Vale and the Grantham side were 

 being thinned out by death and age. But Gillard himself held 

 gallantly on his course, still bringing into the field a match- 

 less pack in perfect condition, and handling the hounds with 

 a skill to which each year's experience added something. No 

 one is entirely perfect, and Frank Gillard, though so good in 

 the kennel and the field, was somewhat impatient at times 

 with his men, which may account for the stream of whippers- 

 in through the kennel, the changes being even more rapid and 

 continuous than can be accounted for by the desire of other 

 huntsmen and masters of hounds to obtain men trained in 

 Belvoir ways. Nevertheless, if Gillard was severe, he turned 

 out some good huntsmen, such as Arthur Wilson, Harry 

 Bonner, William Wells, who was, as one who hunted with 

 him writes, " the best whipper-in that ever came to Belvoir." 

 His career is described in a letter which he kindly wrote to 

 me. I give the facts almost in his own words. It will be 

 noted that his training was well calculated to make him the 

 horseman he became. 



" I made my start in life with Lord Portsmouth at 

 Eggesford, in 1863 ; then I spent ten years in racing stables, 

 the last two with John Porter at King's Clere, where I rode 

 that grand horse Blue Gown in all his work for the 

 Derby of 1868. After the great race was over, I started 

 in the kennels at Melton, under George Carter, as covert lad 

 and jack of all trades. Then I had my first whipper-in's 

 place at Brocklesby, thence to the V.W.H., and the Heythrop 

 (this was Mr. Albert Brassey's first season), and after being 

 first whipper-in to the Quorn, I spent three years at Belvoir." 



Then Wells goes on to recall his first experiences with Grey 

 Bob, the horse which carried Gillard so well, and of which 

 Wells writes : " This horse had got the better of the men who 

 had ridden him ; he would only go to Croxton Park and back. 

 We were just going to exercise with the hounds when I said 

 to Gillard, ' Master, I should like to get on that grey horse, 



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