THE ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY. 



33 



' or the fineness of the country he chose, will not often 

 ' be equalled in the annals of sporting. The field was 

 ' unusually small, perhaps from the unpromising appearance 

 ' of the morning, it being a hard frost ; but small as the 

 ' field was, it was considerably lessened by the country 

 ' riding deep, and the severity of the fences. It may 

 ' truly be said 



' A chosen few alone the sport enjoy.' 



A capital run, this, and over a fine line, but unfortunately 

 no record has been kept of the time it occupied. The 

 account I give of it was copied from the 'Sporting Magazine' 

 of 1807, and at the foot of the run are MS. notes to the 

 effect that Sir Walter Vavasour died November 2nd, 1802, 

 and Sir Thomas died in 1826. 



Good a run as this was, the following was a better. It 

 took place on December 19th, 1807, and is certainly to be 

 looked upon as a typical Bramham Moor day. The account 

 I give is copied from an old letter, and I am unable to say 

 whether it has ever appeared in print : — 



' Mr. Fox's hounds had a remarkable run on Saturday last,' so 

 runs the record, ' though the frost was hardly out of the 

 ' ground. They met at Dog Kennel Whin, which they 

 ' drew without success. Then proceeded to try Hetchel 

 'Spring and School House Whin without a single challenge, 

 ' but on putting into Hell Wood a fox. immediately stole 

 ' away, and facing the strong enclosures towards Thorner, 

 ' turned to the left, passing over Rigton Hills nearly to 

 ' Keswick Ox Close, and thence to the right by Collingham 

 ' town, over the open fields to Cliffbrd jMoor. Crossed the 

 ' north road and Mr. Thompson's Park at Wetherby Grange, 

 ' whence, finding the pack close at his brush, he boldly 

 ' dashed into the River Wharfe, and running through Horn 

 ' Bank over Walton open fields, by the Whin up to Walton 

 ' Wood. Thence by Mr. Stapleton's plantations to Bilton, 

 ' by Healaugh town, leaving Shireoaks to the right, over 

 ' those enclosures and deep severe country up to Bilbrough. 



