JOHN WHIDBORNE 183 



former remained in office for a period of over twenty 

 years, and on retiring received a presentation, which 

 will be mentioned in its proper place, and was 

 elected chairman of the hunt committee, a position 

 that he still occupies. 



IMr. Whidborne decided to keep only a bitch pack, 

 and, instead of breeding, to recruit its strength each 

 year by the purchase of drafts. The pack at first 

 consisted of hounds bought from Lord Portsmouth's, 

 the Oakley, the Rufford, Mr. Coryton's, Mr. Froude 

 Bellew's, the Dartmoor, the Fitzwilliam and other 

 packs, and included a first-season hound that turned 

 out well, called Wonderful, by the great Belvoir 

 Weathergage, sire of the famous Gambler. Witch- 

 craft, from Mr. Coryton's, was another young hound 

 that turned out so good a hunter that she was kept 

 on despite her riotous proclivities. Lavender, a good- 

 looking daughter of Lord Portsmouth's Albion and 

 a great favourite of Miss Whidborne's, Brunette by 

 Lord Portsmouth's Vagabond, from Mr. Bellew's, 

 and the red-pied Relish from the Tynedale were also 

 good hounds. In fact, taking into consideration the 

 circumstances attending its formation, the little pack 

 was a most creditable one both in appearance and in 

 the field. 



Whitmore, who w^as a cousin of Tom Whitmore, the 

 celebrated Oakley huntsman through whom each year 

 some capital drafts were obtained, came of a first- 

 rate hunting stock and thoroughly understood the 

 art of getting hounds into condition. Every rib was 

 visible, yet they were filled out over the loins, and 

 their coats always looked well. 



To hunt two days a week there were never more 

 and often less than twenty-two couple in kennel, 

 including young hounds, and the distances to and 



