238 THE QUORN HUNT 



announced his intention of hunting, if he could, six 

 days a week, and this intention he carried out, hunting 

 the Donington as well as the Ouorn country ; but he 

 presently announced that he would hunt eight days a 

 week, and this he accomplished by handing over to 

 his son, Mr. Richard Sutton, the Harborough country, 

 which he hunted two days a week, he himself carrying 

 the horn, and having Ben Boothroyd as first whipper-in. 1 

 It was just about the time when Sir Richard delegated 

 the Harborough country to his eldest son Richard that 

 Mr. Farnham, member of Parliament for North Leices- 

 tershire, lost his horse and narrowly escaped a very 

 serious accident. Riding a valuable hunter over an old 

 and rickety bridge which spanned a brook, the structure 

 o-ave way. Mr. Farnham escaped with a shaking, but 

 the horse broke its back, and was shot. 



A very famous run, which happily involved no serious 

 accident to man or horse, came off on the 21st March 

 1854. The ground was so dry that a small number only 

 wended their way to Launde Abbey. 



Tilton Wood was drawn, and therefrom a stout fox went away 

 at once in the direction of Halstead, running to the left of Tilton 

 village, and then headed straight for Skeffington Hall, leaving that 

 on the right; and making his way through the Rolleston planta- 

 tions at first, headed for Alexton, but changing his mind turned 

 over the best of the country for Shangton Holt, which he did not 

 enter. At a pace which left most of the field behind, hounds 

 skirted Shangton Holt, ran by Illston-on-the-Hill by Newton 

 Gorse, the nearest man to them being Mr. Lloyd on The Felon, 

 this good horse carrying his rider as straight as an arrow by Burton 

 Abbey and on to Glenn Gorse, through which the fox ran, and, 

 passing to the left of Westow House, went on to Fleckney and 

 Counterthorpe, but only to double and bear for Shearsby Inn, 

 where he was lost, for the simple reason that hounds could go no 

 further. For the last four miles their huntsman, like every one 



1 For further particulars see chapter i., " The Quorn Country : Its 

 Hounds, &c.,' p. 3. 



