3 2o THE QUORN HUNT 



enjoyed a capital run with the Belvoir from Hose Gorse, 

 but in the March of 1871 he came to Melton to stay 

 with Sir Frederick Johnstone, and have a few days' 

 sport with the Ouorn. It was his Royal Highness's 

 desire to have a quiet day, and to dispense with the 

 crowd of an advertised meet, at which it would be 

 known he would be present, so Mr. Coupland arranged 

 a bye-day from Ragdale, on Thursday, March 16, the 

 fixture being kept so close a secret, that very few only 

 were aware of what was going on. The day, however, 

 was not by any means suitable for hunting, as plenty 

 of snow was about, and it was not till somewhere near 

 three o'clock that hunting really began. A fox was 

 found at Thrussington Wolds, but was soon lost, when 

 the hounds were taken to Cossington Gorse, some three 

 miles distant, and from there a merry little run took 

 place, the details of which are told in the " Cream of 

 Leicestershire" at page 21. On Friday, March 17, 

 Baggrave Hall was the fixture, when Colonel Burnaby 

 gave a breakfast, the magnificence of which has perhaps 

 never been exceeded. At the entrance to the park was 

 a triumphal arch, on which were inscribed the names 

 of every master who had hunted the Quorn country for 

 the previous hundred years. The hounds were in front 

 of the house ; the Prince of Wales drove up punctually 

 at twelve o'clock, and after he had spent something like 

 ten minutes or a quarter of an hour at Baggrave Hall, 

 he came forth to sow the first seeds of a new covert, 

 which Colonel Burnaby had resolved to present to the 

 Hunt in commemoration of the occasion. The initials 

 "A. E." were cut in the turf, and the Prince laid what 

 was virtually the foundation-stone of what is known as 

 the " Prince of Wales's Covert." Colonel Burnaby had 

 a fox in waiting in one of his own coverts, and a very 

 good run ensued. 



When hunting was over Mr. Coupland went to 



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