' 31 



who patronised the Hunt greatly increased. Those hunting regularly 

 and best over the country were the Marchioness of Waterford, the 

 Dowager Marchioness, Mrs. Dick Roberts, Miss Humble, Mrs. Bookey 

 of Clonmel, the late Mrs. Gandy, Miss Caroline Quin of Annerville, 

 Mrs. Magee, Miss Power of Mount Richard, Miss Bloomheld, Mrs. 

 GofF of Waterford. The Dowager Lady Waterford did not begin to 

 ride across country for several years after she first came out with the 

 hounds ; but once she began she ever after went as straight as any- 

 one, no matter how fast or how long the run might be. I saw her 

 ladyship jump her first fence, which was not far from Wynne's Gorse, 

 and from that to the end of a very good run into Castlemorres, she 

 went in the first tiight. 



Her horses were, of course, perfect animals, and she knew well they 

 could always go where any other horse went. She had wonderful 

 pluck, and never required assistance. She, however, generally 

 selected a good "lead" (Lord Waterford usually), but never anyone 

 who was not in the very first flight. To her pilot Lady Waterford 

 was never the least inconvenience, nor did he often know until 

 after the run that he had been favoured with the distinction. The 

 horses I think which carried her best were Luna, Red Herring, The 

 Girl, Snufiy, Clear the Way ; also her favourite grey The Mist, on 

 which she rode her first hunt. She had the most wonderful powers 

 of enduring fatigue I ever saw in a woman. ISTo day was too long 

 for her, and no weather, except frost, kept her from hunting through- 

 out the season. She has enjoyed a life-long continuance of good 

 health, and never had even a headache. In the Dowager Marchioness 

 we have indeed exemplified mens sana in corpore sano. 



Lord Waterford married in 1874 Lady Blanche Somerset, only 

 daughter of the Duke of Beaufort. With her ladyship's early training 

 at Badminton it is easy to understand that her heart was in horses, 

 hounds, and hunting. Not alone that, but she was an excellent 

 judge of all three. No woman in the kingdom was a better judge of 

 a foxhound, either of his points on the flags or of his work in the 

 field, and few men could teach her. Her ladyship rode beautifully 

 to hounds, and went as straight with the Curraghmore in her first 

 season as she had previously done with the Badminton, although 

 the former is very much more difficult to get over. She alwaj's 

 took her own line, her sole pilot being the hounds. She knew every 

 hound in the pack, and many times have I seen her turn them to 

 Duke or to Lord Waterford when no whip was up to assist in 

 the cast. 



With due respect for her noble husband and for every other 

 M.F.H. I hunted with, in all truth and without adulation I will say 

 I never saw anyone manage a field of foxhunters as well as did the 

 present Marchioness of Waterford. Her ladyship understood hunting 

 and the duties of M.F.H. a vast deal better than most of those who 

 take that oflice, while of course a word or beckon from her had 



