286 



was killed ; 63 in the Waterloo Cup, 31 in the Purse, and 15 in the 

 Plate. In all 109 of these game little creatures killed in 109 consecutive 

 courses ! This would not have been the result if the hares had had 

 fair play. They would have beaten the dogs many times to the coverts 

 for which they were making, if they had not been cut off by the crowd 

 who were congregated along the bank which intersected the coursing 

 grounds. Several were killed actually amidst the spectators. 



Amongst the vast assemblage of people who attended this meeting 

 not one could have admired those magnificent courses more than I did, 

 but to see the gallant little hares, after well gruelling their dogs and 

 still full of running, cut off from the refuge they were well able to gain 

 made me indeed sick and disgusted. I would not go to the meeting on 

 either of the succeeding days, nor shall I ever go again to public 

 coursing where hares won't have a fair and clear run to a refuge, 

 and that u}^ hill. 



As the Waterloo Meeting of 1893 is put down as being phenomenal, 

 and as it brought forth, in the Cup, exceptional features, I shall record 

 shortly some of the leading particulars. 



Not for ten years did wagering over this event rule as high as it did 

 upon the night of the draw. Colonel North's dog, FuUerton, who 

 had won it for the past three years, and divided with a kennel companion 

 the year before, was favourite at 4 to 1 — the ridiculous price at w^hich 

 he had stood for some weeks previously. Curiously enough, his was 

 the first name drawn from the jug. 



In my judgment there was not a dog slipped on the first day who 

 appeared to run as badly as he did. The poor old fellow did not show 

 to advantage even in the first course, which he won, while in his 

 second, when he suffered his first defeat, he seemed quite unable to 

 use himself even before he fell helplessly into a drain. This was 

 explained by Colonel North in a letter to the Press a few days after, 

 wherein he stated that Fullerton sustained a severe injury to his knee 

 early in the first course, and, in the owner's opinion, to that alone is to 

 be attributed his not, for the fourth time, winning the coveted prize. 



Be that as it may, it appeared to many^ as well as to myself, that it 

 was a pity to send a dog of his age, with such a brilliant record, to 

 compete with young ones. 



When Full Captain beat the crack there was a lot of cheering from 

 the bookmakers who made a big haul over the result ; but it would 

 have been more seemly and sportsmanlike had they kept silence over 

 the defeat of a good gallant greyhound. Outside that fraternity regret 

 was general, and had Fullerton won the Waterloo of 1893, he would 

 have received an ovation such as was given to Frigate when that 

 equally popular favourite won the Grand National in 1889. 



All the favourites except FitzFife were beaten before the third 

 round, and he was beaten in the fourth. The long odds agaicst the 

 winner and runner-up on the night of the draw were 1,000 to 15 and 

 1,000 to 10 resjDectively, which does not speak much for the sagacity 

 of our coursing cognoscenti. 



