Ill 



CHAPTER VI 



ENCLOSED COURSING 



THE idea of enclosing grounds for coursing purposes originated 

 with Mr. T. H. Case, who, as is well known, showed marked 

 acquaintance with the habits of the hare, and also considerable 

 powers of organisation. Towards the end of December, 1876, 

 the ground at Plumpton, which had been enclosed with wire- 

 fencing at considerable expense, was ready for the first meeting 

 to be held in the new style. A programme, consisting of a 

 thirty-two, two sixteens, two eights, and a four, was considered 

 large enough to start with, and the stakes filled without diffi- 

 culty. The dinner and draw were held at the Gloucester 

 Hotel, Brighton. The late General Goodlake, V.C., took 

 an active part in the general arrangements, and also used 

 his influence to have special trains run from London and 

 Brighton at convenient hours each morning. The principal 

 event was the Street Place Stakes, which was won by Mr. H. G. 

 Miller's Master Banrigh, Mr. T. Quihampton's Quaver running 

 up. The success which attended the first fixture induced Mr. 

 Case to increase the entry fee, and in the following March we 

 had the Southern Cup for thirty-two All-ages at io/. 105-. each. 

 This brought eight ex-Waterlooers to slips, namely : Dark 

 Rustic, Kilkenny, Serapis, Huron, Sir Magnus, Conster, The 

 Squatter, and High Gillerspie. The stake resulted in a division 

 between Mr. G. Darlinson's Dark Rustic and Mr. H. Heywood's 

 Early Morn. The following year more important stakes were 

 run for, the entry for the Great Southern Cup (sixty-four sub- 

 scribers) being increased to i2/. IQS. each, the winner to receive 



