l84 COURSING 



Reverting again for a moment to the histoiy of the Altcar 

 Club, it should be noted that the far-famed Altcar Cup has 

 been in existence almost from its first year. Produce Stakes 

 were first introduced at the November meeting of 1852, since 

 which time they have always figured at the earlier of the two 

 annual gatherings. From that date up to 1887 the entries 

 for this class of stake had been 5,486, of which number 2,620 

 started. The club matches at Ashdowli and Amesbury in 

 i860 and 1864 are perhaps the most important landmark in 

 the Altcar history, and of these Mr. Brocklebank has furnished 

 us with a complete history. 



Altcar Club Matches at Ashdown and Amesbury, 



1 860 AND 1864 



In commenting on the club's meetings during the several seasons, 

 I have made no reference to the matches in which it took part in 

 the years i860 and 1864 respectively, considering that they could 

 best be treated in a separate notice. 



The first and least important of the matches took place over 

 the Ashdown country, in the March of i860. It resulted from a 

 challenge issued l^y the club to the World, to match sixteen grey- 

 hounds in the Craven Challenge Cup against sixteen to be drawn 

 by the members of the Ashdown Club from any source. Great 

 interest centred in the contest, and when at the close of the first 

 round the World stood with ten winners against six, it seemed as if 

 the challengers were to have the worst of it ; but this unfortunate 

 start was retrieved as the struggle progressed, and when Rosy 

 Morn beat Little Wonder and Lord Sefton's Sweetbriar overthrew 

 Veronica, the club was left with first and second, Mr. Randell 

 being the ultimate winner with Rosy Morn. In addition to this 

 important stake there were a number of others in which North of 

 the Trent was pitted against South, and much wrangling ensued 

 on the point of guarding. At this distance of time it would serve 

 no good purpose to enter into details of the arguments advanced 

 on both sides ; certainly the visitors considered themselves 

 aggrieved, and the conditions appear to have been so loosely drawn 

 as to leave some justification for the feeling they manifested. 



It sounds somewhat un-English, but there does not appear to 

 have been any anxiety manifested on the part of the World to try 



