J 96 COURSING 



WILTSHIRE CHAMPION MK^fV^G— Continued. 



in 



Cheer Boys beat Jem Mace I Bit of Fashion beat Justice 



Tirzah beat Syringa | Baron Lyndhurst beat Sea Girl 



IV 



Cheer Boys beat Tirzah | Bit of Fashion beat B. Lyndhurst 



Mr. T. T. C. Lister's Cheer Boys (C) beat Mr. Borron's Bit of Fashion 

 (C) and won 



The Altcar meetings of to-day are among the most 

 popular coursing fixtures of the year, and are attended by 

 coursers from all parts of the kingdom as well as by the club 

 members ; indeed, the January meeting is now-a-days a huge 

 gathering, and probably more interest is attached to the 

 Members' Cup than to any other stake of the year, the 

 Waterloo Cup alone excepted. When the enclosures were at 

 their zenith some few years ago, their influence had an effect 

 upon nearly all open country meetings ; but at Altcar, in January, 

 this was less noticeable than elsewhere, and during the time I 

 have just referred to the stake filled as well as ever, such cele- 

 brities as Stitch in Time, Hornpipe, Greentick, Penelope II. and 

 Herschel having either won or divided the coveted trophy. The 

 ground coursed over is the same estate which is used for the 

 Waterloo Cup, but the beats are varied, and while the Withins 

 was a few years ago the best going and productive of the 

 strongest hares, there has lately been a leaning to North 

 End, Monks Carr, and the meadows below Lydiate Station. 

 Hares, as I have just stated, are exceedingly numerous on all 

 portions of Lord Sefton's estate, but wet weather has an ad- 

 verse effect upon their well being, and during the last two or 

 three seasons it has unfortunately been the case that the sport 

 has sadly suffered from their weakness. A few days of frost 

 and hard weather before a meeting generally insure the strength 

 of the game ; but the fact is that there are uo dry hillsides of 

 which hares can avail themselves in long-continued rain, and the 



