SOME ENGLISH COURSING CLUBS 229 



white, black, and fawn — has been invaluable as a matron. At 

 one West Cumberland meeting lately, nearly all the winners 

 were greyhounds bred by Mr. Dixon, of whom it can certainly 

 be said that his energy, determination, bonhomie, and popularity 

 have worked wonders with regard to the coursing revival on 

 the west coast of Cumberland. 



The Rheda estate of Mr. Thomas Dixon — elder brother of 

 the gentleman just mentioned— furnishes the ground for the 

 West Cumberland Club, which was founded in 1887 by Mr. 

 Anthony Dixon, and which, supported by coursers like Sir 

 Thomas Brocklebank, Mr. E. M. Cross, the Messrs. Hyslop 

 of Denton, Mr. Lowingham Hall and Mr. H. B. Boardman 

 is certain to increase in popularity and importance. The 

 stakes range from 2/. to 4/. \os., and the Club and Rheda 

 Cups, of twenty-four dogs each, are limited exclusively to 

 members, the minor stakes being generally open. The 

 membership shows a steady increase every year, and the 

 meetings, two or three in number, are nearly always of two 

 days' duration. The ground coursed over lies principally in a 

 circle round Rheda Hall, and it may be mentioned that the 

 estate is situated between two large mining centres, Frizington 

 and Cleator ; but the stock of game is simply enormous. 

 At no open meeting of to-day do courses follow each other 

 more quickly than at Rheda, and this, occurring with an attend- 

 ance of 5,000 miners looking on, speaks volumes for the hare- 

 preserving qualities of the delvers for coal and iron. The 

 crowd at a West Cumberland meeting is certainly most 

 remarkable, and even more wonderful still is the manner in 

 which they are held in check. Mr. Thomas Snowdon of the 

 North of England Club is almost facile princeps in the 

 management of a chance crowd, but Mr. Anthony Dixon is 

 absolutely not to be beaten in this line, and as a rule he has a 

 much more cramped country in which to manceuvre his forces. 

 The first time I visited the meeting I found the system was 

 worked thus : Mr. Dixon and his friend Mr. Robert Jefferson 

 (master of the Whitehaven Harriers) were mounted, and when 



