A ONE-EYED FLEETFOOT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 871, 18 July 1910, Page 6

A ONE-EYED FLEETFOOT.

_*. 'HONOURING A HARE. New Zealandcrs generally have thafc happy trait in their composition which compels them to spontaneously cheer a worthy, performance, but it is not often thai so bumble a little creature as the hare is greeted with heartycheers On Wednesday and Friday of last week there was somo very exciting coursing at the plumpton meeting held at Hawera. The hares were m splendid training, and somo of them were wonderfully strong and last, and completely baffled the dogs. JJut thero was one : hare which earned for himself the reputation of being the best of his kind the coursing men had ever seen run.' Hβ was used twict on thts first day, and, .three times on the- second day, and was so strong for the final run that lie put up one of the most remarkable, performauees ever seen in a New Zealand plumpton. He showed exceptional speed' in the lirst dush for home, but had/tho two fleetest dogs after him, and was compelled to turn just as he', had almost reached the.palings. From that out he tantalised thy dogs. He traversed the whole course no less than, lour times, and in the last ran down to where the public stood the game little fleetfoot injured himself severely by crashing into some Imxus. It hampered him awhile, but he turned beautifully, and in the end set a direct course for safety and reached it, whereupon the dogs dropped- down- outside the barrier thoroughly exhausted. And, curiously,'after about a minute's spell,' the Hare reappeared and took the held again. One of the dogs took up the challenge, but the other- could not get up. The hound which- did rise made such a poor attempt that the haro went in again disgusted. It was a. performance which was readily, recognised, but few knew at the time that the remarkable little creature was almost blind. He is known to the trainer and others as "the blind hare," and' is said .to have been imported from the South' Island. He has bad to risk bis exist-, enco numerous times, but . has easily beaten all the bust clogs which have been slipped in his wake. Thero was a Cursing Club banquet in Hiivera m the • ■ning following tb< second day's com;- ;. The extraordin•ary performance o? the animal was* fresh in the memory of the enthusiast around the table, and in the list, of toasts was one which gave the sportsmen the opportunity of drinking the. health of "the blind hare." The chance 1 was accepted, and with as nuich fervour as is generally infused into the musio when an enthusiast donates a silver challenge cup. the company satfg "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"! . '