PAKURANGA HUNT CLUB.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 631, 10 May 1921, Page 6

PAKURANGA HUNT CLUB.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOUNDS AND HORSES. CHANGE OF MASTERSHIP. (Continued.) In 1880 the club purchased five couple of hounds from Dr. Connolly, of Wanganui, and they proved a good addition as they were larger and had more pace than the Pakuranga hounds. A couple, imported from England by Mr James Clark, was presented to the club. With the pack thus increased, it was decided to pay an initial visit to the Waikato. The year 1881 saw a further change in the management of the hounds, for the huntsman, Joe Rbcrts, resigned, and on November 13 Tom Brown, with his cheery voice, was appointed to fill his place, and the hounds were moved to their new kennels at Otahuhu in the beginning of 1882. Regret was universal at Joe Roberts’ retirement, as he was a general favourite, and the hunt was lucky in securing Tom Brown to follow him. Accustomed ot hounds Horn his childhood, a splendid horseman, and a real lover of the sport, it did not take a prophet to predict good sport under the new huntsman. During the time he carried the horn his two sons, Charlie and Wynn, whipped to him.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSES. During the next few years some capital hunting took place, and the class of horses round Auckland greatly improved, numbers being sent up from Wanganui, largely through the instrumentality of Mr J. Chadwick, well known to all sportsmen in New Zealand, who was responsible for many of the best that came to this district. They were mostly of a fine upstanding type, and were nearly all natural jumpers. In fact, the stamp of hunter seen with the Pakuranga hounds would have been a credit to any hunting field. In these years there were many naval officers following, Captain Murray, of the Sapphire, and some of his officers being very hard men at hounds. END OF LONG MASTERSHIP. In 1886, Mr McLoughlin decided to go to England and resigned his mastership, a mastership that had not beer, marred by a single unpleasant incident. Before his departure for England, a large banquet was tendered him at the Star Hotel, Auckland, at which the guest of the eveningwas cheered to the echo at every available opportunity. A new Master had to be appointed and once again the Hunt was lucky in securing a n.an with a thorough knowledge of hounds, for Mr Wm. Percival, who was elected, had been born and bred in the famed Shires, and was accustomed to hunt almost before he could crawl. Needless to say, under him, the hounds showed capital sport and he did a great deal to improve the pack by importing one couple and a half of hounds from the noted Pytchley, Warwickshire, and Cottesmore kennels. These hounds, named Stringer, Gadfly and Dainty, were sent out by Mr PercivaTs sister and landed in Auckland on March 3, 1891. They have proved invaluable to hunting in New Zealand, as the blood of the stud hound Stringer is all through the packs of the colony. Accustomed to the big Pytchley, Cottesmore and Warwickshire fields clattering behind them, these were hounds with any amount of courage, and hove transmitted to their descendants those qualities which make them take no notice of a hard-riding field. VISIT TO WAIKATO. They all had plenty of “drive,” and to this may be attributed the brilliant gallops often seen with the pack. During Mr Percival’s mastership a drag was occasionally run, and they were noted for being always laid over v.ery stiff country. In 1886 I the Pakuranga hounds had a very well known Master of Hounds in the Old Country following them. This was the Earl of Clanmorris, who was a capital rider, and a very hard man to beat over a country. He thoroughly enjyed his sport in Auckland ' and long afterwards spoke high.'y of the hunting - he had with the Pakuranga hunds. When Mr Percival was Master, the Waikato people wrote asking that the hounds should pay them a visit, and this was agreed to, on the condition that the Waikato people subscribed the sum of £2O to the Hunt Fund and provided a horse for the huntsman, whilst he was up there. They agreed to the terms, the hounds were taken up and evoiyone had a mosty sporting time.