Hunting is a large part of rural British life, this book is packed with stories of fantastic rides in Rugby, Leicester, Northampton and the western Midlands.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter V the hunts and their history Importance of the Huntsman--Increasing Difficulties of Hunting--Music and Pace of different Packs--The Quorn--Mr. Meynell--Lord Sefton--Nimrod's Comments--Mr. Osbaldeston--Tom Firr--Lord Lonsdale--Captain Burns-Hartopp--The Cottesmore--Sir William Lowther--Sir Richard Sutton--Lord Kesteven--Mr. Baird--Foundation of the Kennel--Mr. Evan Hanbury--Arthur Thatcher--Oakham as a Hunting Centre--The Belvoir--A Big Crowd--The Hunt Servants and their Horses--A Typical Day--History of The Pack--Successive Huntsmen--Belvoir Blood in Other Packs--Sir Gilbert Greenall and Capell--Brocklesby and Belvoir--Goodall and Gillard--Masters of the Belvoir--Society at the Castle--Deputy Masters--Lord Forester--Dukes of Rutland--A great County Hunt--Mr. Fernie's Hunt--The Country--The Division during Sir Richard Sutton's Mastership--Mr. Tailby--Some Hard Riders--The Billesdon--Sir Bache Cunard--Why Mr. Fernie's Fixtures are not Overcrowded--Big Studs the Exception--The Right Kind of Horse--Brooks in the Country--Notable Huntsmen trained in Mr. Fernie's Country--The Pack--The Pytchley--Mr. Naylor's Mastership--Squires, the Huntsman--Northamptonshire as a Hunting County--Mr. Meynell's Influence on Hunting--The First Earl Spencer--Dick Knight--Mr. Warde--His Horse " Solyman"--A Long Run--Lord Althorp--Later Masters--Sir Bellingham Graham--Mr. Osbaldeston--Mr. George Payne--Lord Chesterfield--"The Other Tom Smith"--Sir Francis Goodricke--A Hunting Pauper--Charles Payn--Colonel Anstruther Thomson--Conflicting Interests in a Hunting Country--Lord Spencer as Master--M. Brunetiere on English Sports--Sir Herbert Langham--Whyte-Melville on the Pytchley--The Woodland Pytchley--Early Masters--The Woodlands--The Atherstone--Mr....