The Eton College hunt : $b A short history of beagling at EtonCrossley, Anthony Crommelin
History
The Eton College hunt : $b A short history of beagling at Eton
Crossley, Anthony Crommelin
Beagling; Eton College Hunt -- History
Howard-Vyse used all the balance left over from the expenses of the
two previous years in building a cottage for Champion and in raising
oak palings round the kennel paddock. Both of these innovations were
necessary; it was a good thing that he decided to build a cottage, as
Champion would not otherwise have remained with the E.C.H.
These are Howard-Vyse’s personal recollections:
“It has been great fun to read my accounts over again, but I fear I have
little or nothing to add to them. In fact I can think of two comments
only:
(_a_) I fancy I was the first Master to get permission for the
field to come out beagling during the Winter Half; in the year
after me it was dropped, because the Master was also first
keeper of the Field; but it was continued afterwards, I see,
though I don’t know whether it still goes on. It seems rather
ridiculous to keep a pack of hounds all the year round for nine
weeks’ hunting.
(_b_) The running capacities of the staff of my second year
(1901-1902) were rather a record:
Self Winner of Steeplechase 1901.
Wilson 2nd in ” 1901.
Lambert Winner of ” 1902.
Drake 2nd in ” 1902.
“My first year was undoubtedly a very moderate one; we had some baddish
hounds and it was a shocking scenting season. The second season was much
better, and at the time I thought it very good indeed. But as a matter of
fact I should think, looking back with my present experience, that the
E.C.H. have probably had many even better seasons since.
“This I should put down to an improvement in the hounds, which began
from the time of the Grenfells, two years before me, but did not bear
full fruit till after my time. In this connection it was probably a big
advantage, apart from any personal ability, that in six years there were
only four Masters—myself and Wroughton each twice, and Romer Williams was
a good hound man.
“Before the Grenfell twins the whole thing was a very scratch concern,
and it would be difficult to exaggerate the debt which the E.C.H. owe to
their memory. It requires tremendous push and energy to start the whole
thing on a fresh basis, and to raise £1000 for the purpose, which is what
they did.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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