Was one of the best and keenest fox-hunters of his day

Was one of the best and keenest fox-hunters of his day

The late Marquis of Hastings, father of the present Marquis, was one of the best and keenest fox-hunters of his day; he died young, and here is Dick’s account of his first fence, for which all fox-hunters are under deep obligations to the Druid.

The Marquis of Hastings was one of my pupils. I was two months at his place before he came of age. He sent for me to Donnington, and I broke all his horses. I had never seen him before. He had seven rare nice horses, and very handy I got them. The first meet I went out with him was Wartnaby Stone Pits. I rode by his side, and I says, ‘My lord, we’ll save a bit of distance if we take this fence.’ So he looked at me and he laughed, and says, ‘Why, Christian, I was never over a fence in my life.’ ‘God bless me, my lord! you don’t say so?’ And I seemed quite took aback at hearing him say it. ‘Its true enough, Christian, I really mean it.’ ‘Well, my lord,’ says I, ‘you’re on a beautiful fencer, he’ll walk up to it and jump it. Now I’ll go over the fence first. Put your hands well down on his withers and let him come.’ It was a bit of a low-staked hedge and a ditch; he got over as nice as possible, and he gave quite a hurrah like. He says, ‘There, I’m over my first fence that’s a blessing!’ Then I got him over a great many little places, and he quite took to it and went on uncommonly well. He was a nice gentleman to teach he’d just do anything you told him. That’s the way to get on!

Fonte: Tamming Horses