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Show PACK ..HLMTdrfAY AND WHPJ. ' modate 24 horses. Their present stud consists of 20 hunters and a pony. Mr. and Mrs. Strawbridge are regular followers fol-lowers of the Quorn, Belvoir and Cob tesmore, and their son, who inherits his parents' love of the sport, frequent Iy accompanies them. Miss Elizabeth Warrington Philip ol Talavera, Claverack, N. Y., has this winter returned to Soneleigh, Melton Mowbray, after a season's absence, but as it is her intention to remain onlj about six weeks she has but a smal' stud of horses. Mr. John R. Townsend and Mr. Peter G. Gerry are having their firsl season in the Shrines and have se cured the Limes, Melton Mowbray, which has in former years been the hunting residence of several renowned British sportsmen, including the present pres-ent duke of Portland prior to his marriage. mar-riage. Mr. Gerry is already there, but Mr. Townsend is not expected until later. Their stables are situate close to those of Mr. Cochran, and contain something like 18 hunters. Mr. Gerry has obtained his hunting experience chiefly with the Virginia hounds in America. Mrs. David Beatty has now had several sev-eral years' experience with the Leicestershire Leices-tershire packs, and is hunting from Brooksby hall in the Quorn country. She has become very popular in English Eng-lish hunting and other society circles, and rides some splendid horses. It will be recalled that just after the close of the last hunting season her place gained unenviable notoriety owing ow-ing to the daring burglary that was perpetrated there, and in connection with which the leading culprits are serving terms of imprisonment varying from six to twelve years. OFF TO DRAW It is becoming increasingly the custom cus-tom for wealthy American sportsmen and women, too, to reside in England during the fox hunting season, and there are obvious reasons why the bulk of them select Melton Mowbray or the immediate neighborhood as their place of abode. Melton is situated situat-ed in the center of the finest hunting country in the world, and is, accordingly, accord-ingly, the most convenient place for those sufficiently endowed with this world's goods who wish to enjoy the best sport. For this reason Melton's long-established claim to the title of the hunting hunt-ing metropolis cannot be questioned. There are, of course, numerous other hunting centers with their stretches of good country, but there is always a reverse side to the picture in the form of plow or woodland, or of some undesirable nature which detracts from the pleasure of those who ride to hounds. Providing a man is well mounted and his heart is in the right place, it is possible anywhere within a ten-mile radius of Melton to follow the pack without ever having to turn aside. Few who have ridden over this happy hunting ground would change their sphere for choice, so long as their nerves remained unimpaired. To extract the utmost pleasure out of Leicestershire hunting it is absolutely abso-lutely necessary to purchase the very best horses that money can buy, otherwise other-wise it is almost impossible to keep one's place in the front rank when the hounds run fast. Then there is no other hunting center which affords such variety, for every week throughout through-out the season it is possible to hunt six days a week with one or other of four of the leading packs in the country, coun-try, namely, the Quorn, Belvoir, Cottesmore, Cot-tesmore, or Mr. Fernie's. On five out of the six days the fixtures are within with-in easy distance of Melton, but on Thursdays it is generally necessary to go further afield in search of sport, though in these days of swift running motorcars, with convenient trains for boxing horses, a journey of from 12 to 16 miles into Mr. Fernie's domains does not entail much ahrdship. Another An-other thing which perhaps in no small measure adds to the glamour surrounding surround-ing Leicestershire is that one there meets the creme de la creme of English Eng-lish society. The fact that it is necessary neces-sary to subscribe to three or four dif-fenert dif-fenert packs does not weigh heavily. Not only do the Americans secure some of the most desirable residences, but it can with truth be said that the studs of hunters which they get together to-gether compare most favorably with the best of those belonging to English fox hunters. So enamored is Mr. Alexander Smith Cochran of New York with Leicestershire Leicester-shire sport that he has decided to make Melton Mowbray his permanent winter quarters, and has recently purchased pur-chased Hamilton Lodge, a delightful hunting box which Lord Hamilton of Dalzell caused to be erected a few years ago just on the outskirts of the hunting metropolis. It stands on the summit of Ankle hill, and although outwardly by no means an imposing structure from an architectural point of view, internally it is one of the most convenient hunting residences possible to imagine, while in another part of the grounds surrounding the house is an up-to-date range of stabling stab-ling sheltering a fine stud of nine hunters and two carriage horses. Sysonby Lodge, the summer residence resi-dence of Maj. and the Hon. Mrs. Stirling Stir-ling the latter an aunt to the duchess duch-ess of Newcastle is always let let for the hunting season. This picturesque pictur-esque house is situated on the Nottingham Notting-ham road, at the opposite end of Melton, Mel-ton, and seems to possess a special attraction for Americans. It was here that the duke of Marlborough brought his bride (nee Miss Vanderbilt) the first season after their marriage, and it was afterward occupied by Capt. and Mrs. David Beatty, the latter being be-ing perhaps better known in America as the daughter of the late Mr. Marshall j Field. Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Straw-bridge Straw-bridge of Pennsylvania have now se- cured the place on a lease, and during I the past summer considerable additions addi-tions have been made to the stabling accommodation, which can now accom- l |