User:Davidgblackburn/sandbox: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

 

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=== An International Hunt (1882–1910) ===

=== An International Hunt (1882–1910) ===

[[File:Allen Culpepper Sealy, 1850 – 1927, The Pau Hunt, Master Frederick Maude, 1892, 50th anniverasary English Club of Pau Collection.jpg|600x315px|thumb|right|Allen Culpepper Sealy, 1850 – 1927, The Pau Hunt (50th Anniversary), Master Frederick William Maude, 1892]]

[[File:Allen Culpepper Sealy, 1850 – 1927, The Pau Hunt, Master Frederick Maude, 1892, 50th anniverasary English Club of Pau Collection.jpg|600x315px|thumb|right|Allen Culpepper Sealy, 1850 – 1927, The Pau Hunt (50th Anniversary), Master Frederick William Maude, 1892]]

Sports in general, notably the hunt and polo drew tourists to Pau, while Lord Howth continued defending foxhunting for those with poor constitutions. Masters were Mr. Neilson Winthrop followed by Mr. Frederick William Maude, Sir Victor Brooke, Mr. William Knapp Thorn Jr., Lt.-Col. Talbot Crosbie, Baron Robert Lejeune, Arthur Smyth Este “Baron d’Este”, Mr. Charles Henry Ridgway and Mr. John Harvey Wright Jr. further developed drag hunting with foxhound and drag hound packs, cross country and point-to-point matches, and then paper chases in the early 20th century. Finances were problematic until the end of the 19th century, making alliances with regional and local government who provided subventions for advertising, while Masters Maude, Brooke, Lejeune and Este refused to underwrite the hunt’s deficits.

The death of Pau Hunt subscriber Alfred Torrance followed by a generous donation by his mother, Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt and her nephew William Knapp Thorn Jr., daughter and grandson of [[Cornelius Vanderbilt]] guaranteed stability and reduced expenses for the Pau Hunt. Thorn organized Mrs. Torrance’s purchase of the Jacob farmhouse, followed by the construction of modern kennels, a fox house, staff lodging and a telephone line between the Pau Hunt and the English Club, made it a world-class facility that was donated to the town of Pau and opened for the 1891-1892 season. There was just one condition that the Pau Hunt continue foxhunting, perhaps implying that Alfred Torrance came to Pau for his health.{{efn|Although this farmhouse has no characteristics of a villa, it has recently been renamed “villa Torrance”. Alfred Torrance lodged at the Hotel de France on the chic place Royale, where he could dine at the [[English Club of Pau, France|English Club]]. Records show just one visit by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Torrance Pau where they stayed at the villa du Midi – the same year ex-President and General [[Ulysses S. Grant]]}}

, permanent kennels and employee lodging, and assistance in controlling local landowners.

Further development of drag hunting with foxhound and drag hound packs, cross country and point-to-point matches, and paper chases in the early 20th century. Alliance with regional and local government with subventions, advertising, permanent kennels and employee lodging, and assistance in controlling local landowners.

The united nations of hunts.

The united nations of hunts.

The Pau Hunt was established in 1842 by the Société d’Encouragement as a spectacule authorized by the government of Louis Philippe to hunt predatory animals such as wolves and foxes.^[1][2][a] Internationally, the Pau Hunt, dominated by American and British Masters, was one of the most renown hunts until the breakout of World War II. Its country, between Gardères and the hills surrounding Pau was nicknamed “Leicestershire in France”.^[3]

Innovative hunt masters and committee members organized their first recorded drag hunt in 1847, the capture of game and its later release (bagmen),^[b] cross country matches and point-to-point races meets in the late 1840s..^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

In 1947 the association reorganized as the “Pau Hunt Drags”.^[c] Continuing its tradition of drag hunting, meets are held in unplanted fields with the expressed permission of amiable property owners.^[8]

A plethora of private photos, articles, publications, photos and works of art during its heyday are housed in private collections, including the collection of the English Club of Pau.^[d]

Under the license of Royal Wolfcatcher, Mister Dupont invited Pau’s British winter colonists, such as the hunter and explorer James Erskine Murray in 1835, to lodge at a hôtel at Tarbes, hunt in the morning and then dine together. Dupont was attentive to his hounds and managed clean kennels. He preferred hunting wolves and hare, and avoided fox hunting, fearing the ruin of his hounds’ noses. His nephew and huntsman at Tarbes, also named Dupont, continued serving as huntsman for the Pau Hunt until at least 1858.^{[11][12][13][10]}

There was a separate Bearnaise hunt at Pau in 1835. James Erskine Murray described their country as strictly limited to one forest (le forêt domaniale de Bastard) and corresponds with an authorization dated 1771, however, no documents have been found that verify the 1771 and 1835 hunts were the same.^[11][14][e] Murray had not been familiar with the method of capture and release that would later be used by the Pau Hunt.

In 1837 Sir Henry Chudleigh Oxenden began wintering at Tarbes, where he leased Aureilhan Castle in 1839, the year after his father’s death.^[16][12][f] He imported hunters and hounds for fox hunting around Tarbes and Lannemezan. J. Cornwell hunted with him. ^[g][21][h] Oxenden returned to Broome Park in the summer of 1841 due to financial difficulties. In late autumn 1842, Oxenden sold his horses to M. Larienty and offered his fox hound pack to his French and British friends at Pau.^{[16][13][2][24][i][j]}

After Oxenden gifted his pack to friends at Pau, the local newspaper, dated 3 December 1842 announced the founding of the Pau Hunt to hunt predatory wolves and foxes under the authority of the Société d’Encouragement, with at least 14 foxes hunted during the first season 1842-1843.^[k][27] Cornwell hunted with MFHs^[l] Lt. O’Shirley, Roussel, Charles Whyte, Pery Standish and William Cecil Standish. In 1845, keeping just one hound “Fallacy” from Oxenden’s pack because she had a good nose, Pery Standish brought in a new pack of hounds to newly built kennels in the village of Soumoulou.^[4] The first recorded Cross Country match, hosted by M. Blair and organized by Captain O’Shirley was on 31 March, 1846.^[28][25][4]

Jasper Hall Livingston was accredited with saving the hunt by purchasing the Standish pack upon the brothers’ departure.^[m] MFH Livingston, joined by his nephew Charles Carroll Livingston, held their first recorded Drag Hunt at Pau on Saturday, November 26, 1847 on the Route de Tarbes between Pau and Gardères making a distance of 21 km (13 miles) in one hour: a welcomed diversion before the meet.^[5]

Before the steam engine, train service and automobiles, innovative sports were developed to increase speed and skill levels of both horses and riders. Many of these techniques are no longer used due to animal rights and property issues. At Pau, the government sanctioned Société d’Encouragement awarded cash prizes at the racetrack (hippodrome) that was inaugurated in 1843 as an incentive for private breeders to improve the health, speed and endurance qualities of the horse, which were the primary mode of transportation of humans and goods and indispensable for national defense.

No hunt was held at Pau. Jasper Hall Livingston hunted boar at Roux Castle and lost most of his hounds. He went to England to purchase another hound pack, accompanied by Huntsman Dupont.^[21]

Livingston returned to Pau with hounds for the 1849-1850 season. He sold a pack to Richard Francis Lalor Power in 1854, who moved it to a kennel in Lescar. In 1857, Power purchased a farmhouse he named Billère Lodge with land strattling Billère and adjacent Pau, where he built kennels, stables and the Villa Bilhère.^[n][o] Alexander Taylor’s third edition published in 1861 states there were two packs; one at Power’s in Billère for subscription and a private pack at Villa Livingston, together continuing the development of difficult hunt-like sports of drag hunting and the capture and release of foxes and larger game including fallow deer.^[29]

The speed and endurance of hounds was limited during a fox hunt to the animal being hunted. When laying a defined, artificial trail, speed and endurance could be augmented considerably and with predefined obstacles, had the additional benefit of improving that of horses and riders.

The capture and release of wild animals (this is no longer done) was used to simplify and expedite a hunt, most frequently capturing, or “bagging” foxes, and later releasing them at another meet where they would be unfamiliar with the country, keeping them from going underground. A bagman could be released at the end of a drag hunt as an incentive/reward for the hounds.^[p] As early as Livingston, the hunt advertised to buy caught foxes in the local press. A similar concept was developed for fallow deer, bringing them to meets in cages, releasing them and then hunting them. None of this is done today.

Sources state foxes became less numerous and traditional fox hunting was replaced with hunting bagged foxes. This sport alternated with Drag Hunting.^[30] For some traditionalists, these new sports were seen as corrupting wild game hunting on horseback.{{efn|Howth considered the use of bagged foxes unorthodox, referring to this method as “American”.^[3] However, the earlier Bearnaise hunt that existed at Pau in 1835, used bagmen and even guns.^[11]

An 1858 article by the Marquess of Foudras mocked these new sports at Pau. The response of Livingston and Power was to mock the Foudras article through a commissioned series of lithographs by Pierre-Eugène Marc in album format with the title translated as “A Hunting Album, The Pau Drag”. First released in 1860, this parody of the Foudras article was depicted in 10 lithographs by Pierre-Eugene Marc. An additional lithograph by Marc and two by Jean-Alexandre Duruy were available between December 1860 and 1863 mocking their critics. Famous participants of the Pau Hunt during this period included William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, Ward McAllister and Marshall Pierre Bosquet.^[31]

Sometime between 1861 and 1864, Power had financial difficulties and was replaced by Captain Philip Savage Alcock, who hunted with a pack of harriers.^[3] Local property owners began demonstrating against the Pau Hunt due to property damage. Local politicians, attempted to appease them because the popularity of the Pau Hunt increased among British, American and French subscribers: the French henceforth comprised over one-third of the kennel committee.

Alcock resigned and was replaced by Jasper Hall Livingston in 1868, with kennels at Villa Livingston. Livingston’s hunt was fashionable and began appearing in publications not related to sports; an article by children’s book author Aunt Fanny, Frances Barrow which was later published in Schribner’s Monthly Magazine, and in Miss Maria Grant’s two tomb romance novel The Sun-Maid set in Pau and published in 1877.^[32][33][6]

Livingston did not arrive for the 1873-1874 season and was replaced by Major William Henry Cairnes, who was replaced in 1874 by William George Tiffany, who moved the kennels to Villa Navarre, began keeping kennel financial records and began writing by-laws.^[q] They then relocated the hounds to what were believed to be permanent kennels at the Petit Chantilly, now Villa Beverly in December 1874 with most of the expenses paid by Tiffany and Norman Story, who shared Villa Navarre. Landowners continued demonstrating due to property damage.

On January 26, 1875, Tiffany and Story were hunting and ordered a peasant to open a gate. When the peasant refused, Story started jumping the gate, when the peasant suddenly swung it open making Story’s horse fall on him. Story died the following evening.^{[r][34][35][s]} A general meeting was held the following day, approving the by-laws of the association and by prefect Jean de Nadaillac, along with a plan to compensate landowners for damages. The by-laws were finalized for the La Société de la Chasse à Courre on April 5, 1875 at which time Tiffany resigned as MFH.^[6]

Major William Henry Cairnes became MFH and implemented the first and already planned Hunter’s stakes, which took place March 3, 1875. During his tenure, a decision was made to bring in an English huntsman, retaining the French one, Pascal, as Whip. In ill health, he was replaced by Captain W. Browne in 1878, who refused the title MFH. Lord Howth served as MFH with a new pack for the 1878 – 1879 season, did not complete the season and was followed the next year by John Stewart.

This period is tumultuous and ends with the liquidation of the Pau Hunt, which had been known to be accessible to subscribers with pulmonary diseases.^[4] The difficulty level, popularity and frequency of drag and bagman hunting was seen by Lord Howth as exclusionary to less capable riders, himself included.^[t][3][36] Howth made it his quest to make ‘real fox hunting’ accessible to those in ill health, while other members preferred the expediency of bagmen for fox hunting and wanted more drag hunts with the release of a bagman at the end. An additional method, dubbed ‘a new departure’, became popular combining a drag hunt with a fox hunt, by releasing a bagman upon hearing the pack’s approach near the end of the drag hunt’s artificial trail, beginning a fox hunt for the second segment.^[3]

The Count of Bari moved into today’s Villa Longchamp in 1874. After Lord Howth’s tenure, he brought in a private pack of faster hounds in 1879 and began a second hunt. Tiffany proposed Bari become the master. The Pau Hunt, claimed he had no right to hunt in their territory, but Bari replied he had no intention to negotiate and would continue the competing hunt during the 1880-1881 season. On April 14, 1880, the kennel committee voted 12 to 7 in favor of dissolving the committee and liquidating the Pau Hunt. They notified Mayor Aristide de Monpezat that they could no longer operate the hunt while there was a competing pack.^[6]

At the beginning of the 1880-1881 season, Thomas G. Burgess, whom Lord Howth described as one of the Pau Hunt Masters in ill health,^[36] wrote for the assistance of James Gordon Bennett Jr., who arrived from Paris.^[u] After meeting with the town hall, influential Bennett met with the Count of Bari, who gave his hounds to the town hall. The hunt was reconstituted on December 2, 1880 with Bennett as Master assisted by Thomas Burgess.^[37][38] Bennett purchased 40 couples that were delivered in 1881. In 1882, Mayor Nicholas Renault insisted the Société de la Chasse à Courre be reconstituted to conform with the law, proposing they alternate packs to satisfy the needs of all riding levels. Satisfied, Bennett agreed and gave the new pack to the municipality with Thomas Burgess replacing him as MFH with the newly formed committee’s first meeting on 1 November, 1882.^[6][39]

File:Allen Culpepper Sealy, 1850 – 1927, The Pau Hunt, Master Frederick Maude, 1892, -50th anniverasary English Club of Pau Collection.jpg

Sports in general, notably the hunt and polo drew tourists to Pau, while Lord Howth continued defending foxhunting for those with poor constitutions. Masters were Mr. Neilson Winthrop followed by Mr. Frederick William Maude, Sir Victor Brooke, Mr. William Knapp Thorn Jr., Lt.-Col. Talbot Crosbie, Baron Robert Lejeune, Arthur Smyth Este “Baron d’Este”, Mr. Charles Henry Ridgway and Mr. John Harvey Wright Jr. further developed drag hunting with foxhound and drag hound packs, cross country and point-to-point matches, and then paper chases in the early 20th century. Finances were problematic until the end of the 19th century, making alliances with regional and local government who provided subventions for advertising, while Masters Maude, Brooke, Lejeune and Este refused to underwrite the hunt’s deficits.

The death of Pau Hunt subscriber Alfred Torrance followed by a generous donation by his mother, Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt and her nephew William Knapp Thorn Jr., daughter and grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt guaranteed stability and reduced expenses for the Pau Hunt. Thorn organized Mrs. Torrance’s purchase of the Jacob farmhouse, followed by the construction of modern kennels, a fox house, staff lodging and a telephone line between the Pau Hunt and the English Club, made it a world-class facility that was donated to the town of Pau and opened for the 1891-1892 season. There was just one condition that the Pau Hunt continue foxhunting, perhaps implying that Alfred Torrance came to Pau for his health.^[v]

, permanent kennels and employee lodging, and assistance in controlling local landowners.

The united nations of hunts.

The Prince, Vaufreland and Barron years, development of sport, WWI, prohibition, gambling interdiction, construction projects in Pau, depression