The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-16 00:00:00

PIGEON SHOOTING.

ARISTOCRATIC JULY HANDICAP AT HORNSRY-WOOD
HOUSH.—The fourth of thcsa events, under the immediate
superintendence of that keen and much-respected sports-
man, Frank Heathcote, Esq., took place according to an-
nouncement, yesterday, on the enclosed ground attached to
Hornsey-wood House, in the presence of about 200 specta-
tors, this being the most meagre attendance of the aristo-
cratic patrons of the " trigger" that has yet taken place on
any previous occasion. The arrangements made by Mr.
Stone, the proprietor, gave general satisfaction.
The conditions of the handicap were as follows :—SS
each, £1 forfeit, for members of White's, Brooks's,
Boodle's, Arthur's, Guards', Carlton, Travellers', Arling-
ton's, Pratt's, and St. James's Clubs, and officers in the
army and navy on full pay. Guns of 11 bore, or less lith oz.
of shot, No. 5,6, or 7 ; gentlemen to be at liberty to put in
any quantity of shot, half a yard being added to their dis-
tance for every Bth of an oz. of shot. All to load from the
same bowls ; cartridges for breech-loading guns to be shown
the handicapper; no wire cartridges allowed; from five
traps ; post entries £6, and no forfeit.
As on former occasions the birds, which were of an ad-
mirable description, were supplied by Mr. Barber, who was
appointed to provide for the whole of the competitors. The
trap to be fired at had to be decided by the throw of dice,
and again this office was undertaken by Frank Heathcote,
Esq., whose strict impartiality pointed him out as being
the right man in the right place. Out of 66 who had en-
tered 33 paid the stipulated forfeit, so that there
only remained 33 competitors left to contend for the re-
spective prizes.

At the termination of the seventh and last round there
were ascertained to be four ties,—Arthur Wigram, Esq.,
Hon. Frederick Craven, E. H. K. Hugessen, Esq., M.P.,
and Earl Bective, M.P., having succeeded in killing six
birds each out of the stipulated numbers. These competi-
tors had now to shoot off on the usual conditions, viz., bird
for bird, and the excitement among the spectators became
intense, while the betting, which had all through been
spirited, became of a most animating description.
In shooting off the ties, Arthur Wigram, after having
exhibited such capital practice, was the first to miss, doing
so in the first round, so that this gentleman had now to
retire from the contest, having, however, secured the
fourth prize, the forfeited money (less a reduction for ex-
penses), of £2O. The Hon. Frederick Craven, E. H. K.
Hugessen, M.P., and Earl Bective, were the three com-
petitors left to contend, and they went on killing bird for
bird, to the admiration of the spectators, up to the third
round, when the Hon. Frederick Craven had the bad for-
tune to fail in scoring and retired, having,however, entitled
himself to the third prize of £25. E. H. K. Hugessen,
Esq., M.P., and Earl Bective were now the competitors,
left to contend for the leading prize, and these fine shots
went on tying up to the fourth round. At this point E.
H. K. Hugessen, Esq., had the misfortune to miss, while
his opponent, Earl Bective, dropped his bird in beautiful
time, so that his lordship became the winner of the first
prize, £lOO, and a handsome gold cup, E. H. K. Hugessen,
Esq., taking the second price £47, Hon. Frederick Craven
the third of £25, and Arthur Wigram the fourth of £2O.
The score throughout was kept in a most efficient man-
ner, and thus terminated the last (for we believa this sea-
son) of these aristocratic handicaps.