Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

A fox ran out He is convinced that a
system of relay racing had been estao-
lished by the foxes.
The red fox is said to be the fieetest-
footed of all the animals in civilized COM
munities. Combining with this neetness
of foot cunning and sagaclty that mas
made his name SynC nomous with THESE
traits, he very often is able to outw1t ms
pursuers Sometimes he will find it ad-
vantageouS to take to roadlng he Is
aware of the fact that dust Is the poorest
conveyor of scent to be found. ana VIII
keep the road for many miles, turning out
only to allow travellers to pass. IL Is Sa1o
also that tired fox is more often lost In
the chase than fresh one. The fresh ioA
trusts to his heels for safety, while the
tired one brings all his strategy into
play Sometimes he will walk on fences;
at other times double his trail, and at
other times make for plowed fields. Many
tales are told illustrative OF his cunning
outside of the chase. Some OF these, or
course, are apochryphal. One hunter de-
clares that red fox stole one of his de-
coy ducks ad used it in his own behalf.
Another writer says that the fox, when
infested with f1eas. will gather bunch
of dry grass in his mouth, back into a
stream of. water and force the heas out
upon the dry grass. Drowning them Is
then an easy matter.
Comparatively few people are aware Of
the fact that the red fox is not native
of America. 1t
Red Fox is Not was brought to
Native American. tha middle ~ tho
eighteenth century to give the sportsmen
of the then small city of New York a
chance for chase. Since then the red
fox has spread over nearly all Of the
&c
claimed by American hunters that life in
this big country has given him a fleet
ness of foot and a power of endurance
that is not to be found In his cousins in
Britain. This same condition is asserted
to prevail with reference to American
foxhounds. The American hunter will
unhesitatingly assert that the fOXhound
of this country has more speed and en-
durance, that he has a sweeter voice
when in full cry and that he can perceive
the scent much more accurately than the
English foXhound. The attitude OF
many American fox hunters is expressed
in the words of one of them who said:
Il don't care anything about the breed
they may be pointers for all that; what
/ want is hound that can chase a fox. -
The English sportsmen have little pa
thence with this view, and the best
thought in American fox-hunting circles
favors a combination of the two conflict
ing views.
A transfer of hounds recently took
place that is of extraordinary interest to
breeders in the United States and Can
ada number of couples were deliv-
cred by the Chevy Chase Hunt Club of
Washington to a Canadian club, whose
name has not been given out. This is
the first instance where American
hounds have been sent to Canada to
form the nucleus of an important pack.
Many of the American fox hunters have
taken their dogs to England and have
participated in hunts there. They de-
clare that the conditions under which
fox hunting is done here and abroad are
SO different as to require different types
of hounds There the fox is well fed
and is also much less timid than in
America. Where the chase here often
lasts for long hours and carries the riders
through a number of counties, in Eng
land the average hunt is perhaps less
than two hours long. There the holes
are stopped up with brush and sod so
that the fox cannot escape with his life.
There must be killing to satisfy the
Englishman, while the American usually
is more or less happy when Reynard is
plncky and sagacious enough to make
his escape.
z Fox Hunting not only requires fine dogs,
but also splendid horses. 1t is said that
the blue grass
Fine Horses Needed regions of Ken
for the Sport. piedmont region
of Virginia raise the finest hunting horses
in America One of the leading lights
of the fox-hunting world recently visited
these two sections and then wrote a
book. In it he says that in blue grass
Kentucky they sing the song of the
hunter, but that in midland Virginia they
play it with all it's variations.
The blue ribbon events of the foX-hunt-
ing season are the contests for the derby,
the all-age and the championship stakes.
The field trials under which these prizes
are awarded are widely attended, and in
all the world of sport the Judges who
make the awards are not given a more
strenuous time than in these trials. There
are many things to be considered in de-
Gliding the issue between the various
hounds. Hunting, trailing, speed and en-
durance each count twenty points. Tongue
counts ten and Judgment and intelligence
ten. The judges aim to keep the con-
testing hounds in sight at all times, and
this requires very strenuous riding.
Tomorrow = NEW YORK HORSE
SHOW.