Back to One of two 9th Lancers albums of photos and sketches `Records of the Gujerat Cup for Pig-Sticking' c1885-1932
Photographs
Item 0027
Purchase a copy
Image details
| Accession number | 912L : 2090/23 |
|---|---|
| Transcription |
GUZERAT CUP MEET , 1898 . ( Times of India , April 18 , 1898. ) We have come to look upon Bhandu as almost the regular Cup meet now , but this year the Baroda authorities , in whose territory Bhandu lies , could not see their way to allowing a camp there owing to fear of the plague . The meet , there fore , was at Changodra , south of Ahmedabad , and about 12 miles on the road to Bhowla . We were all in camp on the evening of 8th April , and after dinner , heats were drawn as follows : GUZERAT CUP - 1ST CHANCES , 1ST HEAT - Luard , Takatsinghi of Katosan , Rotton , and Waddington . 2ND HEAT - Fischer , Goring - Jones , Hewlett , and Harter . 3RD HEAT - Phayre , Beechersinghi of Katosan , Gray , and Graham . 4TH HEAT - Symons , Heneage , Himatsinghi of Muli , and Bhagwatsinghi of Orcha . GUZERAT CUP - 2ND CHANCES . 1ST HEAT - Himatsinghi of Muli , Harter , Phayre and Takatsinghi of Katosan . 2ND HEAT - Rotton , Fischer , Graham , and Heneage . 3RD HEAT - Goring - Jones , Luard , Hewlett , and Gray . 4TH HEAT - Symons , Waddington , and Bhagwat singhi of Orcha . SALMON CUP - 1ST ROUND . 1ST HEAT - Birkett , Waddington , Fischer , and Rotton . Himat 2ND HEAT - Bhagwatsinghi of Orcha , singhi of Muli , Heneage , and Narsinghi of Katosan . 3RD HEAT - Hewlett , Symons and Luard . 4TH HEAT - Graham , Gray , and Goring - Jones . FIRST CHANCES , GUZERAT CUP . On the morning of the 9th we commenced beat ing the jungles on the road to Surkej , near Bhadarabad . The first heat of the Guzerat Cup was won by Waddington after a turn through grass and babul . It was a fair run . Luard had a chance at the end , but a babul tree got in his way , and Waddington was quickest round and speared . The second heat was won by Fischer . Goring Jones cut out the work , but fell at a nasty place , as he was likely to spear , and this let up Fischer , who scored his maiden spear . The third heat was won by Phayre . This heat was a long time getting off , and only managed to do so late in the afternoon , after a series of mishaps . Graham got up to the pig first and knocked it over near a hedge , but failed to spear , and the pig was lost . They were immediately restarted after another boar which came along , and Phayre and Gray , racing for a gap in a hedge , collided as they jumped , and Gray had a nasty fall over a grip the other side . Graham meantime got on to the pig and twice missed owing to his spear being blunt . He then had a fall into a babul tree , lost his spear and his mount , and got covered with thorns . Phayre went on and speared , but got much knocked about with the thorns . Gray's and Graham's horses came in late at night . The fourth heat was won by Bhagwatsinghi of Orcha . This was a very fast gallop over the open . Symons was first up to the boar , closely pressed by Heneage , but both failed to come round quick enough , on a very bad jink , and the spear , as so often happens , went to the man who lay behind and cut in . SECOND CHANCES , GUZERAT CUP . The next day we beat the babul jungles around Taipore . The first heat of the second chances of the Guzerat Cup was won by Takatsinghi of Katosan , after a short gallop . Himatsinghi broke his spear a flimsy one - or would probably have won . The second heat was won by Heneage on his pony . Graham - had again bad luck and fell when he was going strong . In the third heat they got after a good boar , who took them through the babul , when Goring - Jones speared after a good race for it . In the fourth heat there was a very fast run in the open , Symons getting round quickest on the ak and scoring on his pony . SALMON CUP - 1ST ROUND , In the first heat , the boar was turned out right across the open , and Waddington seemed to be getting the best of it , when his pony fell . He was quickly up again , but could not quite catch Fischer , who speared . In the second heat the competitors had a herd gallop amongst the babuls . Heneage had it pretty much to himself , and got a difficult spear . The third heat was also all amongst the thorns . Luard got swept off in a babul tree , leaving Hewlett and Symons to fight it out , when the In the fourth heat the riders got mixed up in the road ditches , when Gray had the bad luck to fall . Graham lost the boar , and Goring - Jones got him just afterwards . latter won . The third day we went to Kesandra and beat the Jhow jungles in the bed of the river . The cover was thick and good , so pig didn't care about leaving it , and we didn't get much sport there , and had to stick to the babul jungles afterwards , in order to get off the remainder of the heats . SEMI - FINALS GUZERAT CUP - FIRST CHANCES . for the spear , the pig jinked to Phayre , who ran Waddington and Bhagwatsinghi of Orcha raced him hard and just missed spearing . Fischer then came up and got him , as he crossed his horse . In the second chances the horsemen had luck in getting a fast good boar , which took a good line . Heneage's horse was lame , as well as two of his handiest ponies , so he was much handi capped . Takatsinghi , being a heavy weight , was also out of it , so Symons and Goring - Jones had nearly all the work and a most exciting tussle for the spear , Goring - Jones eventually winning and so getting into the final of the Guzerat Cup with Fischer . It was late in the evening when they got off after a fine boar which broke from the thick babul . Goring - Jones was quickest on to him , and as the boar didn't jink , Fischer didn't get a chance , and Goring - Jones speared , thus winning the Guzerat Cup of 1898 on his bay waler " Do Weel . " They were started next morning after a pig that twenty of each . However , the damage to horses him before he got to babul cover , where Phayre best thanks are due to Mr. Gibb , C.S. , who kindly broke out of a cotton field , but just failed to get and men was , if painful , only temporary . Our fell and Waddington was swept off . A long round made the local arrangements and lent us the mess and beat eventually produced another boar . Just tent - putting in an appearance himself for part as he broke Phayre's horse went dead lame , and of the time ; also to Mr. Lambert for making the heat was practically left to Waddington and the police bundobust . Birkett . The former seemed to have it at his MRS . CECIL GRAY'S CUP . This finished off the two usual Cups for pigstick ing . Mrs. Cecil Gray , however , had provided more sport for us . She handed over to the Committee for competition a handsome silver cup , made by a Poona artist , who had very successfully depicted hog hunting scenes on the bowl . It was decided to run the cup off after pig , on Arabs and Country breds . Our appetites were whetted by seeing the cup on the table every night , and the fourteen who entered all meant business . Three heats were drawn - 1ST HEAT - Rotton , Hewlett , Goring - Jones , Phayre and Graham . 2ND HEAT - Birkett , Fischer , Heneage , and Himat singhi of Muli . 3RD HEAT - Symons , Luard , Gray , Bhagwant singhi of Orcha , and Waddington . mercy , riding his clever mare " Czarina , " but the whom I cannot say more than that he is just In conclusion , long life to Mr. Waddington , about heat off , the umpire 35 rted them rather far off In somewhat similar words to those used by unexpected happened I his anxiety to get the a bundle of " hard riding , tact and good temper . " and the pig was lost .ght of in a hedge just as Mr. Yarnley , the preserver of foxes , at the great they got to the main road . Waddington went left Handley Cross dinner , Mr. Waddington , at the and Birkett right handed . The former never saw conclusion of his speech , was understood to give it again , and the latter , by great luck , sighted it expression to the following excellent sentiments , and after a long ride by himself , won the spear viz - That he did support the Guzerat Cup , that and cup . We were all sorry that our very popular he always had supported it , and always would do Honorary Sercetary missed his chance by sheer so . And so I hope will all of us - including ill - luck . Nobody minds being fairly beaten , of course , but it is a bit trying in these competitions when you get thrown out by some mischance . However , the only way is to take your luck when it comes , and not to mind much when its against THE OLD ' UN . you . THE TULLY HUNT CUP . The Tully Hunt Cup Point - to - Point fell through as most of the horses were too lame from thorns to run . Three of the Committee spent a long time trying to find a course for the pony point - to - point , but there was great difficulty , owing to the country being so heavily wooded . After fixing on a course , it had to be abandoned , as an open well , flush with the ground , was found under the big tree at the proposed turning point . Eventually a course was fixed up , parallel to the main road up one side and back the other , the road barred except to cross it , at the turning point . It was meant that the riders should keep the road as a guide . There were six starters , viz : Heneage's " Electric , " owner . Fischer's " Hawkmoth , " owner . Luard's " Scars , " owner . Graham's " Seagull , " Gray . Graham's " Viking , " owner . Waddington's " Sanam , " Goring - Jones . SECOND ROUND OF THE SALMON CUP . into two heats . Heneage The second round of the Salmon Cup was split won the first heat from Hewlett , whose pony couldn't go the pace They started off at too much of an angle from the road , and so lost it as a guide , and in consequence were too far away from the road , when they Fischer , whose Waler pony had the best of Goring - ed there . over the open . The other heat was won by had got to the turning place , to see the man post Jones ' mount . This spoiled the race . Heneage was leading on the return journey , with only Fischer For the final Heneage was obliged to buy a in sight . Both came very wide of the winning badly lamed from thorns . Fischer's pony Hawk - sighted these first , when looking back , and was pony in order to compete , his three being all post- ( two mounted camels in a field ) . Heneage moth , however , was too good for the new buy , able to get round and pass the post first , easily . and he won final After our last dinner , the winners were toasted as usual , and in his speech Mr. Waddington justly paid a tribute to Mr. Fischer for getting into both finals and winning one . Mr. Fischer had the " beginner's " usual good luck , but he also had to ride well in order to do as he did . Needless to say Mrs. Cecil Gray's health was most enthusiasti cally drunk . Many nice and kind things were said of this sporting lady - who was always to the fore in the fastest runs , always ready to lend a hand to a thorn - damaged sportsman , and from whom we never heard a murmur during the often long waits in the fierce sun . Mrs. Grey has the exceptional tact in the hunting field of always being to the front , but never being in the way . Our Honorary Secretary brought a good con tingent of young Chiefs with him , who showed by their riding and their extremely good manners that at the gallop . In the The first heat was won by Phayre after a good they are learning some thing besides the classics Rajkumar College . singhi of Orcha , who rode well , and had some very We also had , as a competitor , Rajah Bhagwat fine hunters with him . Hewlett was knocked off and hurt himself . second heat the competitors got away after was lost , and found again once or twice . Finally a small pig which dodged about the jungles and the pig charged Birkett , who and speared . In the third heat , was alone Again we were sorry to miss our dear old friend , " Willie White , " from the meet . His cheery face and excellent rendering of the vernacular were much " wanted . " the party had a tremendous doing after a big sounder , but failed to get off , although in the morning they had ridden quite four miles at a hand gallop through bits of jungle . Late in the This proved the fastest and best run of the meet evening they got off after a greyhound of a boar . Waddington got the best of it and won a very good ing , and was a hard race from start to finish . heat . This left in for the final Phayre , Wad dington and Birkett . say The country we had to ride over was , to rule . It is one thing to nurse a boar through babul the least , not good for heat riding , as a quite another to try and race him through in a thorns and ride when it gets open enough , and horses lamed and of the falls - but they got so heat . I began to take a note of the number of numerous that I lost count . There were well on to 46 Goving Jones . 48 To Feel 1898 |
