Back to One of two 9th Lancers albums of photos and sketches `Records of the Gujerat Cup for Pig-Sticking' c1885-1932
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Item 0030
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| Accession number | 912L : 2090/23 |
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C.W.W. Thay 1898 . and fill The pal that is yours and mine ! glass Join hands for " auld lang Sque , then set the choms free , my lads , to the best of pals , your Then Hurrah for the old grey Boar ! Ten inches , no less , are his tushes , I guess , And he'll never get up any more ; Oh , the old grey Boar's on his side , my boys , C. lat . W₂ more staunch from find to views ! In Life's Long chase no friend , I ween , no heart more kind and true , no seat more firm , no eye more keen May he side for twenty more ! He has vidden in front for twenty years , In the chase of the mighty book , Cecil Gray . In the game ; in the field , between the flags , Than the yet never , I ween , was a gallant Cecil Gray ! And there's many a stalwart arm and spear will bring the boar to to her seen . a steed is gathered there Both fleet and stout of limb , There's many . Where he what's his tushes grim ! Away to the boar in his junge lair , Than the gallant Cecil Gray ! Get never , I ween , was a no fence can c'er dismay , an iron grip , and a name of steel bolder seen . PIG STICKING IN GUZERAT . The Meeting at Barejadi . ( 1901 ) ( BY A CORRESPONDENT . ) The Guzerat Pig - Sticking Meeting was held this year at Barejadi , near Ahmedabad , during the Easter holidays . It will be remembered that last year no meeting was held owing to the scarcity of pig . There was little cover and less water , and it was found impossible to locate a sufficient number of pig to render any chance of the usual competitions being completed . It was , however , hoped that after a year , conditions would be about normal again , and Barejadi was selected as near a railway station and centrally situated for many well - known haunts of pig . Lalla , the Hunt shikari , has been thirty years and over engaged in combatting the wiles of Guze rat boars , and what he does not know regarding ' Ti To check their headlong pace ! Nor deign for timber , hedge nor bank Out of five heats only three were decided , and as Do more pig would conveniently show themselves nothing further could be done . To return to The bloodlike coussers sace , with nostril wide and smoking flank Than the gallant Cecil Grey ! yet never , I ween , was a with the chiming pack can stay , bolder seen our tale . By ten o'clock on Friday everyone was assembled at the jungle side at Assowan , a thorny cover on the banks of the river Meshwa , Heats were posted in all likely places , and in about an hour a small pig broke to heat No. 2 , and McCausland secured the spear with a slight touch crossed the river , and was at once pounced on by just before the pig reached the river bed . The pig another heat , but was lost without being again touched . Further beating produced nothing , and an adjournment was made for tiffin , to which every one did ample justice . After a rest a move was made down the river under the Railway Bridge to Kanej Bir , This was thoroughly beaten The out , producing nothing but a few deer . ground in this Bir was full of holes and infamous ly bad for riding . Thas ended the first day . Disappointing Days . On Saturday an early start was made for Sirkej Sungum , where two rivers meet - an ideal babul jungle for pig . Heats were posted well in front . Then commenced such a row as is seldom heard , Guns , crackers , tom toms , and 100 lusty men made up as an Irishman would say the father and mother of a row . Presently a pig ' Tis of them that would not break . Eventually he sport , and Lalla , to use an Oriental phrase , did so , and passed in front of Heat No. 3 , who all " blackened his face " and he will find it very tried to turn him into the open , but without avail . hard for sportsmen to believe in him again . He gained the cover with a whole skin . a horseman bold from find to kill and cragy , toppling wall , d'er paddy with many a stunning fall , Where the thrusting field by hounds are led , bund and melon bed . 54 Get never , Than the gallant Cecil Gray ! I ween , was a bolder seen 3 Mr Harter's ga p Hermit , Owner Mr Green's beb p Jimmy , Owner KS Narsingh's ch a p Hisaz , Owner Raja Bahadur of Orcha's ch a p Maharaj , Mr Graham ... Raja Bahadur of Orcha's g a p Tarpon , Owner Mr J L Symons's b a r Sir John , Mr Dalgleish .... Azam Nizawallah's b cb p Mantero , Owner .......... Mr Wood's ga p Sultan , Owner ....... Mr Waddington's b aus m Nydia , Owner ...... There's many a rider stort and true In the wheeling , whirling round , K 8 Ranjit Sinh of Baria ....... Mr. KS Vijaij Sinh of Palitana ... KS Himat Sinh of Muli KS Vejay Sinh of Sadla Has helped to win the day , Mr. Dalgleish led out on Sir John to the first flag , and was going strong , when he missed his point , and went a great deal too much left handed , taking Mr. Waddington with him . Rajah Bahadur of Orcha also went all wrong . Mr. Griffith made no mistake , and won a good race closiy , followed by Mr. Beyts on Mabelle , Mr. Harter being third on Hermit . Mr. Heugh S. Symons sportingly gave a cup to the second pony , and it goes to Mr. Beyts , I.C.S. THE KUMAR'S RACE . KS Sardar Mahomed Khan of Sardargadh's br cb p Meheraj . PONY CUP POINT TO POINT RACES . 1 Capt Griffith's b a p Little Willie , Owner .......... Mr Beyts ' b aus m Mabelle , Owner ................ 2 hideous in their nakedness . This was followed by a race of about a mile across , mostly maidan country , for Kumar's ponies . We were all pleased to see so many of these young Rajput sportsmen present , and the way they entered into the sport showed the makings of first class riders and pig - stickers . the habits of the beast and the best localities to broke but escaped without being ridden . Then KS Nar Sinh of Katosan beat for him is surely not worth knowing . Never another sneaked away , but got back to the cover . Again a small pig ventured into the open near heat KS Becharsing of Katosan . before has Lalla's khubber failed , and never before No. 4 , and they were started . The Orcha Sahib has the meeting had to be abandoned for want of sufficient pig as was the case this year . KS Jaswat Sinh of Jamnagar and Mr. J. L. Symons raced for the spear , the latter holding a slight lead . After half a mile a formid KS Lakhaji of Rajkote ..... For nearly three months before the meet Lalla had been receiving pay , and had a camel for going it . able cactus hedge appeared in the way . Symons checked , hoping the pig would run along But the Kumar dashed in and drove the pig round to all the different covers . He made reports through a hole in the hedge . Neither rider could This race was won rather easily . from time to time , and he himself finally selected get through , and whilst looking for a gap Mr. D. On Tuesday after the above races the Hunt Graham on his pony Muktar , who went the other the meeting place . He must have known of the scarcity of pig , and if he had had the courage to report this , other places might have been found , and , according to reports , were available . But unfortunately he did the wrong thing , and up to the very last protested that pig would be found railed to Mehmadabad to beat the jungles there . side of the hedge on chance , got on to the pig and More pig were seen , but no heats could be decided . speared . Considering Muktar had come straight off It was , therefore , finally and sorrowfully decided the Mahalaxmi Race Course , and had never probably to abandon the Gujerat Cup also . Two sportsmen seen a jump , his performance against big trained who remained behind at Mehmadabad on Wednes walers was first class . His rider explained that day found two nice boars at the same place , but Muktar galloped through the paddy bunds and failed to catch them . other obstacles . Heat No. 1 had a pig in front 11 all right . The consequence was that we lost our Wednesday morning was fixed for the Tully Hunt Cup for horses for which the following competed : 7 Mr Waddington's baus g Gownboy , Owner . Mr J L Symons ' b aus g Sealark , Owner ...... Mr Woolcombe's b atıs m Lena , Owner ..... 1 Then tiffin and a rest , and we learned that a 3 We can only set forth here a meagre account of Mr Dalgleish's ch aus g Buckye , Owner ... boar had had the impudence to assault and cut a Raja Bahadur of Orcha's b ausg Forest King , Mr Green Lena and Forest King went off with the cup that failed . But do not let sportsmen be tiffin bearer , but no serious damage was done . discouraged by this one failure . The Honorary After tiffin we think the same jungles might have the lead , Secretary who lives at Rajkote naturally finds been beaten the reverse way , but a move was made and kept it to the furthest turning flag , where it impossible to inspect the covers himself , more across the river . One small pig was found , but they were collared by Gownboy and Sea never left the cover , and nothing was done . A Lark . Waddington elected to take the longest over Lalla had hitherto proved a good pig shikari , and there was no reason to doubt his word results . long ride back to camp completed a poor day for course home on account of the going being better , and kept up 16 annas for the rest of the journey . in 1901 . On the following morning the hunt divided . Symons took the straighter liue , but seems to The sympathy of every sportsman and their One party went north to Vinjool , the khubber have misjudged the pace after he left the others , best thanks are due to Mr. Waddington for his from which was as positive as elsewhere . The and when nearing the winning post he had let perfect bundobust up to the cover side . There remainder rode to Lalee , a celebrated meet in Gownboy get too much of a lead to race him Lalla's responsibility commenced , with what results olden days , and visited by one of our present in , otherwise Sea Lark should have been much we shall proceed to show . leading competitors in 1873. Leaving Lalee on nearer winning than he was . We heard Sea lark's owner say that he had made a mistake , and Buckeye refused a fence early in the our right we went to Birkej , and rested in a race and The Camp was very scattered , every servant charming guava tope until Lalla came in . He having secured the most shady tree without had not any very definite news to give except pecked badly later - and was out of it . Forest reference to any symmetrical arrangement of that at 3 a m . that day he heard a big boar snore ! King came over in a hole after turning the last tents . The four ladies ( Mrs. Forbes , Mrs. Deane , We beat and beat miles of likely cover with no flag , but his rider was not much the worse . It must Mrs. McCausland , and Mrs. Griffith ) had a nice luck , No doubt the Bheels caught and ate many be comforting to the young ones to know that old Rajabs and Kumars were scattered around little camp in a shady corner . The Sahibs and in the late famine , which accounts for the present scarcity . It will take some careful nursing to replace the stock , and we trust Sir After the race a move was made to Assowan Allan Arthur will succeed in establishing legisla- jungle to try and find a boar that had been seen Two Bombay sportsmen reached camp on Wed- tion to protect wild birds and wild beasts . We by one sportsman near the samp on Monday nesday morning . In the afternoon they went for understand licences for guns are given much too whilst enjoying excellent shooting . But all to sportsmen , too , are sometimes wrong in their judgment . the Mess Tent , the latest comer having to be farthest away . a ride , met Lalla , who was full of khubber , and freely . In the afternoon a most perfect jungle no purpose . The camp then broke up , and we things looked rosy . Thursday was wiled away in a similar way - sportsmen , horses , camels , dogs , servants , and followers dropping in all day . On Thursday night the heats were drawn as under for the first chances of the Horse Cup . was beaten out . A pig was seen , but would not all scattered to our various homes , burnt with the break , After a long tiring blank day camp was dry heat , and full of gratitude to the honorary reached after dark . secretary for his excellent camp arrangements . What we think of Lalla and the pigs we keep to ourselves as unfit for publication . The portion of the competitors that went to Vinjool had moderate success . A small pig was FIRST HEAT.-K. S. Besharsinh of Katosan , C. W. found , and Heat No. 5 started . When quite near Waddington , W. G. Green , 2nd Bombay Lancers , Azam the pig , and on a sharp jink , Mr. Griffith's horse Najawala of Bilkha , and J. D. Keogh , 2nd Bombay snapped its hind leg just above the hock in two Hoch beer was the favourite beverage during this meeting , and many made quite a feature of it . We hear that all the empties have been artistically Lancers . Undecided . arranged and photographed as the Guzerat Cup The Point to Point Races . fields , although there was abundance of grass every where . There were cattle in the villages , but the This brings us to Easter Monday . The place usual roaming in herds over the country was of meeting was fixed that day at Ord near the conspicuous by its absence . The other was the Sabarmuttee river eight miles away , and number of dead trees . The whole country over usually a reliable jungle . Lalla's lkchubber of which we hunted was dotted with huge dead trees SECOND HEAT.-S. M. McCausland , H.B. Deane , K.S. places . A valuable horse , and a great loss to his Nar Sinh of Katosan , J. S. Heeney , L.O.S. , and K. S. sporting owner . Mr. Woolcombe secured the of 1901 . Himat Sinh of Mali . Mr. McCausland ( spear ) . We omitted to notice two things in the above THIRD HEAT.-C. Dalgleish , K. S. Khauthadwala of good one . spear in this heat , the run being fast and a very account . One was the absence of cattle in the Bilkha , Heugh S. Symons , and C. P. White . Undecided . FOURTH HEAT . - Rajah Baloo Baghwat Sinh of Orcha . Donald Graham , O. A. Beyts , I.C.S. , the Thakore of Katosan , and J. L. Symons . Mr. D. Graham ( spear ) FIFTH HEAT.-K. M. Woolcombe , 2nd Bo . Lancers ; R , W. Harter , J. D. Griffiths , 2nd Bombay Lancers , and W. H , White . Mr. Woolcombe ( spear ) . a sounder was most positive , however it was stripped of leaves and bark . This was no doubt as empty The heats for the Salmon Pony Cup were also as drawn , but as no heats were decided we do not heats were decided . It was all the others , and no further done in the famine to feed cattle on the leaves , now settled to and the bark was used for burning or other pur poses . These naked trees could not stand the complete . include them . On Friday morning the mail train abandon the Salmon , Pony Cup altogether , and to specially stopped at Barejadi and the Camp was hold the Point to Point Pony Races on Tuesday burning heat and drought and died , and stand as morning , with results as follows : melancholy evidence of the severity of the famine . The babul thrives , and there are still many trees alive and green , only making the dead ones more 1 2 And the mettled ponies charge and dash where the ball flies on with a Cecil .._ Gray Twixt the flags on the polo ground , rattling crash |
