Back to Second of two 9th Lancers albums of photos and sketches `Records of the Gujerat Cup for Pig-Sticking' c1885-1932
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| Accession number | 912L : 2090/24 |
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Pigsticking . THE GUJERAT CUP MEETING . ( FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT ) . 1911 THE Gujerat Cup and Salmon ( Pony ) Cup were competed for this year on the 14th , 15th and 16th of April at Bhandu in North Gujerat , by kind permission of H. H. the Gaekwar , within whose territory Bhandu lies . This is by no means the first time that Bhandu has been the scene of the competition , and it is in some respects a better place than those chosen of late years . Pig were plentiful this year , and though probably none of them came up to 30 inches , they were good pig for their height . The going was over open fields separated by the cactus hedges , which are a characteristic of Gujerat . The pig were unfortunately clustered somewhat close round the village . tanks . Close round the villages , the going was sometimes too difficult . The hedges bre kept particularly strong and high near a village ; there were large clumps of prickly pear , and the sunk lanes radiating out from each village were a great source of difficulty , not to say danger . However , the majority of heats managed to get their pig out into the open . Of the competitors , nine were native Chiefs from Gujerat , four were from Ahmedabad , including three officers of the 7th Rajputs , two from other parts of Gujerat , three from Bombay , and three officers of the 10th Hussars who had travelled all the way from Rawal Pindi to compete . The principal feature of the meeting was Mr. W. G. Ayscough , 7th Bajputs , getting into the final for both the cups on the same pony , a fast grey waler mare , which followed every jink of the pig almost without requiring to be guided . Mr. Asycough is a fine rider and a good spearsman . He won some of his heats with great ease , and it was confidently expected that he would carry off at least one of the cups . Fate , however , decreed otherwise . For the Gujerat Cup , Mr. Ayscough had to meet the young Nawab of Radhanpur , who was mounted on a fast black mare with a look of breeding about her . When the heat was started , it was seen that the Nawab had a slight advantage in pace , though his mare was not so handy as Ayscough's . But the heat was decided mere by luck than by riding . Both competitors lost sight of the boar in a large patch of bramble cover . The Nawab then mis took a sow for the boar , and rode after it , but was called back . by the umpire Mr. Ayscough , who had a better idea of where the boar was , meanwhile . went poking about the edge of the bramble cover . The boar then broke on the opposite side to him . Mr. Ayscough was then shouted for by the umpire and spectators , and came round , but the Nawab had by this time a considerable start of him , and won the heat and the Cup . The Nawab was a novice at pigsticking this season , but rode boldly and well , and the Cup goes to a good sportsman . While pushing through the spectators to endeavour to overtake the Nawab , Mr. Ayscough's pony fell into a clean - cut ditch which it had not seen , threw its rider , and in scrambling out kicked him or trod on him , causing what proved to be an injury to the kidneys , besides various cuts and bruises . It is very doubtful if this affected the result of the Gujerat Cup , but it irretrievably damaged Mr. Ayscough's chances for the Salmon Cup , the final of which was run about three - quarters of an hour later . Here Mr. Ayscough had to meet Mr. L. E. Lang , of the 106th Hazara Pioneers , now a Political Agent in Gujerat who had entered for the pony cup only . Mr. Lang very generously offered to share the cup with Mr. Ayscough , as the latter was not really in a fit state to compete . But Mr. Ayscough with characteristic pluck decided to ride . A boar was driven out from near a village , and Mr. Ayscough went to the front as usual , his pony being particularly fast for a short distance . The boar after a time doubled round , and Mr. Ayscough missed a diffi cult chance . After crossing a deep lane , the pig jinking a good deal , Mr. Ayscough got a much easier chance . But his mare , which wants pushing into the pig sometimes , hung back and her rider was in no condition to push her in , scarcely even to direct his spear . Mr. Ayscough having missed , Mr. thenceforward took the lead , and after some more jinks obtained the spear . The winner has made a reputation for himself not only as a rider but as a shikari since his arrival in Gujerat . Lang In the course of the competitions an incident arose which caused a certain amount of discussion . An unwounded boar ran to ground in some prickly pear , where he fell into a ditch and lay on his back at the bottom of it . The first spear up , Mr. A. K. Graham tried to reach through the prickly pear with his spear , but found the boar just out of reach , it being impossible to push a pony into the prickly pear . Mr. Ayscough then came up , got off his pony , and speared the boar on foot . A protest was raised against this , and the umpire , coming up after some discus on , said . that he did not know what the rule was , but that either Mr. Ayscough had won the heat or nobody . During the discussion , the third competitor , the Raja of Baria , was a few yards off , on the other side of the cover . The boar now emerged on his side , INDIAN FIELD . and after a short run he speared it . The Committee , on a re ference being made to them , unanimously decided that spearing on foot could not be allowed . No other point was referred to the Committee . The umpire decided to have the heat run again , as no decision had apparently ever been passed previously as to whether spearing on foot was allowed or not , and the heat had for practical purposes been called off from the time when the discussion on the spot began . Another occurrence of some interest was as follows : -Major the Hon'ble W. G Cadogan , after clearing a small hedge , found himself on the brink of a deep sloping bullock - run , about 21 feet wide . His horse made a gallant effort to clear it , and almost succeeded , but struck the top of the opposite bank . The rider got across safe and sound , but the horse fractured its shoulder bone badly , and had to be shot . General pigsticking went on for two and a half days after the competition . In the course of this , a still more unfortunate accident occurred , Mr. Brocklehurst , of the 10th Hussars , run ning into a boar and falling over it , with a rather severe concussion as the result . At the time of writing , both Mr. Brocklehurst and Mr. Asycough are making rather slow progress towards recovery , the latter especially .. The Gujerat Cup is now a sealed pattern , a massive silver cup with large handles , the design being taken from the old English stone vase which is a well - known objet d'art at Warwick .. It deserves a more numerous field of competitors , not only for its own sake , but because Gujerat is , we believe , difficult to beat as a country for real sporting going . We have reason to believe that the meeting will be more widely advertised next year in messes and clubs . Those interested may note that the meeting is almost invariably held in the Easter holidays . Details of the heats are as follows : GUJERAT CUP . 1st Round . Mr. H. Blair . K. S. Narsinhji of Baria . Raja of Baria ( spear ) . Thakor of Katosan . Mr. W. G. Ayscough ( spear ) . Mr. W. M. Armstrong . Mr. A. F. Kindersley . Capt . O. A. Meadows . Maj , the Hon . W. G. Cadogan ( spear ) . Mr. H. C. Brocklehurst .. Mr. A. K. Graham ( spear ) . K. 8. Vijaysinhji of Nandod . Maj . A. s . Toogood . Mr. J. Monteath . Mr Malik Jama Khan . H. H. the Nawab of Radhan pur ( spear ) . K. S. Narsinhji of Baria . Mahomed Safadar Khan . Mr. J Monteath . K. S. Vijaysinhji of Nandod . Capt . C. A. Meadows , Raja of Baria ( spear ) . Major A. S. Toogood . Mr. W. L. Harvey . Mr. W. G. Ayscough ( spear ) . Mr. W. M. Armstrong . Mr. H. Blair . Mr. A. K. Graham ( spear ) . K. S. Narsinhji of Katosan . Mr. Malik Jama Khan , Mr. H. O. Brocklehurst ( spear ) . Mr. L. E. Lang ( spear ) . Major the Hon . W. G. Cadogan . K. S. Surajmalji . Thakor of Katosan . H. H. Nawab of Badhanpur ( spear ) . Mr. A. F. Kindersley . 2nd Round . Baja of Baria . Mr. Ayscough ( spear ) . April 27 , 1911 . Mej . Cadogan . Mr. Graham . SALMON CUP . Nawab of Badhanpur . ( spear . ) Disqualified for losing boar . Raja of Baria . Mr. Ayscough ( spear ) Mr. Graham . Mr. Brocklehurst . Mr. Lang ( spear ) , Nawab of . Radhanpur . Final . Mr. Ayscough . Nawab of Radhanpur ( spear ) . - Mr. Ayscough . Mr. Lang ( spear ) . 16 Bhandu . 1911 . Brocklehurst , meadows , Stuart , Narsings of Khalosan , Thakalsing of Khalosan Safaderkhan , Surajmalji Jamalkhan , Toogood , Cadogan , Raja of Baria , J.S. Forlies , Nawal of Radhanpur Lang , Graham , Vijaysingji , Narsing i Baria Armstrong , Harvey , Ayscough , monleath , Kindersley |
