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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Gujerat Cup Meeting , 1910 . lui emen sidsved of helsin Al el fon al Joy J. SYMONS Esq . L. COL . J. FORBES T. J. B. THATCHER ESQ . Committee g to iti od Il F. B. P. LORY ESQ . of 10 C. R. MACNAMARA ESQ . , Field Master . A. F. KINDERSLEY ESQ . , Hon . Sec . Biroda Rules . Sarly 800 1. All ponies entered for the Salmon Cup must hold I. P. A. , C. T. C. , or W. I. T. C. certificates of 14.1 or under , or be measured 14-2 at the meeting . 2. All horses and ponies to be the bona - fide property of the competitor oup using them . yd begaaria od llw 3. Each heat will be in charge of an umpire , against whose decision there is no appeal . But he may , if he wishes , refer to the Committee paint of Lingtai , 4 . All spears must be shown clean to the umpire before starting , no spear will count unless the umpire can see blood or fat c spear , or blood on the pig . 5. Spears to be delivered on the off side only , except by left - hande men , who must declare . Spears must not exceed a total len of 8 feet . 6. All entries are of men , not of horses . 7. If a pig gets away unspeared , all the riders in the heat considered to have lost their chance , provided the umpir a fair opportunity for spearing has been given . 8. Any one making a frivolous objection or an unwarr map be fined Rs . 50 at the discretion of the Comm 9. Foul riding is not allowed , and any competitor o ' to disqualification . Intentional collision is foul riu . THE GUJERAT CUP MEETING . Full Account . 10 ( FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT . ) PATRI , MARCH 29 , THE above meeting was held this year , as in 1904 , at Patri , a little old walied town , not 5 miles from the Government salt works at Kharaghora , at the head of the little Runn of Cutch , where salt is ob tained by means of brine wells sunk in the Runn . The country round Patri is open and picturesque , with slight undulations affording enjoyable views . As a country for pigsticking it is open to objection solely on the score of being too easy The cactus hedges and sunk lanes which befriend well in other parts of Gujerat are here entirely absent . In fact , there was not a single jump to be cleared , with the exception of small nullahs and holes , throughout this year's com petitions . Standing crops , again , offered no difficulties . The only crop was the cotton plant , which was not high enough to either conceal a boar or to impede his pursuers . Hence the pig not unna turally clung , whenever they could , to the dried - up channels of the streams which flow across the plain into the Runn in the rainy season . These channels ( " Oklas " is the local name ) are sometimes a quarter of a mile wide , with pools of water , here and there , and afford rough enough going to satisfy the highest stomach . The competitors this year numbered only 13 , most of whom were entered for both the Gujerat Oup and the Salmon ( Pony ) Cup . Of these , six were Native Chiefs ( or members of their families ) from Northern Gujerat , while five others hailed from Bombay , and the remaining two from Ahmedabad . We were sorry that the military element was not represented , though in so saying we must not forget . Colonel Forbes ' services in South Africa with the Yeomanry . A larger field had been expected , but seven intend ing competitors , after paying entrance fees , found themselves unable to attend . One gentleman omit ted to inform any one that he was not coming , which caused some inconvenience . The whole of the first round of heats for both the Cups was completed on the first day , an achieve ment on which the Field Master , Mr. C. R. Macnamara , is to be congratulated . On the second day the four semi - final heats were got through , and the finals of the two Cups were run on the third and fourth days respectively . On the morning of the 25th five heats were run off quite close to the Camp , which was pleasantly situated by the side of the Patri tank . The pig were turned out of the long grass on the edges of the tank . The runs were all short ones , with the exception of Mr. W. L. Graham's heat of the Salmon Cup . Mr. A. K. Graham made the running in the first heat for the Salmon Cup , but a jink let in Kumar Shri Narsinbji . In the second heat Mr. W.L. Graham and Kumar Shri Surajmalji both had into 8 nullah , and their first boar was lost . Another was put up , and Mr. Craw ford would have got first spear , but that he drew in his pony sideways a little too sharply to get within striking distance , with the result that it crossed its falls legs and fell . None of these falls had any serious results . Mr. Graham eventually speared after a run of some length . Kumar Shri Surajmalji afterwards claimed that Mr. Graham had lost the boar which Mr. Orawford had just missed spearing , and had gone after another while he himself had speared the right animal , but had found no umpire within calling distance . The umpire , however , had kept the original boar in sight all the time , or at any rate was himself convinced that he had done so , and gave it in favour of Mr. Graham . Kumar Shri Surajmalji was easily the youngest of the competitors , and , whether Was or was not in the right , had irretrievably damaged his case by following Mr. Graham after the pig which the latter was hunting , and not mentioning his objection to the umpire at the time . The umpire heard nothing of it till his return to camp .. ne The next two heats were run off almost simultane onsly . In the third heat Mr. Kindersley made the running , and got a chance of spearing , but his pony refused to go in , and the Raja seized his opportu nity . Mr. Lory waited behind too long , expecting a longer run . In the fourth heat Colonel Forbes got ahead of Mr. Hogg , and had a tussle with a 26 - inch boar , which bit him in the boot before it was des patched . Owing to insufficient shuffling of the name tickets , the draws for the first round of heats for the Gujarat Cup were very much the same as those for the Salmon Cup . Messrs . Crawford , W. L. Graham and Surajmalji were drawn together again , and Mr. Orawford , escsping a fall this time , proved successful . In the afternoon this field moved out to Narainpur , about 8 miles to the east , where some pig were turned out in an Okla for heats for the Gujarat Cup . The going was decidedly rough . Mr. A. K. Graham made the running again in his heat , and got his boar out into the open , where he Iwas passed by the other two , and a jink let in Col. Forbes , who speared . The next heat consisted of the Raja of Baria and Mr. Kindersley . A small pig was first put up for them which the Raja hunted for a short distance and then lost in the thick bramble jungle , Mr. Kindersley being behind and off the track . A some what larger but equally speedy animal was then sighted in the distance , and Mr. Kindersley went ahead on the word being given . The Raja took it easy , being sometime 30 or 40 yards behind , Mc , Kindersley had a very long hunt up and down the Okla , but his pony refused to go in by herself . Finally , both pig and pony being somewhat ex hausted , the Raja came up and made a dash after the pig as ne went slowly through the water of the Okla . Mr. Kindersley's little mare then . plucked up courage , and both competitors went in from different angles , the spears touching the pig practically simultaneously . Mr. Kindersley , however , only pricked the animal slightly on the skull , draw ing no blood , and the Raja , whether he drew blood that time or not , settled the matter by getting in a good spear a few feet farther on . In the remaining heat Mr. Lory , after letting the Thakor of Katosan take a jink out of the pig , went ahead and stayed there until the convenient moment for spearing arrived . in The semi - finals were run off at an Okla some 10 . miles south of Patri , the meeting - place being Nani Majiti . Colonel Forbes drew the Raja of Baria in his heat for both the Cups and had no getting away from him . Mr. Lory won his heat from Mr. Crawford , and Mr. W. L. Graham from Kumar Shri Narsingji of Katosan , who made no attempt to keep up with him . The last heat lost a boar before any spear was made . It was naturally expected that the finals for both the Cups would be finished on the following day . But Mr. Macnamara had bad luck with his pig this day . There was some suspicion of their having been disturbed by Banias , anxious to save the life of even such an undomesticated animal as the boar , At any rate , only one pig was sighted during a whole day's beating . This one was obtained by the useful expedient of allowing the competitors to dismount for a drink and rest . No sooner had they got well towards filling themselves with liquid , than a fine boar was sighted , running across an open plateau . The umpire was after it with nearly a quarter of a mile start before the competitors could get mounted . They started , however , well together , and swept neck and neck across the plain . Colonel Forbes was on his Waler mare Polly , and Mr. Lory on Yellowhammer , a country - bred pony mare . The latter made a wonderful effort against Polly , challenging ner for the lead all the way . But Colonel Forbes had just a slight advant age in pace , and used it with skill , always cutting in when a jink was favourable to Mr. Lory , and turn ing his mare as handily as Mr. Lory could his pony .. Colonel Forbes got first spear at the end of about a mile's run , the boar having got a long start . Mr. Lory despatched the animal within another ten yards . This final heat for the Gujerat Cup was the best run of the meeting , and fully worthy of the tradi tions of the Cup . On the 28th the final of the Salmon Cup was decided at Kharaghora lake . The pig were turned out of the tall reeds by the side of the lake , and persistently broke back into the reeds when pursued . The first to be pursued was a large boar , which Mr. W. L. Graham as nearly as possible speared just as he got back among the reeds . The next one gave a better run . Colonel Forbes was ahead , but was thrown out by a babul bush . A dingdong race ensued , the details of which were difficult to eee on account of the rushes . At one point Colonel Forbes . turned the boar out of the rushes , only to benefit Mr. Graham , who then got between him and the boar . Eventually Mr. Graham got in his spear , and the boar escaped . Mr. Graham was on Blotting kaghaz , which recently won the Bombay Point - to Point . Colonel Forbes , who was far from fit during the finals . was riding Multiform . Mr. Graham hac the satisfaction of winning the Salmon Cup within a few hundred yards of where a brother of his hac won it in a previous year . A little general pigsticking followed , Thus ended a most satisfactory meeting , for the success of which greut credit is due to Mr. Macnamara , who had devoted the greatest trouble te finding out the whereabouts of pig beforehand . If w have any criticism to offer on the riding at the meeting , it is that attention was a little toc much concentrated on the competitive aspeet of the meeting . The object of pigsticking is not merely to see that no one gets nearer the pig than yourself but to secure that the pig is killed , and not allowed to escape At least one heat this year would have been disqualified by a stricter umpire for not riding hard enough after their pig , and letting it escape them . One gentleman allowed the pig to escape because his competitors had both fallen . This was sporting of him , but it was not pigsticking . Certair competitors made no attempt to ride the pig . Rid ing behind for a jink is a good enough game ; but cantering far in the rear on the chance that your opponent may fall , or that the pig may double back does not strike one as being real pigsticking . Ther again , the second man did not always attend to hit duty of killing the boar . Riding after a boar and pricking him once in the hindquarters is , we would suggest , a fairly safe game . The first to spear can usually do no more than get in one spear , and must then go and show his spear to the umpire . But the second man up is under no such disability . These things might perhaps be better borne in mind next year . The finances of the Gujerat and Salmon Cups are being set on a permanent footing by a special appeal which has been very fairly successful , for an endow ment fund . Further subscriptions are , however stil : wanted . The Committee have decided to devote the Tully Quad which was originally subscribed for the Gujerat Cup , but was devoted by the Committes for some years to providing a prize for a Point - to Point race , to the Gujerat Cup endowment fund . On the proposal of Colonel Forbes , the Committee have agreed that the names of Dr. Tuily , in whose memory the Tully Fund was subscribed , and of Colonel Forbes , who has collected the great bulk of the endowment fund , should be inscribed on the Gujerat Cup in future . The heats were as follow : SALMON CUP . 1st round - Kumar Shri Narrsnbji of Katosan Raj Kumar Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla and Mr. A. K Graham . Semi - finals - K . S. Narsinhji . 1st Round - Kumar Shri Surajmalji of Katosan . Mr. J. N. Crawford and Mr. W. L. Graham Semi - Finals - Mr . W. L. Graham . 1st round Raja Ranjitsinhji of Baria , Mr. F. E P. Lory and Mr. A. F. Kindersley . Semi - finals Raja of Baria . 1st round - Lt . Col. J. S. Forbes and Mr .. M. N. Hogg . Semi - finals - Col . Forbes . Final - Mr . W. L. Graham ( vinner ) and Col Forbes . GUJERAT CUP . 1st round - Mr . J. N. Crawford , Mr. W. U Graham and Rajkumar Vijaysinhji . Semi - finals- Mr. Crawford . 1st round - Mr . F. B. P. Lory , Thakor Takhat sinhji of Katosan and K. S. Becharsinbji of Kato sen . Semi - finals - Mr . Lory . 1st round - Raja Ranjitsinbji of Baria and Mr A. F. Kindersley . Semi - finals - Raja of Baria . 1st round- Mr. M. N. Hogg , Mr. A. K. Grahar and Lt. Col. J. S. Forbes , Semi - finals - Col . Forbes , Final - Lt . Col. J. S. Forbes ( winner ) ( and M F. B. P , Lory . AKGraham Afhindersley . Lory . Torbes . Craham . M.Hoss . J.Crawford . W L I Col Forbes on Yolly Minner of Gujerar Cup . 1910 . 15 14 |
