An Ordeal for Riders and Onlookers Alike The first hunt of the New Year was a sad ordeal for many a man and beast. The course was long, but not by any means a bad one, but if there was a grip or a dangerous trap that was lete out it was hardly noticeable, for enough were laid to make the hunt highly hazardous.
The trail was laid by Mr. H. M. Spence, for Dr. Billinghurst, winner of the previous event, and began at a bridge which, however, was so indefinitely mentioned that most of the spectators had to walk for over a mile on foot till they came to it, and then there was a two mile walk into the country to the finish and a similar walk back again, so that those who went to watch the proceedings or encourage with their presence their relatives or friends, had a most fatiguing day. It reallly docs seem as if a little more care and forethought should be given to this matter, and clear directions issued as to thei. finishes, so that such mischances may be avoided.
From the start the paper led up a line parallel to the Yellow Joss-house Line, and then by the Diagonal Wade to No. 8 Brigade. Thence the trail passed by mudhole to mudhole, with more mudholes to follow. Mudholes, of course, there are and must be, but the grips were atrocious, and no care seemed to have been used to avoid them. Wo have not heard of all the casualties, but two ponies were destroyed, and Mr. A. B. Thompson broke his collarbone, while at the time of going to press no news had been heard of Mr. Matsumoto for whom his friends have been search After a long run, in which there was a superfluity of mudholes, the crowning achievement was a bottom less creek known as No. 2 Yellow Josshouse Creek. The scene at this watery cleft was almost indescribable. "Ponies were thronging into
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.