Lady Lowther to Hunt the Pytchley

Major Sir Charles Lowther, the master of the Pytchley, who expects shortly to go with his regiment, the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, to the front, had sufficiently recovered from his recent operation for appendicitis to be present at the luncheon of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society on Thursday, at which he made an interesting speech. He said he had that morning received a letter from General Gough, on of the cavalry leaders at the front, in which he said:

For goodness sake, keep foxhunting going whilst we are away at the front.

Similar appeals had reached him from other well-known officers and followers of the hunt, who were anxious that foxhunting should not suffer, so that when the war was over they would be able to come back and enjoy sport over the Pytchley preserves. He appealed to the farmers to co-operate in keeping up the hunt, and to give every assistance to Lady Lowther, who would carry on the hunt in his absence. He reminded his hearers that foxhunting had proved an invaluable national asset at this crisis, because where on earth the Army authorities would have been in their search for good cavalry horses if they had not had the hunting stables to draw upon he did not know. Thousands of horses had been taken from the stables of hunting men, who had been only too pleased to render help in this respect. In conclusion, Sir Charles said that he was proud to be associated with the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, which was to have the distinction to be one of the first of the Territorial Forces to be called up for active service.

Banbury Guardian, November 1914