Saturday was a gala day at Parkgate. The occasion was the ninth annual race for the Cross-Country Championship of Liverpool & District, which was run off over the picturesquely situated old Wirral Hunt Steeplechase Course - at Parkgate.
The old course, now shorn of its equine glory - mores the pity - looked grand on Saturday afternoon. A rather strong wind blew across the ground, but it was not unduly cold, and the sun shone with almost mid-summer brilliance. What water there was in the Dee sparkled in the sunlight, and away beyond the dancing waves and beautiful yellow sand and the beautiful perspective of cloud-topped Welsh hills.
And the people! They were a truly festal crowd. The ladies turned out in their Sunday best, and a goodly number of the fellows were clad in sporting costume, while not a few evidenced their patriotism with different devices in the national colour khaki. There mere more 'bikes' in Neston and Parkgate than there has been for many a day, and the afternoon trains from Birkenhead brought unwonted crowds to the venue of the proceedings. And the constitution of the assembly! 'Twould be almost impossible to adequately analyse it. One character only will we mention. That was the inevitable 'bookie'. He was not unduly obtrusive, but he could be heard inviting bets with 'five to four on Tennant,' and 'evens on the field,' or words to that effect. Another individual was an Highland piper, who might have been at the relief of Lucknow for all we know - he was old enough to have been there at any rate. He wore the characteristic plaid, much the worse for wear, and a greasy 'Glengarry bonnet,' with a feather fixed jauntily in one side, and marched up and down in the environs of the course playing on the pipes 'The Cock of the North' and 'The Campbells are Coming,' &c.
There were also numerous other of the characters peculiar to such a meeting, and on all hands festivity reigned supreme. And the race! As in former years it consisted of a run of a little over eight miles, comprising seven times round the slightly uneven course with a formidable water jump, several wet and dry ditches and placed hurdles. The ground was in the pink of condition for such an event, the turf being exceptionally fast, and some record times were expected, nor in this respect were the spectators disappointed. From a local point of view the most interesting feature of the event was the inclusion in the competing teams of the far-famed West Cheshire Harriers, who carried off premier honours in last year's contest.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Wednesday, 14/03/1900
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