Simon Smith’s remarkable 12hh all-rounder Pumpkin Pie, a showing heroine at both Burghley and Olympia just last year, has died at the grand age of 28.

After giving Simon’s own children their basic equestrian education in a variety of fields, “Pumpkin” went to a further seven families in the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire area on loan, enjoying mainly hunting and Pony Club activities.

“Pumpkin meant the world to me,” said Simon’s daughter Penny, who hunts with the Fernie. “Before she was passed down to me by my sister, I had a little pony that always chucked me off — Pumpkin was a breath of fresh air.

“I had lots of fun times on her — including winning Pony Club events — and I had my first day’s hunting on her. I’ve never missed a day’s hunting since.”

Pumpkin had been with her latest adopters, the Northamptonshire-based Spencer family, for three years and was partnered by Chloe Spencer, now five. Last season, aged 27, this delightful mare qualified for the inaugural British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Lead Rein Working Sports Pony final, finishing a creditable sixth at Burghley and beating ponies less than half her age in the process.

She also contested the prestigious Senior Showing and Dressage final at Olympia, receiving a special award as the oldest animal and youngest jockey .

“She’d been a hunting and Pony Club pony for 20 years until we thought we would get her showing again,” said Fiona Spencer, whose husband, Will, is a master of the Pytchley hunt. “She was originally registered with the BSPS in 1994, and last year was the oldest pony ever to be issued with a life height certificate.

“She again proved a little star and at the lead rein final at Burghley, two of her previous families came to watch her in a fan club.

“She won her senior classes at Royal Windsor — aka The Queen’s garden, according to Chloe — and Royal Three Counties. She then won the championship and ticket for Olympia at Leek County Show.

“Competing at Olympia involved an overnight stay with all the international superstars behind the scenes. This was an experience that her little jockey and family will never forget.”

Continued below…

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The reigning Cuddy champion

Fiona continued: “Pumpkin lived a full and happy life and was always a favourite of the judges, but she adored her hunting, and started Chloe off last season at the age of four. They did another 10 days together this winter before Olympia.

“Sadly, old age just caught up with her so we had to say goodbye — but she will never be forgotten.

“What this remarkable pony did for Chloe is just incredible and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We miss her every day.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Hosing, dunking, brushing when wet, letting it dry, hovering or dry-cleaning? Horse & Hound’s hunting editor investigates the most effective ways of cleaning your hunting coat

The hunting season is, in the vast majority of places, over. It’s been a good one — but if it had had a theme tune, it would have been “mud, mud, glorious mud”. While there is nothing indeed like it for cooling the blood, the endless cleaning of horses and kit does become a bit tedious.

Now it’s time to store those hunting boots (clean, and with a good layer of polish) and hang the hunting coat in the wardrobe.

But before you do, what really is the best way to clean your hunting coat?

To wash or not to wash?

It’s a question hunting people can argue about for hours. Do you brush it when it is wet or dry? Some recommend dunking it in a butt of rainwater and scrubbing while wet. Rainwater is softer than the stuff that comes out of the tap, and does less damage to the cloth.

“I put mine in the water trough and leave overnight, heave it out, hang it in a stable and leave to dry,” says Ledbury joint-master Louise Daly.

Cottesmore hunt secretary Clare Bell says: “If I have been unlucky enough to fall off, I hose it down in the wash box, then hang above the log burner to dry.”

“Hang it outside on the garden gate and wet scrub it with not too hard a brush and warm water,” says the Heythrop’s Jane Lambert.

If, like me, you live in a flat and the facilities are limited, it might be easier to leave it to dry. I then pick the biggest lumps of mud off with my finger nails, brush the rest with a stiff brush, then sponge the remaining stains. And maybe have a little cry because it is such an annoying job and it gives me arm ache.

Former H&H editor Lucy Higginson says: “I have settled on a blunt knife to remove dried mud blobs first. Then a nailbrush with warm water, blotted up by an old tea towel.”

Mike Lane, master and huntsman of the Atherstone, says: “My hunting coat is over 60 years old. It’s a great old cloth that will take a stiff brush when dry, but if it’s terribly muddy I use the pressure washer standing quite a way back and on a low heat.”

Choosing the right brush to clean a hunting coat

What sort of a brush you use will slightly depend on the type of cloth the coat is made of — modern, lighter-weight coats won’t take being scrubbed very hard with a stiff brush very well. A clean dandy brush might be gentler.

Dressage and showing star Louise Bell says: “Use a good quality dandy brush — elbow grease and a wet brush to finish, then leave to dry somewhere airy but not too hot to avoid shrinking.”

It’s not just mud you need to remove, it’s also horse sweat, particularly round the cuffs.

“The only way to remove it is a stiff brush with very hot water,” says the Ledbury’s Tom Leeke. “Once a season I use a steam cleaner — it brings up the nap beautifully.”

What about dry-cleaning?

Most serious hunting people would throw their hands up in horror, claiming it ruins the cloth and removes its waterproofing qualities. I don’t recommend it for proper, thick, black/blue/red coats, but I think you can get away with it every now and then with a tweed coat.

Journalist Camilla Swift points out: “Don’t dry-clean, but if you must, make sure to cover up your hunt buttons with foil or plastic bags, as the white will come off the lettering and you will have to get the Tippex pen out!”

Continued below…

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Can a hoover clean a hunting coat?

Hoovering seems to be popular.

Becky Blandford says: “I use a suede brush to get the mud off, than use my hand-held hoover all over it. Then I put it on just before I leave to go hunting and my groom gives me another hoover.”

Apparently the upholstery attachment works best…

The Cotley’s Lucinda Eames is another hovering fan.

“Let it dry, brush and then finally hoover,” she recommends.

And what about a washing machine?

You would have thought a washing machine would be a total no-no. But Fiona Garfield, who hunts in Herefordshire, says: “At the end of the season I put it in the washing machine with wool-wash liquid on a cold cycle. It comes out like new; it hasn’t shrunk and is still waterproof.”

I admit that once, after emerging from a bog in Ireland covered from head to toe in liquid mud and knowing that I had to be clean and ready to go again the following day, the mother of the friend I was staying with hosed my coat and then put it in the tumble-dryer. It worked perfectly, but I’m sure if I did it myself it would shrink.

But really, having “staff” is surely the answer. Hand it over in its natural state, and expect it back, immaculate, before you next need it.

“I suggest you interview my valet,” says former Cottesmore joint-master Richard Hunnisett.

That’s more like it.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Opinion

With the vale ditches running as hard as they have all winter, it seems like “someone’s law” that now is the time that we have to stage our most public events, the point-to-points. Due to our hunt’s multifarious genealogy, we are entitled to several meetings held at two venues.

As our hunt lorry was towed out of the racecourse on Easter Saturday by three young farmers on their “green giants”, I reflected on a day not just stolen from the weather, but a true country celebration against the odds, which produced quality racing in front of a surprisingly large crowd. It required a Herculean effort by the organising team and a hundred volunteers, which was mirrored at events all around the country.

The financial value of point-to-points to individual hunts varies enormously, from those who barely muster a profit to those hunts who rely on a bumper bank holiday crowd to underwrite their season’s expenses. Event insurance or a payout from an area slush fund can lessen the pain after an abandoned meeting but, with so many lost or postponed meetings due to biblical conditions, hunt fundraisers will have to be at the top of their game to plug the financial gap.

A consistent income stream

I am assured by my family that the hunting world is actually a relatively small microcosm and not a global priority; however, some matters of principle. Few subjects raise the hackles in hunt committee meetings more than point-to-point subscriptions, particularly if the local Blankshire Draghounds are offering cut-price deals under the table to owners in your country. The new central collection of point-to-point subscriptions will be run through Weatherbys. No system will keep everyone happy but, crucially, it will level the playing field for hunts and owners alike and generate a genuine, consistent income stream for hunts. This further strengthens the vital bond between hunting and point-to-pointing.

Traditional qualifying did introduce horses and plenty of jockeys to hunting, but few huntsmen miss their hounds having to run the gauntlet past flighty point-to-pointers who probably should have been hunted more often, not less.

‘Not long until we start again’

After more than 100 days’ hunting, hounds will now enjoy some deserved downtime before the bikes come out for the start of hound exercise in a month or so. They’ll gain a little summer condition, although I don’t recall Linford Christie gaining too much weight out of season.

Hound parades and shows loom. Our first parade, last weekend at the point-to-point, was only days after finishing hunting and slightly confused the hounds. As we galloped down the home straight, wiser hounds veered towards the racecourse covert. “Why is he blowing the horn like a crazed banshee? Why are those people cheering? And now we’re back on the lorry so soon.”

During the customary “meet the hounds”, one young bitch was photographed inspecting the furry tailpiece of a rather splendid hat, just to make sure it wasn’t going to jump off the elegant lady’s head and make for the hills.

“Not long to go ‘til we start again,” my old terrierman used to remind me once Easter had passed. In the meantime, support your local hunt and come racing.

Ref Horse & Hound; 12 April 2018

The names of the 10 huntsmen who are to compete in the horn-blowing competition at the Dubarry Horn & Hound Ball at Cheltenham Racecourse on Saturday (21 April) have been announced.

They are:

• Duncan Cinnamond (Cotley Harriers)
• Ben Dalton (Croome and West Warwickshire)
• James Davies (Monmouthshire)
• Ashley Doherty MH (Brighton, Storrington, Surrey and North Sussex Beagles)
• Rupert Inglesant MFH (Cotswold)
• Robert Medcalf (South Devon)
• Robert Moffatt (Royal Artillery)
• Jake Oppenheim (Cheshire)
• Stuart Radbourne MFH (Avon Vale)
• Gareth Watchman MFH (South Durham)

Their skills will be judged by Jacky Thomas MFH and Alastair Jackson, both multiple winners of the Horse & Hound trophy, which was first presented in 1952. The winner and the runner-up will both receive engraved hunting horns, sponsored by H&H.

The Tynedale’s Andrew Higgins won the coveted prize in 2017.

The Dubarry Horn & Hound Ball gathers hunting people from all over the UK for “hunting’s big night out”. One of the highlights of the evening is a competitive silent auction, which this year features lots including “days up front” with leading huntsmen such as Heythrop MFH Charles Frampton, the Beaufort’s Matt Ramsden MFH and the Wynnstay’s Richard Tyacke MFH.

Also on offer this year are a week’s stay in a private ski chalet, a trip to Argentina to shoot doves, hunting with three packs in the USA, two debenture tickets for a England rugby match, made to measure Davies hunting boots and many more.

To place a bid, visit the auction website.

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There are still a few tickets left for this year’s ball. For more information, email Lucy Stevens on hsbs2@mfha.co.uk or call 01285 653001.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

In this week’s magazine, full reports from the dressage and showjumping World Cup finals, out 19 April.

A former Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show champion hound showed he had other talents when he took part in a hunt “horse and hound” relay competition.

East Sussex and Romney Marsh Dante 11, doghound champion at Peterborough in 2013 and a successful stallion hound, retired from the hunting field at the end of last season due to an injury to a toe.

Di Grissell, joint-master of the East Sussex and Romney Marsh, said: “Biddy Ackerman had walked him as a puppy and said that she would like to have him back when he finished his hunting career.

“He really does have an amazing life with her. He isn’t quite domesticated yet but the family adore him, and he has a lovely temperament.”

Dante 11 was bred and hunted by H&H columnist Andrew Sallis, who was joint-master and huntsman of the East Sussex and Romney Marsh until 2017.

The East Sussex and Romney Marsh ran the “horse and hound” competition to replace its hunt scurry, which had to be abandoned because the course was waterlogged. Entrants jumped their horses round a course of showjumps, and then ran round the course on their feet with their dogs jumping the fences.

Continued below…

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Dante, who finished third, was not the only foxhound taking part – a bitch called Volatile, who lives with event hosts the Pearson-Woods in her retirement, also had a go.

This year’s Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, now part of the Lycetts Festival of Hunting, is the 130th running of the prestigious show. It takes place on Wednesday, 18 July at the East of England showground, Peterborough. As well as modern and old English foxhounds, there are classes for beagles, bassets, harriers, bloodhounds and draghounds, and displays of fellhounds and coursing dogs. There is a popular inter-hunt relay, with junior and senior classes, and ridden qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

There are few more comforting and satisfying sounds then the gentle squeaking and nuzzling sounds of newborn puppies. Add to this the warm glow of a heat lamp over a nest of straw and a favourite old bitch curled up feeding her new family, and you have a scene of serenity.

Part of the excitement is the fruition of months of planning. You’ve closely observed the bitch in the hunting field to make sure she has most, if not all, of the working attributes you desire. You’ve selected a suitable mate, which may include visits to other kennels and hound shows throughout the summer, followed up by seeing him work and then trawling through pedigrees to check they are an eligible match.

The Pytchley hounds are a blend of old and modern English breeding but I find myself leaning increasingly towards the old or pure English type. I have been blessed over the years to borrow some superb stallion hounds from the Holderness, Wynnstay and Belvoir. It is a great responsibility to borrow someone else’s hounds and some huntsmen would give up their children more freely than their tried and trusted old hounds. It does, however, provide me with the perfect way to assess their skills and temperament and, as every hunt country differs, it is a good way to see how they tackle our particular set of challenges.

The satisfaction of seeing 
the new puppies is mixed with the anticipation of what is to come, as this is of course only the beginning.

Meals and walks

We had a bad start to the breeding season, with several 
of my selections either not coming into season or not mating successfully. We now have several litters on the ground, the first of which, at 
the time of writing, are three weeks old and beginning to feed. It never ceases to amaze me how they will suckle and 
pull at raw meat well before they have learnt to lap.

Puppy feeding varies from pack to pack depending on huntsman and availability of feed. My preference is good fresh mutton and beef. This can be left on the bone but scored with a knife or run through a mincer. Milk from powder is also used if necessary.

Having had their dew claws removed at three days old, been regularly wormed and vaccinated twice, they will be ready to go to walk when they are eight weeks old.

We are lucky to have so many good walkers at the Pytchley, which means, unlike an increasing number of packs, all the puppies are able to leave the kennels.

We have added several new walkers this year to our list of long-suffering faithfuls. It is great to hear about the adventures of their puppies and, with the addition of social media, keep an interested eye on their progress — what would early 20th-century Pytchley huntsman Frank Freeman think, looking at hound puppies on Facebook?

There is no set time for them to return to kennels and lots of first-time walkers often ask me when they should be returned, to which I always reply, “don’t worry, you’ll know when the time comes”. They usually get to the stage when they’re either becoming destructive, disappearing off hunting or 
the walker wants to go on holiday.

Ref Horse & Hound; 26 April 2018

Five people are to be charged with animal cruelty in relation to the police investigation into events filmed by hunt saboteurs using hidden cameras at the South Herefordshire hunt kennels in 2016.

The three men and two women charged have been summoned to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (15 May).

The footage appears to show a fox being carried into a building, and the sound of hounds can be heard. Later footage appears to show the body of a dead fox being disposed of.

Polly Portwin, the Countryside Alliance’s head of hunting, said: “The South Herefordshire Hunt was immediately suspended following the allegations that were made in May 2016, and remains in suspension [from the Masters of Foxhounds Association] pending the conclusion of the criminal investigation.”

The alleged behaviour of the five people who will face charges in relation to the case has been universally condemned by hunting figures.

John Holliday, professional huntsman of the Belvoir and a Horse & Hound columnist, said: “If the distressing allegations against an employee of the South Herefordshire Hunt are true, it would be very sad indeed. I have never heard of this kind of appalling behaviour before; it has never and never will play any part in hunting.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

This week’s edition (10 May) features our full report from Badminton, including in-depth analysis, expert comment, pictures and more. Plus, read our feature on the options for retiring your horse and in this week’s vet clinic we look into the challenges of equine surgery

Opinion

Anybody who knows me will be surprised to hear that I’ve been asked to write any sort of column on anything. A text message is normally as far as

I get, but with a little help from my wife, I hope I’ve pulled it off.

This is my 28th season in hunt service and 14th season hunting the Percy hounds. Before that, I hunted the Essex and Suffolk, whipped-in at the Percy and the Suffolk and was also kennelman at the Suffolk.

Set in Northumberland, the Percy Hunt is lucky to have very open and largely unspoilt country. During a week or even one big day, we can hunt the east coast, which is predominantly flat and arable; lowland grass in the south-west; moorland and grass in the north and very nearly hill country in the far west. Our old English hounds suit this country very well.

Although the 10th Duke of Northumberland passed away nearly 30 years ago, we still rely very much on the goodwill that he generated. Hunt jumps and wicket gates gifted by the tenants, farmers and landowners for the 10th

Duke and Duchess’ wedding present are still maintained presently by their son, the 12th Duke, making our country easily accessible.

Our last season was a good one and, for the first time, our Most Spectacular Fall trophy was won by someone not on a horse! Despite best efforts from the “Beast from the East” and his mates, we lost only one day completely, although we did have several foot days.

Hunting on foot isn’t for everyone but I would much rather go out on foot than not all. I also find it helps to keep the edge on the hounds rather than having them laid off for a few weeks.

A mixed bag on show

Now that we are into June, we have a lot of local hound shows coming up, run by nearly every local pack and as part of some country shows. These can take a bit of judging as it’s not unusual to have a high-quality mixed bag of Welsh, Fell, hill, modern and old English hounds all in the same class. Showing is without doubt a very good PR exercise, despite it not being everyone’s cup of tea. It also showcases the very high animal welfare and kennel management standards that hunting provides.

Showing helps us to introduce a lot of people to hounds, encouraging them to walk pups, which is a massive part of the hounds’ upbringing in preparation for hunting. You only have to look at the number of people around the Yorkshire Show hound ring or in attendance at the Festival of Hunting to see how popular it is, and our local shows give us great opportunity to practise with our hounds and get them out and about.

I always look at showing as a way of fine-tuning and improving the hounds you have. No mastership in the country is going to employ a huntsman just to win some red rosettes three days a year and the priority has to be the hunting.

Our hounds will always look slightly smaller than a lot of others but with the varied country we hunt and the amount of wire in it, they suit our needs. Our three recently best stallion hounds — Woolem, Spitfire and Alnwick — would all hunt easily more than 90 days a season.

Good luck to all those heading out showing this year and very well done for supporting the cause — before we know it trail hunting will be starting again.

Ref Horse & Hound; 7 June 2018

There is nothing cuter than a hound puppy — and nothing naughtier, either.

All over Britain and Ireland, long-suffering and very kind people have hound puppies to “walk” over the summer. The puppies become socialised, learn how to walk on collars and leads and to obey basic commands, and grow up in a happy, family environment. But puppy walkers know very well that no shoe left carelessly around will go un-chewed, and no rose bed will remain pristine.

After a few months, they go back to the hunt kennels to learn how to live with the pack — and the following autumn, when they are aged between a year and 18 months, they start to learn how to hunt trails with the rest of the pack.

Here are some hound puppies that H&H readers are walking…

1. Arkle and Arrow, Wilton puppies walked by Heather Royle

2. Wilton Arkle meets some rather intimidating-looking sheep

3. Belvoir Shamrock “helps out” Kay Gardner

4. Brocklesby Seldom and Sender enjoying an afternoon nap – sent in by Chris Power

5. Heythrop Volvic and Voicemail help Lizzie Coombes’ hunter Barry polish off his supper

6. Heythrop Volvic at full gallop

7. Ledbury hound puppies walked by eventer Vittoria Panizzon, her head girl Bryony Milton and their team enjoying the comfort of an armchair

8. South Wold Bodkin and Boris, walked by Kay Gardner

9. Four-year-old Andromeda Freegard playing with her new best friend, Crasher, at the West Norfolk hunt kennels

10. Four-week-old West Wexford Harriers puppies, sent in by Aine O’Brien

11. Woodland Pytchley Harborough, walked by Rhiannon and Amber Fitzhugh

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Opinion

“Nooo!” I call, as yet another random object is posted through kennel railings by grubby little hands with a cheeky laugh — just one of the many joys of having children growing up in kennels. Like any young entry, a child fitting into kennel life brings a mixture of emotions, excitement all round, an abundance of energy and desperation to help, so let the chaos commence!

The usual “kennel timetable” is thrown out the window as jobs take twice as long with a 20-month old apprentice. Wanting to encourage the keen youngster means forfeiting your time to doing things twice over, and then — properly — a third time as he is soon distracted by a low-flying pigeon.

“Nap when your baby naps,” the professionals will tell you, clearly having never worked in kennels. Their mid-morning nap in the tack room leaves us running around at full speed, powering through as many of the less “child-friendly” jobs in kennels. First bit of advice: this is when to wash kennels down. Toddlers, dog muck and high-pressure hosepipes are a nasty combination that no one wants to endure before breakfast.

Naps never last long enough and the child is soon up and busy making mischief. Note to self, must close all doors and lock all latches, as the toddler’s ability to walk means being able to reach handles and come into kennels to greet me who, in the mad rush, has left the nearest lodge until last and filth is now spread all up Baby’s trousers and new Clarks shoes.

Always add at least an hour on to your daily routine solely for these “clean-ups” and outfit changes. Also note, even in mild weather, hosing off the mess will only further annoy Mum and delay proceedings.

Magic…or havoc?

Walking out is everyone’s favourite part of the day, and the kids are no exception. He’s been wrestled back into his pram and, on seeing the hounds come out the gates towards him, stops fighting his restraints and beams from ear to ear. Ahh magic, everyone’s happy, we’re under control, everything’s going to go just perfectly.

Wrong. The first 15 minutes are brilliant, he’s joining in with commands and shouting “back” to the hounds pushing past his pram. Even his older brother joins in and tells the stragglers at the back to “get on”.

But halfway through he wants out, he’s bored of being in his pram and is causing havoc. Meanwhile, older brother is wishing he was in the pram as he gets carried up the lane by two doghounds on couples, sitting on the chain between their shoulders shouting, “Whoa, whoa, whoa”.

Luckily for us, both children are grasping the commands used around the hounds, so when your little one runs off in Tesco, a sharp “back you” does the trick just fine.

The hounds’ chorus

Kennels are done and it’s time for a well-earned brew for us parents. Happy hounds means a sing-song at our house, and they strike up a beautiful chorus. Always a joy.

I take a closer look, only to find my boy standing at the railings, chest pushed out, hands behinds his back howling along with the full pack.

People say never work with children or animals, I say how boring! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ref Horse & Hound; 28 June 2018

From hounds and what to wear to food and shopping, find out all you need to know about the Festival of Hunting

1. It’s hunting’s greatest gathering. The Festival of Hunting (18 July) is the “championship” hound show and the very best foxhounds, beagles, harriers, bassets, bloodhounds and draghounds will be on parade. Hunting people will come from all over Britain and Ireland to see the hounds this week — and each other. It’s one of the very few chances to meet up and chew the fat before the season starts and everyone is too busy to do anything apart from concentrate on their own packs.

2. The Festival of Hunting has evolved from the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, which remains its centrepiece. The modern English hounds are shown in the covered ring — all the other hound rings are outside — and the atmosphere is one of high competition. Even if you prefer to spend the day wandering around the outside rings, browsing the shops and watching the inter-hunt relay, don’t miss the foxhound doghound and bitch championships just before lunch and at the end of the day.

3. What to wear? There is no “official” dress code, and you certainly won’t be turned away if you are wearing jeans, but you might feel a touch underdressed round the foxhound ring if you are. Gentlemen tend to wear dark suits, or at the least a jacket and tie, while for ladies it is dresses/skirts and a top, with a hat. But think linen and straw, rather than Royal Ascot. There is less formality around the other rings, but it isn’t a shorts-and-singlet type of event — you might frighten the hounds…

4. You can buy tickets on the gate — £18 for adults, children under 12 free — but nearly all the seating in the foxhound enclosure is reserved, although you can generally peek in on the corners. To get a really good view of the judging, think about becoming a vice-president of the show next year, which gives you entry, parking and reserved seating. See www.festivalofhunting.com/membership for more information.

5. The shopping is great — but don’t take a leaf out of the H&H hunting editor’s book and buy a smart-looking pair of hunting breeches at a greatly reduced price without trying them on because it is too hot to bother. They languish at the bottom of the drawer still…

6. If you want horses, there are plenty of them. There are ultra-competitive junior and senior inter-hunt relay classes, and lots of showing classes, including Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.

7. There is obviously lots of lovely food to buy, so you won’t starve at lunchtime, but the nicest thing is to join your hunt’s picnic. If your hunt doesn’t have one, organise it! Coronation chicken, potato salad, strawberries and plenty of rosé… Someone will forget to bring the chairs/a corkscrew, but it’s all part of the fun.

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8. Try to wangle yourself an invitation to the Festival of Hunting’s sponsors Lycetts’ drinks party at the end of the day. It’s a proper party — the day’s winners will be celebrating and the losers drowning their sorrows.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Last week’s Festival of Hunting at Peterborough was a banquet of hounds, horses and all things hunting.

Here are seven things we loved about it…

1. The huge cheer that went up from the expectant audience when the champion foxhounds were announced. In the morning doghound championship it was the Grove and Rufford’s turn with Saxon; in the afternoon’s bitch championship Heythrop supporters erupted when Racket took the title.

2. The fact that the Grove and Rufford also won the senior inter-hunt relay competition – what a day for the hunt!

3. It takes real bravery to stand up in front of a large, slightly merry, hunting audience at the Lycetts-sponsored drinks party that closed the show and blow the hunting horn. This year’s winner of the amateur horn-blowing contest was young George Smith, who took home a hunting horn donated and engraved by The Hunting Shop.

4. Talking of horn-blowing, those who joined the Heythrop’s celebrations of a very successful day (the Gloucestershire pack won both two-couple classes and the bitch couple class, as well as the bitch championship) back at the lorry in the evening were treated to a proper exhibition. Martin Thornton, former huntsman of the Belvoir and the Zetland, consented to blow a range of calls, and did so utterly beautifully.

5. The shopping. There can’t be a better selection of hunting-related items – clothing, books, pictures, presents, anything you can think of – anywhere in the world.

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6. The “other” hounds. We see plenty of foxhounds, beagles and harriers, but how often do most of us get to see wise-looking bassets, magnificent bloodhounds – and, while not exactly hounds, did you see those heavenly Sealyham terriers?

7. The picnics. Not that hunting people are competitive, oh no, but the efforts made and laid out at lunchtime were spectacular and rivalled Car Park Number One during Royal Ascot — minus the butlers. Hunting people help themselves — generously.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Opinion

The Festival of Hunting at Peterborough is the highlight of the summer calendar. It is an opportunity for all the hunts and hunting people to get together, show their hounds and talk hunting. The new format, with the different types of hounds being shown simultaneously, has revolutionised the day. It has made it so much more inclusive and more of a family day.

Of course, standards are standards. Masters wear suits and bowlers, ladies wear hats and the hunt staff continue to show in their livery, despite the continuation of the hottest summer since 1976. Incidentally, I can’t remember that summer as I was still in the creation stage, but my mother did say that the whole thing was truly unpleasant — I think she meant the heat.

Peterborough is the grand finale of the showing season. To judge in the main ring is a huge privilege and needs taking seriously. Judges are chosen a year in advance and will have been to the earlier shows to see what hounds are being produced. They need to get their eye in and numerous visits to kennels and puppy shows will have them performing like tuned athletes… The senior judge runs the ring while the junior judge is given the important task of checking “toes and balls”.

The lack of a ball was once spotted and pointed out by a female American judge, rather embarrassingly, as it was in the stallion hound class.

The build up for the hard-working hunt staff started months ago, with numerous hound previews and “away trips” to socialise the young hounds. This is no mean feat and takes hours of time, but is essential in the preparation of the young entry if you want them to show well.

The big day arrives and the final part of the jigsaw is getting there in one piece. A disagreement in the kennels the night before or a thorn picked up on hound exercise could so easily destroy all the hopes and dreams.

Disaster strikes

Our day didn’t start too well. Our whipper-in’s well-polished boots fell apart as he put them on, so a rush to find a generous stallholder for some sort of a replacement was the first priority. The only ones that fitted had six patches and had not been polished in the past decade.

One of our doghounds then thought it was a great idea to catch his foot in the kennel bars, resulting in a three-legged hound.

Luckily, he had walked it off before the class began and, alongside three others, managed to clinch the coveted two-couple class.

After lunch, the judging of the bitches was swift. After securing the couples class and the two-couple class, the championship was in our sights. The announcement came, the cheer went up and we had won. For anybody breeding his or her hounds, this is a truly special moment.

Breeding a pack of hounds takes a lifetime. Choosing your best hunting bitches and finding dogs that are not related and conformationally an improvement on your hounds, as well as certified hunters, is not easy. The gene pool is narrow and getting narrower, so the search for new stallion hounds is becoming a full-time occupation.

A championship deserves a celebration and drinks in the wonderfully generous Lycetts’ tent preceded a return to the lorry.

The day finished as it had started; a slip on the lorry ramp as we were loading resulted in a collision with some (untouched) glass bottles of water. My kennel-huntsman kindly offered to stitch the gaping wound to my hand, but this was declined and Peterborough’s finest A&E required a kennel inspection.

All that remains to say is what a wonderful occasion it is. Hunting has survived so many things and will continue to do so.

The next generation are there, ready and waiting; the hunting world must embrace this and the changes we need to make for the long-term future of our sport.

Ref Horse & Hound; 26 July 2018

The brand new hunting season is almost upon us, so get prepared and take a look at this selection of hunters for sale on the Horse & Hound website this week.

1. ‘Fabulous’

Height: 17hh

Gender: mare

Age: five

Selling points: “This fabulous horse has been autumn hunting as a three-, four- and five-year-old, steadily at the back and is proving to be confident ride crossing many hunt jumps and drains. Treasure works correctly on the flat with three good, balanced paces. She is showing good technique over a fence, jumping everything first time and is proving to be bold and careful. She is an eye-catching armchair ride. She is now ready to go in to any sphere and make a top class horse. She has been professionally and carefully produced with one lady owner/breeder and is only for sale as mature lady slowing down. She would make a top class riding club horse as she is good at all disciplines. She rides and leads, travels in a trailer and is good to shoe, box and clip.”

View the advert

2. ‘Experience, quality hunter’

Height: 17hh

Gender: gelding

Age: 11

Selling points: “This is an experienced, quality hunter, who will cross any country. He hunted regularly all last season and is never sick or sorry. He is excellent with hounds, goes first or last and has whipped-in. He is a good jumper and could be a working hunter.”

View the advert

3. ‘Cracking’

Height: 16.3hh

Gender: gelding

Age: eight

Selling points: “This is a fantastic hunter. He hunted all last season with the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale and has also done two seasons in Ireland. He jumps the biggest country including hedges, wire and gates. He is bold enough to go first and stands beautifully at meet and on point. He is well-mannered and sane and would go eventing if someone put in the time on the flat. He is very easy to do.”

View the advert

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4. ‘Perfect’

Height: 17.3hh

Gender: gelding

Age: nine

Selling points: “Archie is worth his weight in gold for his temperament alone. He is completely unflappable and bombproof, kind and gentle on the ground, with a very trainable attitude and manners to die for. Archie was bought from Goresbridge ‘Go For Gold’ in 2015. He has since proved himself to be an easy going talented hunter, hunting with the VWH with both a lady and gentleman rider. He has a bold, brave jump with scope to burn. Jumps out of any ground, off any stride. This horse will get you to the other side no matter what! Jumping 1.30m at home with ease. He is snaffle mouthed and very manoeuvrable for his size. Good to box, shoe, clip. Fit and ready to go. Passed 5 stage vet in 2017. This top class horse is regrettably for sale due to work and family commitments and through no fault of his own.”

View the advert

5. ‘Hunter’s dream’

Height: 15.2hh

Gender: mare

Age: 10

Selling points: “Gem is a sweet mare and proven hunter, taking her owner on their first hunt season with ease. She is a great confidence-giver and isn’t fazed by ditches and hedges. She is very well-mannered and polite in the field. She has hunted in the UK and also in Ireland with her previous owners. Gem is a keen and careful jumper and very straightforward to a fence with lots of scope. She prefers to hack in company and is safe in heaviest traffic. She is working well on the flat and is establishing a good outline. She is easy to load and travels well on a lorry or trailer. She has no vices.”

View the advert

View more horses for sale on horseandhound.co.uk

NB: Horse & Hound has not checked the accuracy of the claims made in these adverts and cannot be held liable if the information included above is inaccurate in any way

It’s one of Ireland’s premier equestrian events and the final run of the nail biting Diageo hunt chase competition made for a thrilling end to the 2018 Dublin Horse Show (DHS), which was held in Ballsbridge (8 — 12 August).

Battling it out for the crown were the Killinick Harriers and the Wexfords who ensured it was all to play for in the final of this traditional inter-hunt relay event. However it was the Killinicks who just had the edge, storming their way to victory and taking home the coveted Thady Ryan perpetual challenge trophy.

The two teams chosen to participate in the 2018 hunt chase competition were selected by a draw held on Saturday 28 July. The draw was open to teams who have competed in 10 of the listed hunt chase league events.

The Killnicks took a slight lead from the get go, with their first rider making a few lengths headway down the long side.

DHS rules state the following team members have to ride in this set order:

1^st – fourth member (who must be 35-years-old or over)

2^nd – official member

3^rd – lady rider (preferably riding side-saddle)

4^th – heavy weight male (12.5 stone or over in hunting gear, any lead must be in a lead cloth/bag)

The fence which caused the most problems was number eight, an upright plank which was strategically placed as the second part of a combination. Every rider knocked it down and was therefore required to jump it a second time.

The Wexfords managed to gain some ground in the final pass over when a slight fumble from the Killinicks meant they lost a few seconds, but it was ultimately them who came back to win by a few strides.

Substantial prize money was awarded, with the winning team taking home a healthy pot of €2,230.

Would you fancy giving this a go?

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday. This week’s issue is full of reports and pictures from the 2018 Dublin Horse Show.

Clothes a little tight? 4am alarms? A desperate search for a neckstrap? This can mean only one thing...

1. You discover that actually, no, you didn’t remember to clean your tweed coat after you wore it while gate-shutting last season, and frantically scrub the worst of the encrusted mud off while panicking that you are losing precious sleep – you’ve got to be up in four hours…

2. Your alarm clock is set for 4am – and instead of pressing “snooze” repeatedly, you have actually been awake for 10 minutes and leap out of bed when it goes off as though you have been electrocuted.

3. Hunting clothes that fitted perfectly well in March are, shall we say, more than a little snug. You resign yourself to not breathing for several hours, and hope you don’t have to jump – if you do, your shirt will split across the shoulders and the button will pop off your breeches.

4. You remember why you swore you will never take a grey horse autumn hunting again. Despite being swaddled in a rug and hood, he has managed to plaster the contents of his stable – and that’s quite a lot of muck; it’s the first time he has been in at night since April and he knows perfectly well why so is quite over-excited – all over his body, neck and legs.

5. You are seriously upset when you can’t find your neckstrap. Even the most seasoned hunter feels a little jolly when he sees hounds again for the first time, and a neckstrap is effectively the same thing as putting your seatbelt on. You nick someone else’s stirrup leather and hope they aren’t planning to ride before you get back.

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6. Even though you are only planning to go for two hours, you are riding the most sensible horse you have ever owned and hounds are meeting in a place where it is likely that nothing very thrilling will happen, you have serious butterflies and feel ridiculously overexcited as you drive there.

7. As hounds spill out of their lorry and the huntsman calls them together and sets off, you are truly happy. Your grin is reflected on the faces of everyone around you. We’re here again, we’re still going and we are part of the most fantastic community.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Opinion

In the same way that Parisians desert their city and head south in August, hunting people from all over Britain flock to Exmoor. It’s no Easyjet flight to Majorca for them; instead they cram the lorry with children, ponies, dogs and wetsuits, and head for the moor.

A week of hunting with foxhound and staghound packs is littered with picnic rides, outings to Withypool fete, day trips to the beach and a lot of food and drink. It is extremely British — it always rains and nobody minds.

On Exmoor, staghunting is king. The staghunters, secure in the knowledge that their sport is major-league baseball to foxhunting’s rounders, regard the hordes of foxhunters who appear, on foot and on horses, at their August meets with an amused superiority.

At last Tuesday’s meet at Brendon Two Gates, there were masters and hunt staff past and present from foxhound packs stretching from Scotland to Dorset via Leicestershire and Gloucestershire, all keen to see Exmoor’s magnificent red deer.

I car-followed with the lady master of the Heythrop and her one-year-old daughter while her husband, who remains an ardent staghunter at heart, despite being forced by marriage to hunt with the Heythrop every Saturday, went on a horse.

To have any chance of seeing anything once the staghounds are hunting their chosen stag, it is necessary to drive incredibly fast for a very long way, risking your life at every bend in the road. There is no time for idle chatter; the passenger must keep his or her binoculars trained on the landscape for any sign of horses, hounds or stags.

Picnics and suppers

If you’re clever, you will follow William Nunneley, former master and huntsman of several packs of hounds; he has a radio, from which intermittent bursts of unintelligible information emerge, and an excellent picnic in the boot.

William and his wife Caroline — who made three lifesize sculptures of the brilliant showjumper Hello Sanctos for his owners, Lord and Lady Harris and Lord and Lady Kirkham, and his rider, Scott Brash — also kindly had a large number of foxhunters (and their children) for supper that night.

Two mothers cunningly managed to persuade their offspring to go to the Dulverton West evening meet on Thursday, rather than the Exmoor meet at 6am the following morning, enabling their exhausted parents to have one more glass of wine and a lie-in, rather than a 4am start to get five ponies and two or three horses ready for hunting.

A hunting pilgrimage

The lady master and I did make it to the Exmoor on horses, only very slightly late owing to an alarm clock failure. And so my hunting season started with this famous pack of hounds in their exceptionally beautiful, wild country.

Huntsman Tony Wright and master Felicita Busby are two modern hunting legends. They carry on the legacy bestowed on them by possibly the greatest hunting figure of the 20th century, Capt Ronnie Wallace, known as “God”, whose grave in Simonsbath churchyard is often visited by foxhunters during their Exmoor pilgrimage.

It was a desperate struggle to do up any of my hunting clothes — if you see me eating between now and the opening meet, stop me — and the persistent drizzle permeated to the skin. But the sight and sound of hounds hunting sends a charge of something thrilling and unexplainable through our veins. There is nothing like it, and we are so lucky to be part of it.

Ref Horse & Hound; 23 August 2018

So many of us have been here. What do you do with an ageing eventer who hates summer ground and being put out to grass in equal measure? We should have sold it in its prime, but we couldn’t bear to, so we didn’t, and now we have a geriatric on our hands with no rider and no job.

People furrow their brow sagely and advise me to put her to sleep, which might be the correct option, but I’m far too soft to call in the vet for such a vivacious animal, looking quite so sound and healthy. “Put her in foal,” others say. But I’ve already done that, twice, and now find myself with three horses to ‘dispose’ of.

Fizz is 15, and a double clear machine who goes intermittently lame in summer time when you ramp up the workload. The vets can’t find anything wrong. She is a little thoroughbreddy Irish pony type, jumps anything. Hunting seems like the obvious solution. Except that she’s never hunted, has an exhilarating buck, and won’t even queue for a fence out schooling. The clue is in her name.

So no one else is offering to be the crash-test dummy. I have four children and a full-time job, and originally sent Fizz to be evented by someone else because I had no time (and couldn’t see a stride), yet somehow find myself taking up the challenge of introducing her to the hunting field at a phase in life when I hardly have a spare moment to go to the loo, let alone several hours to while away on a horse. I have not hunted since the ban, my kit is festering mouldy in my cellar and I have ridden twice since having my third child six years ago. It sounds like Challenge Anneka, which was probably top of the TV ratings about the last time I hunted.

Horse & Hound’s hunting editor Catherine Austen was the first port of call. “Great idea. Take her out three times a week autumn hunting before it all gets too exciting,”she said reassuringly, except that taking a horse hunting is the solution to most problems in Catherine’s world. This was comfortingly followed by her other stock piece of advice for almost all global problems: “Don’t forget a neckstrap,” she ordered. “A proper one, not a breastplate.”

Fizz working off her pot belly

At this stage Fizz had not been ridden for six weeks, though her daily antics in the field assured me that she had lost little of her fitness — or her infamous fizz. I managed to extract her from the paddock she shares with two other mares, and through an electric-fenced field of black sheep with the help of a Chifney. She seemed to have bloomed in stature from her tidy 15hh to at least 16.2hh, and I rather wanted the little version back for my first ride in years.

“You need to lunge her first,” said my friend Lizzie, who had kindly insisted on nannying me during these early forays. “She’s gone feral.”

So we cinched the girth round her grass gut and watched her let rip on the lunge, before she accepted that the afore-mentioned belly was hampering her air show and I duly hopped on. An hour and a half of jig-jog hacking later, we returned a little sweaty and minus a front shoe, but I began to get a hold of this vision. Apart from anything else, I’d forgotten how effective riding is for toning the pregnancy-addled core.

Next up will be hound exercise.

Martha

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Whoever thought I could get excited about hound exercise? In my former, pre-ban thrusting youth, I rather dismissed hound exercise as mundane as, well, walking the dog. But in my late 30s, and with a horse that isn’t yet fit for the hunting field — certainly not mentally — a quiet trot round the lanes is about as much excitement as we both can handle.

Never mind that I happened to have a houseful of 20 guests staying at my parents’ house besides my four sprogs’ gaping mouths to feed and water, when my new horse nanny Lizzie suggested Fizz was ready for an outing, nothing was going to stop me. Hound exercise also fits in sweetly with my mad routine, being all done and dusted by 7.30am, leaving me quite enough time to fry up the bacon and eggs for the guests’ breakfast (I’m joking — they’re lucky if they get Coco Pops).

Orphan Annie

Lizzie texted me late the night before: “Have you got hacking jacket, shirt and tie?”

“I have absolutely nothing — it’s at home in Berkshire, and mouldy.”

“Oh sh*t… I have jods you can borrow, spare hacking jacket. Can you sort out shirt and tie? And boots?”

“No, just chaps.”

“Ok. Be on the yard at 5.15am so we can kit you out. You’re going to look like Orphan Annie.”

In a quick rifle through my dad’s wardrobe, I selected a (vast) Charles Tyrwhitt check shirt and a Hermès tie, which I felt offset the Orphan Annie vibe.

We got on the horses at 6am, Fizz’s tail bedecked in red and green ribbons, feeling thoroughly virtuous. Occasional early risers always do. Fizz was a delight to hack over to meet hounds, and I smugly felt — despite the Hermès tie now sporting some grass slime — that our switch from eventing to hunting was going to be seamless. The early September sun was rising over misty water meadows, Fizz had been tamed into a docile veteran and everything was well with the world.

Fizz’s tail

When hounds first appeared, Fizz stood quite still, taking it all in wisely and serenely. I was thinking, “mission accomplished, here endeth the blog”. But then a crescendo of clattering hooves signalled the arrival of the followers and all hell broke loose.

When all was well with the world

“NECKSTRAP!!!” I shouted to myself, as I realised I had broken Catherine the hunting editor’s first commandment, and Fizz lurched into her own blend of stamping, striking and arching her back.

“Let’s keep our distance,” suggested Lizzie, watching Fizz’s flailing legs, as my cramping fingers tightened round lathered reins.

So on we went, trotting and snorting 50 metres behind the party, with me desperately tugging and bobbling around in the saddle.

I think this actually blurred because I couldn¹t take my hand off reins! Nowhere near the hounds.

After about 15 minutes, my insufficiently prepared core proved no match for Fizz’s yawing and launching, which was now being punctuated by bunny-hops.

“I don’t think I’m strong enough for this yet — she’s getting worse,” I told Lizzie.

“If you leave now, you’ll have achieved nothing,” Lizzie retorted, so I didn’t.

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Mercifully, the huntsman soon steered away from our yard, and I had the excuse of returning to the fictitious breakfast stove, and we began the jig-jog hack home.

In this second incarnation of my equestrian “career”, I have discovered that hound exercise is far from mundane — in fact it’s too hot to handle. And after the merest glimpse of a hound, Fizz’s road to the hunting field is looking very long indeed.

Martha

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Opinion

The Edenbridge & Oxted show signifies the beginning of another new season for the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent (OSB&WK). This year’s hound parade was very well received with packed grandstands and a busy members’ stand cheering us on and wishing us well.

I paraded hounds with Ben Giddings and David Pitfield and, upon entering the main ring, earlier fears were confirmed when we spotted our previous huntsman, Mark Bycroft, standing in the middle of the ring with a smile. There can be few more unnerving scenarios in the world than Mark with a microphone and yourself without one.

The trouble is (and keep this to yourselves), he is actually very good at explaining the place hunting has in the world today, and he is brilliant with children. I often think the powers that be could do worse than send Mark from one end of the country to the other promoting our community and dispelling so many of those myths about us.

Four wishes

Every new season brings fresh challenges and this one will be no different. For us it is tiresome to have to deal with all the usual issues and problems that any club our size faces today, but we have to add in to that our opponents who, despite publicly acknowledging on social media that we have led the way on hunting within the law and trailing with our hounds, continue to “stalk” us relentlessly.

I would urge them to seek some evidence, anything at all that proves the ban on hunting has done any good to anyone, including the fox, since its inception.

In fact, if I could rub a lamp a have a genie appear to grant me four wishes for the coming season, I would tell our opponents this:

• If you are going to monitor us, please do so from a public highway, byway, footpath or bridlepath.
• Please stop “stalking” our hunt staff and members; turning up at kennels every week serves absolutely no useful purpose whatsoever.
• Please stop writing fictional reports after a day out with us (lying in this way has become acceptable to them) just so your supporters send you some money.
• Please stop saying the OSB&WK are on their knees and nearly finished. We have never been healthier in respect of support and goodwill and, thanks to our forefathers, our hunt is safe for the next 50 years.
• Lastly, when the Crown Prosecution Service decide to take on the very serious crime of “stalking”, I am told that to start each case they consider the mnemonic “FOUR”. Is your stalker or are your stalkers: fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeating. Well, in our case the simple answer to that is yes, yes, yes and yes!

Happy hunting!

Ref Horse & Hound; 13 September 2018