Knowing how to blow a hunting horn is a skill that will win you admirers and teach you more about what is happening on a hunting day, says Rory Knight Bruce . Just warn your neighbours first…
It could be a hunting supper or dinner party anywhere in the land, and the master and huntsman is sitting after a fine day’s sport in the glow of praise at the best seat at the table. In front of him, as the port is passed round, sits a silver presentation hunting horn, perhaps an ancient heirloom belonging to the hosts.
In one of the few heart-sinking situations of hunting, it too will soon be passed round to the guests, and woe betide the diner who can only blow a raspberry.
“An ability to blow a hunting horn is not the be-all-and-end-all of hunting or following a pack of hounds, but everyone who hunts should know the basic commands and what they mean,” says Jacky Thomas, a senior master and huntsman of more than 30 seasons and nine-time winner of the Dorian Williams horn-blowing trophy at the Horse & Hound Ball. Starting off his hunting life, Jacky would take his horn everywhere.
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"}
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Credit: Peter Nixon
