The hound showing season is underway; Alastair Jackson explains the process that culminates at the Festival of Hunting in July
Image may be NSFW. ANYONE who has attended Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show will have memories of seeing the judges weighing-up hounds. Apart from the sense of occasion created by this greatest of all hound shows, there is the impression of the hounds themselves. The aristocrats of their breed, standing like statues, held in the thrall of their huntsman; then flying across the ring with effortless strides before racing back to stand foursquare again, neck outstretched, head slightly cocked, with eyes only for the man who is their friend and handler.
Later, the ring is a sea of colour, with the hunt servants’ liveries and gleaming boots mingling with the tans, pyes and mottles of the hounds. Soon the judges have dismissed all but the prizewinners. Perhaps a final loosing-off of two or three entries to compare their movement, and then the results are announced. Polite clapping if the winners come from one of the more fashionable kennels, but occasionally wild cheering if they hail from a more modest establishment.
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"}
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This feature is also available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 17 June
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