Another wonderful autumn day with hounds and a good crowd.

A large crowd of regulars, irregulars and locals gathered to enjoy the spectacle of horses and hounds meeting at a village pub. The food was super and supporters are urged to repay the landlord and landlady's generosity by visiting the pub on non hunting days too.

With trails in woodland and open country hounds worked hard. It was also commented on that they want to be with their huntsman and a very neat pack they are becoming when hacking from one draw to the next.

The mounted field enjoyed a variety of jumps - well most of them enjoyed most of the jumps but some are offering "trick or treat" options to the photographers. That is "if you treat the website to a picture of me leaving 9 inches of air between me and the saddle their will certainly be a trick in store for you!"

It is hard to imagine a more perfect afternoon in a  wonderful setting (thanks, as ever, to our wonderful landowners) in great company. Good to see new faces returning for a second or third helping - it seems that they have come to understand Charles Dickens view: "There is a passion for hunting, something deeply implanted in the human breast."

The Stern

Who tried, with their truck, to emulate the vehicles in dead-car field?
Who complained last Thursday that "only odd body parts were visible in the pictures" and then modelled their tonsils today?

Photographs

Clicking on an image gives access to a larger version.
These and many more will be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE

A large field enjoyed a beautiful autumn day.

At 7am the rain was torrential, the forecast dire and the search was on for waterproofs. The rain was stripping the autumn colours from the trees and turning them into a coppery slush in the lanes.

Disappointed but not disheartened cars, trucks and lorries were packed and a large number set off for the meet where the weather turned around and the sun appeared to shine on a huge crowd who enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of our hosts - many thanks to them and the landowners for their kindness and support.

Faces old and new then enjoyed a brilliant, burnished autumn day watching hounds try to work out the lines. For those who have long-followed the pack it was good to see that the hard work of the hunt staff and helpers is beginning to pay dividends as the pack moves on from some difficult years.

The last horse was boxed after the sun had gone down and the stalwarts gathered around the Master's box to recall the day.

Photographs

Clicking on an image gives access to a larger version.
These and many more may be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE

A Gallery from the Opening Meet

Photographs of the Opening Meet are from the most excellent Combat Moose Photography: HERE

A long morning filled with music

The field, on foot and mounted, enjoyed a long morning which was brightened by snatches of hound music.

With a range of obstacles for the mounted folk, a photographer who all but ended up in the water and a bucking bronco display there was much to amuse.

Photographs

These and many more may be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE

Some more early mornings BUT dry!!!

While "global warming" may be a redundant term there certainly seems to be some evidence for climate change! Of course a human lifetime is useless as an observer for scientific conclusions but in the golden times that are our pasts the weather was always better for Autumn Hunting - and, of course, always better before the ban! There have been one or two magical mornings and these photographs are a record.

With some jumping (and some not!) the field have had some fun.

The Stern

Who likes their boys "beefy"?

Photographs

These and many more may be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE

Another early start

A good turnout enjoyed an interesting time watching hounds try to find the trails before returning to the boxes to enjoy the huntsman's birthday cake.

Photographs

These and many more may be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE

Early mornings in an attempt to preserve the trails

Those who oppose hunting often claim that early in the season we set out very early to avoid their scrutiny. This is not the case. Our hounds are scent-hounds not gaze-hounds. The latter hunt or course by sight. For scent-hounds - beagles, foxhounds and staghounds - to operate as a pack they need scent or smell! On the bookcase above this desk there are two books about scent and hunting. 400 pages trying to explain the mystery. The two views do not always concord but on one point they are unanimous - scent rises with temperature. In the early part of the season (August/September until the end of October) the temperature is usually too high for scent to remain near the ground except early in the morning. This is as true now with man-laid trails as it was before 18/2/05 with live quarry. So no, we do not hide in the early morning mists but seek to give our wonderful hounds a chance to hunt a line.

Having written this the last few mornings have been darned cold!

Photographs

These and many more may be found at The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE