We began in sunlit autumn - but the weather turned around.

Before the first war, Selby-Lowndes MFH once said that "a Prime Minister has a difficult part to fill, but his office was a bed of roses compared with a Master of Hounds. [A Master]  . . . . . has to be one of those wonderful people who please everybody, for even if Diana came down from Olympus with a pack of heaven-born hounds, and hunted so close through fire and flood as to kill all the foxes in the Denge, someone would complain that the hunts of the goddess were too slow, and that she, herself, was too fast."

No such complaints today although following was, to say the least, tricky! Nonetheless the majority of the large mounted field were still out until the very end of the day.

It was good to see old friends and our latest and youngest supporter.

The Stern

Whose husband has been seen getting home from a long day at work and having to help himself to a thumb-piece of cheese?
Who turned up in the wrong motor?
Who had a box of Scotch eggs for breakfast?
Who lives "on the motorway"?
Who was nearly dropped off at the wrong car?

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 (the gallery is now complete)

The end of the day . . . .

   

Hunt ties - in time for Christmas

Kim ( kim@foxhunters.net ) will have ties in stock in the next couple of weeks.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make her jump!

A splendid meet, thanks to our generous hosts who had also spent not a little time and effort making some of the "Hunt Jumps" a little more . . .  now how should this be put? Fun? Challenging? Whatever the description, we are always indebted to our farmers and landowners for access let alone jump building, copious drinks, "brunch" and a jolly good time.

With trails laid by quad, on foot and later on horse-back the field set off in one direction (for those aforementioned jumps while "S" took hounds out through the back of the yard to find the start of the first of those trails.

Your correspondent and companion had long-since departed for the "you must be there - it's the scariest" jump where they waited for a display of wonderful equestrianism: the ballet of horse and rider in unison of intent and purpose; a symphony of skill and power . . .  enough of the purple prose!

The best moment was when "F" cleared the "scariest" jump, after a refusal, with the broadest grin imaginable. So often, maybe so or maybe not in this case, the horse would love to clear the fence but the rider somehow communicates doubt and the horse pulls up short. That smile was the clearest expression you can have of horse and rider in harmony - just brilliant!

The Stern

• Whose pictures are not published because some readers might be able to lip-reading and so could be offended?
• Who thought that they might demand an appearance fee when they heard the shutter click?

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 (the gallery will not be complete until Thursday morning) and at 
• Combat Moose Photography HERE

While others panic about a snowflake - we remind ourselves that this is fun!

Please note and bookmark our new web-address: www.ekhwws.com

A touch chilly this morning - the truck was covered in ice at 4:30!

By the time we met the ice had long gone but was replaced by a rather unfriendly wind tearing in from the NW. It was a day for layers and so a number of those gathered in the welcome shelter of a barn seemed to be Michelin Man impersonators as all enjoy the hospitality kindly provided by Masters - current and past.

With the phrase "I do this because we enjoy it" riders mounted, the footies and supporters gathered and the Master's words were taken in the jaws and carried away by the biting wind.

A long warming hack to the first of the trails helped but the today's country was exposed with no sheltering woods so any heat generated by the journey was soon on its way south east.

It was particularly good to see "S" out, albeit on wheels rather than a horse, after their mid-week difficulties.

Also of note is our pack. The other "S" and his team have clearly put a lot of time into addressing hounds' need for stability and mutual trust. Difficult today in the wind but what a pleasure to see the pack holding up so well at meets and looking to "Dad' with a "we like you - you will stay won't you?" look on their faces.

The Stern

Who now seems to be a little camera-shy?
Who was accused of never appearing in any of the pictures?

Photographs

Apologies but very little light, a camera-shaking wind and rain finding its way round the lens-hood limited the number of photographs today.

Clicking on an image gives access to a larger version.
These and many more will be found, later this evening, at:

• The Gather's Field Sports page - HERE 

Full marks go to the complete tail-plait - these fingers were almost too cold to type this morning let alone plait!

The EKHwWS and the Blustery Day

Not too sure that giving storms names is a great thing but while Barney reduced no one at the Meet to rubble he certainly made it feel a little chill and hearing what was going on out in the country was nigh on impossible.

Everyone was grateful for the shelter afforded at the Meet as well as the food and warming drink. Today the Old Man hunted hounds due to a medical emergency at kennels - everyone hopes that all is well "S", and that you are making a speedy recovery.

From the Meet and up onto the Downs where Barney did his best to dislodge caps and one or two of our equine friends thought briefly of dislodging their riders, but to no avail.

The Stern

Who should be putting their money into the Tumblers' Club for Saturday? Perhaps they should not have said that the photographers missed an opportunity.

What happened four times?

Who is now an honorary member of the "All England Stunt Parking Club"?

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 (the gallery will not be complete until Thursday evening)

Ghastly weather/wonderful hosts

Well the forecasters  got it right to within half an hour! Nonetheless a good crowd gathered to enjoy the wonderful generosity of our hosts. Your correspondent had to cut loose soon after the meet so awaits news of the day.

Hunt Merchandise

The Kim, the Merchandise Queen, was taking orders for the super new range of clothing with embroidered logos and managed to sell a lots of calendars too! Please check out our merchandise HERE - not only do you look smart, keep dry and warm if you buy these items but each purchase makes a little money for the hunt. Wear EKHwWS clothing with pride. The range includes hoodies, fleeces, hats, ties, jackets, lambswool sweaters and T-shirts - all, where appropriate, available with a small logo on the breast, a large logo on the back or even both! Once you have received your item(s) there is a chance to be a model for images on the Merchandise page!

There are some EKHwWS mugs too but only 10 are left! These are available at meets - do see Kim.

The calendars are selling like, well, calendars before Christmas. Only 50 have been printed and half of those have been sold. When they're gone, they're gone - unless there are orders for 25 more once these have sold out. Each month has 10 - 20 photographs from last season - more than 200 images altogether and a month with images from the archive for one of the warmer months. You probably feature - how can you resist?

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 (the gallery will not be complete until Sunday evening)

Armistice Day

Today at 11 the phantoms of the fallen and the spirit of the serving filled two minutes as we stood with heads bowed and uncovered. It is not just today that we should remember, not just today that we should acknowledge that all we have, all we are, is because of those who gave everything and that we keep it because of those who serve today. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is important because it is then that we share that knowledge. It is then that we stand together in humility. We remembered them today at 11 and should thank them every day.

During the Great War Baily's Hunting Directory included lists of those in Hunt Service and Masters who had died on active service. These pages make poignant reading.  The pages from the 1916 edition are reproduced below. (Images can be enlarged with a click.)

Selby-Lowndes, Master from 1900 until 1930, ineligible for service organised bye days during The Great War for the troops at Shorncliffe and in the various tented camps around our country that they could enjoy a days sport before embarking for the Western Front. 

There are many cases too of troops taking hounds to France so that a day's sport might distract from the horror of war.

The author is reminded of a Snaffles painting from WW II and wonders if such a scene took place on Stelling Minnis where a Bren Gun Carrier unit was stationed.

It was fitting that the crowd of foot followers, supporter, welcoming locals and those mounted should not only bow their heads in honour to our fallen servicemen but also that all present should smile and laugh and enjoy the day. Those men and women, young and old, gave their lives, their health or limbs, not that we should be forever filled with sorrow but that we could have the freedom to live our lives. It is that which we owe them.

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 (the gallery will not be complete until Thursday morning) and at 
• Combat Moose Photography HERE