Matthew Higgs
Matthew reports from the Beagles Show at the Great Yorkshire 2009
Matthew Higgs
The new facilities for the hound show at the Great Yorkshire Show this year met with general acclaim and were certainly an improvement in terms of embedding the hounds in the mainstream moving the showing rings as they have into the centre of the show. There was constant stream of the general public through the area and that can only be for the good.
Undoubtedly there was the odd teething problem but show secretary David Wallace and his team are to be congratulated on their achievement as must be the Agricultural Society for their considerable commitment to hunting in supporting the move.
The new showing ring is as large as any encountered on the circuit and a wonderful space in which to show hounds and judge them. One hopes next year however that some modifications can be made to the seating as there was not always a clear view of hounds from the stands.
The Great Yorkshire Show is a generous host to showing packs and they were rewarded by no less than 17 packs entering hounds, they included many of the local packs which is encouraging.
Alan Thomas MH (Taunton Vale Harriers) and northern Irishman John Shaw Brown MH (Sunnyland Beagles) sorted a high quality entry of doghounds in the morning. Not all the hounds entered made it past the measurers beforehand and there were some high profile casualties including a previous Ardingly Champion.
Entries in the restricted class for hounds from a pack that has not won a first prize at a recognised show are not measured and there were certainly some over-height hounds forward. All the placed hounds were big imposing sorts. The class was a one, two for the Eton College whose kennel huntsman had made the long journey north on his own. Pagan ’07 was placed first with his brother Packet second. Third and fourth places were taken by the Bleasdale well shown by their young whipper-in, with two more brothers Pollard and Pointer ’06.
There were four light coloured hounds in the final line up in the unentered class. It was won by the smart Ampleforth Trojan, a very nice hound, second was the Christchurch and Farley Hill’s Viscount, and third the Newcastle with Wildboy. Reserve was another Ampleforth hound the red bodied Troy. It was nice to see them finding form once more.
In the entered doghound class it was splendid (if a little confusing!) to see the final 3 and a half couple galloped off together. The judges eventually plumped on the compact Newcastle and District Alpha ’07 for their winner with his kennel mate the hare-pye Glazier ‘08 in third, BSSNS Vatican ’08 divided them in second with Eton College Blackthorn ’08 reserve.
The stallion hound class was a good one and a victory for the BSSNS with Surrey and N Sussex Connor ‘04, a tall racing red mottle dog, over Dummer Chaucer ’02 being shown by the Park Beagles from Dorset. Third was the CCFH’s red and white Hero ’07, with Ampleforth Tatler ’05 in reserve.
The BSSNS’s brothers Prison and Proctor ’06 took the couples class improving on their third placings at both Ardingly and Builth. The Christchurch were runners up with Hero and Glover ‘04, the Newcastle third with the unentered Wildboy and Woldsman, and the Ampleforth reserve with the Belvoir tan couple Trilby ’08 and Trooper ’05.
The progeny class for a stallion hound and two of his get of either sex is an interesting one and was a victory for the evergreen Newcastle Dexter ’00 and his sons Decoy ’04 and Alpha ’07. Second were the Christchurch with Galloper ’05 and brothers Pagan and Poacher ’08. Third was Dummer Spartan ’04 being shown by the Brighton with their Sparkle and Spellbound ’07.
Before the Championship was judged Ian Kibble, master of the Ampleforth, continued the welcome practice at this show of explaining what the judges are looking for in a hound to a packed audience. So many of the passing public were clearly mystified, if enchanted, by what was going on and how the placings are decided, so any explanation is to be welcomed. The bond between the very best showmen and there hounds is a very special thing but so often taken for granted by those of us who regularly travel to the shows, we should not underestimate the positive image it gives to the more casual observer and the good that can do in the promotion of our sport.
Peterborough Beagles 2009 Report
There were major changes at this year’s Festival of Hunting with all the rings except for the English and Old English Foxhounds being moved into the vast cathedral like spaces of the East of England Show’s Exec building. This provided the majority of the Festival shelter from potential bad weather as well as, more importantly, reducing the considerable costs entailed in staging the event.
Once people had got over their surprise it was a development generally welcomed by both spectators and those showing hounds alike and initial concerns that the hounds might either not enjoy the very shiny surface of the hall outside the rings or feel unduly closed in proved unfounded.
Certainly in the beagle ring there was only one entry all day that did not show confidently and generally hounds revelled in the large rings the new space afforded. Of course, as at Harrogate there were one or two teething problems but the innovations felt a success to me, and would have done so even more if the torrential rain of the previous day had continued through to the show day itself!
Sixteen packs had entered hounds in the show and it must have been a considerable disappointment for the Old Berkeley to have to withdraw on the suspicion their hounds might be coughing. The Brighton and Storrington, Surrey and North Sussex were also not forward as their ex-huntsman was judging in the afternoon, and neither were the Ampleforth, so the quality of the entries was diminished somewhat. Having said that it was my impression that there was a depth of quality across the packs, which is encouraging. It was particularly nice to see the Pipewell Foot Beagles showing again after a lapse of several years. Well shown by Stuart Harrison they weren’t in the prizes but it was nice to see their distinctive smaller hounds on the flags again.
Robin Leach who continues to oversee the breeding of the Dummer beagles, and was, of course, a long serving master of them; and Iain Storer, editor of the stud book and a Glyn Celyn stalwart, judged the doghounds.
The unentered class was won by the Christchurch and Farley Hill Viscount who had been second at Harrogate the previous week. He is a striking orange dog by BSSNS Villain’02. Second was the Newcastle’s Wildboy and third the Stowe’s Tanner. Philip Kennedy had a good entry from the Stowe forward and it was nice to see them knocking on the door all day. Reserve was the Claro’s Dalesman.
The Harrogate dog champion Newcastle Alpha ’07 could only manage third place in the entered class, his kennelmate Glazier ’08 improved a place, standing second, while Eton Blackthorn ’08 was reserve as at the Great Yorkshire.
Peterborough Doghound Champion, RAC Charlton '08
The winning dog at Peterborough 09 was Royal Agricultural College’s Charlton ‘08 who is actually Dummer bred being by Chaucer ’02 out of their Plover’05 who is in the RAC kennel. He was a lovely red and white, quality dog who flowed around the ring like silk and a worthy winner.
Glazier was joined by his brother Gallant to secure the couples class for the Newcastle, with the Christchurch’s Hero’07 and Glover ’04 second. Third were Eton’s Blackthorn and Whopper’07 and Stowe Tanner was joined by his brother Tankard in the reserve slot.
With neither the OBB nor the BSSNS present, the two couples class was a small one but that did not detract from the Newcastle’s victory with Glazier, Alpha, their father Dexter’00 and Tanner ’03. The Claro secured a well deserved second prize with brothers Warden, Warlock and Whipcord ’07 and the Dummer bred Fairfax ’07 while Christchurch Galloper ’07, Griffin ’08, Peregrine ’07 and their unentered winner Viscount were third.
David Brown, the CCFH kennel-huntsman was delighted with Hero’s win in the stallion hound class. He beat the RAC’s Dagger ’05 into second, and Newcastle Tanner ’03 into third. Eton College Cracker was reserve.
In the veteran class for dogs over seven years old, previous Peterborough champion NDB Dexter was first and Charlton’s father Dummer Chaucer ’02 shown by the Park second though not before Robin Leach had stood down from judging in favour of ring steward Brian Pratt. Third was Trinity Foot Marshman ’02, a vindication of student Laura Freeman’s hard work together with Sarah Jacobson who had kindly took a day off work to hold hounds for her, and fourth were the Bolebroke showing Brighton and Storrington Viking ’02 which was nice.
There are no rules against showing a draft hound from a pack bred by one of the judges at a hound show and indeed it would have been a little illogical to ban Dummer drafts from being shown in the doghound classes, when there were at least two other entries which though breeding in their respective kennels, had Dummer-bred parents on both top and bottom lines. It was though, an embarrassment to Robin, and while there was no suggestion that there was any suspicion of him viewing hounds from his own lines at all favourably - he also declined to judge the championship when Chaucer, as a second placed hound, came forward for that also.
Chaucer was, of course, entitled to, and the fault if there was one, lay with the authorities for not anticipating such an occurrence. In retrospect the solution is perhaps, that in future (and it is difficult to envisage it happening with any but Dummer officials - given they are so generous with their draft hounds) the judges preference is sought and entries accepted accordingly.
I was asked to judge the championship with Iain Storer and I’m glad to say our decision was shared by Robin.
We placed RAC Charlton champion and Christchurch Hero reserve, having watched them and Newcastle Glazier run up. Charlton is in Robin’s words “a remarkable dog” and we felt he had just that bit more quality than Hero who is beginning to age. It was a remarkable victory for the RAC team, and their kennel huntsman David Simms was delighted. Little did he anticipate what the afternoon would bring!
Prior to the championship being judged Nick Bannister, Chairman of the AMHB made two presentations. The first, the Mid Essex Beagles Salver is awarded to the pack or person who, in the Chairman’s view, has contributed the most to promoting hare hunting in the preceding year. On this occasion it went deservedly to Max Rumney, who as well as being master and huntsman of the Palmer Marlborough, and an excellent chairman of the Trinity Foot and South Herts, has contributed a huge amount to the effort of drawing up plans for the regulation of hunting post Repeal. In all those roles his quiet commitment and wise counsel is hugely appreciated and it was marvellous to see his efforts recognised.
The second award, the Aldenham Harriers Hunting Horn, went to this year’s most promising young harehunter. Nick presented this to Jack Doherty, amateur whipper in at the Oakley Foot. In my opinion one of the best whippers-in in the beagling field today. Jack was following in his brother Ashley’s footsteps. Young Harehunter in 2007 Ash is now hunting the Brighton, Storrington, Surrey and North Sussex with no little success. Jack’ efforts are not confined to the hunting field and he is constantly at the Oakley Foot kennels, and the award is richly deserved.
We returned to the bitches in the afternoon buoyed up by shadow minister for the environment and (more importantly!) past master of both the Trinity Foot and Newmarket Beagles Nick Herbert’s postprandial address.
While warning us not to take the election result nor repeal of the Hunting Act for granted he firmly committed the Conservatives to supporting our cause. For those of us who can remember his energy and drive helping to resolve the Northumberland Beagling Festival’s problems with hunt saboteurs some twenty years ago his involvement in a likely new cabinet is extraordinarily encouraging.
The bitches were judged by Jonnie Andrews MH (Glyn Celyn) and, continuing the welcome trend towards using experienced ex-professionals as judges, Wayne O’Brien who hunted the Brighton and Storrington to such acclaim for eighteen seasons. They were even more decisive and quicker than the morning’s judges.
In the unentered class they reversed the Builth one/two placing, putting Dummer Pepper, a really nice red bitch first and her kennel mate Dainty second. Pepper annoyingly lies down when shown at home, a habit she fortunately eschews away from her normal environment and she was beautifully presented by Steve Duckmanton. Third was the Claro Daphne and reserve the RAC Sable.
Peterborough Bitch Class Champion, RAC Whitewash '07
Unusually in the entered bitch class the first and second placings were occupied by hounds with the same name. RAC Whitewash ’07, a handsome white bitch with a good stride beat the Harrogate reserve champion Eton College Whitewash ’07. The Dummer had to be content with third place with their Charlock ’08 while her sister, the Builth bitch champion was unplaced. The Christchurch filled the reserve spot with Gravity ‘08
Eton College Whitewash took the following restricted class beating the Park’s Garter ‘05 into second and the Claro’s Waxwing ’07 into third. Garter’s sister Garland ’05 was reserve.
The Dummer came into their own in the multiple classes, Pepper being joined by Spangle ’07 to win the couples class and her sister Petal and Spangle and her sister Splendid to win the two couples. Splendid and another sister Sparkle were second in the couples class with the Christchurch’s Harrogate winners Parody ’07 and Scarlet ’06 third. Newcastle and District Gravity ’08, and Dainty’00 - the great Dexter’s sister, were reserves.
In the two couples class the Christchurch’s Bella ’06, Tonic ’06, Patience ’08 and Gravity were second and the Stour Valley’s all black Gossip ’05, Posy ’07, Princess ’05 and Grayling ’08 third separated the winning Dummer two couples from their kennelmates Basket, Ballet, Banter and Chelsea - all ’08, although they are actually in the 2009 stud book - who were reserves.
The last class before the championship was the brood bitch and it was won by the Builth winner Dummer Tonic’03 who wears her years very well. Their Barmaid ’02 was second and there was a welcome third for the Oakley Foot with Teal ’02, another youthful matriarch, and was shown by Jack Doherty and his young team. Reserve was the RAC Darkness ’05.
As the hounds were gathered for the finale the points class for the pack that had had the most successful show was awarded to the Dummer whose success in the brood bitches had nosed them in front of the Newcastle and District.
When we turned to bitch championship the ring filled with hounds from the Dummer’s group winners and the Eton’s Whitewash and the RAC’s hound of the same name. The judges concentrated on the latter and Dummer Spangle, an active red bitch which fled across the ring as do all the Dummer entries.
Having stood them up off the leash the final decision went in favour of the RAC Whitewash to complete a fantastic day for them, with Spangle reserve champion. A tremendous result for the RAC; nobody can remember them winning a championship at Peterborough with a home bred hound let alone both!
The Barclay Salver for the Champion Beagle was judged by both sets of judges and they gave it to Charlton to finish an upbeat show. It was particularly nice to see so many hounds being shown by young teams of handlers which together with the optimism on the political front - can only bode well for the future.
Matthew Higgs