Matthew Higgs
Honiton Hound Show
Matthew Higgs
The West of England Hound Show held as many of the West Country packs are beginning to think about starting their seasons always has a delicious end of term feel about it and with all the hound breeds on display is a tremendous celebration of the incipient season.
Sadly the bar closed soon after the conclusion of the judging this year (surely a huge business miscalculation on their part!?) which rather reduced the celebratory possibilities but it was only a little less fun for that.
Twelve beagle packs came forward for their section of the show and, with some of them showing for the first time in this years - campaign there was all to play for.
The doghounds were judged by Steve Duckmanton, the Dummer Beagle’s huntsman (who I hope will forgive me if I say he looked rather less assured than normal in the show ring!) and Karen Wray, joint master of the West Somerset pack. Karen is bred to the job as her father is the expert John Price of Beacon and W. Somerset fame and they judged with speed and accuracy.
The Park started their day with a one, two in the unentered class, their Walbrin, who has been there or there abouts all season, winning with his brother Wraxall in second.
The Stoke Hill were third with Tankard and the Eton’s Connor reserve. Both he and the Park entries were by Surrey and North Sussex sires, Connor’04 and Whittler ’01 respectively.
In the entered class the Radley College burst through the field to win with Dado’08, a bright black and white hound who fled over the ground. He had not appeared at any major show this season and stood out over Eton Blackthorn ’08 and the Peterborough Champion RAC Charlton ’08. The latter was certainly less imposing in the daylight. People who scoff when the form book is turned on its head should remember there is fortunately no “right” answer and hounds often alter over time. It is part of the fun!
Radley Taunton’08 was reserve.
Eton College Blackthorn was joined by another son of SNS Whittler, Whopper ’07 to win the couples class over the more heavily built Park pair Charcoal and Chairman’07. The Radley were third with the athletic half brothers Renegade’05 and Recall’06 with the white RAC Whistler ’07 and his brother Whinstone in reserve.
The stallion hound class was not a strong one but the winner was nice. Radley Daresbury ’06 is a son of the influential Padbury’02. He won over his kennel mate Recall in second and Park Chairman in third. RAC Dagger was reserve.
In the past the local class for packs with registered country in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset or Wiltshire has been a bit disappointing. This year it was a good one filled with nice hounds. It was won by RAC Charlton, this year’s Peterborough Champion. Second place was awarded to the Palmer Marlborough’s blue mottle Vintage ‘05 and third was the Britannia’s Nathan ’08. Reserve was the unentered winner Park Walbrin.
Charlton went on to be the local champion with Vintage in reserve which was a feather in the cap of their master Max Rumney and kennel huntsman David Gaylard who have been steadily improving their hounds over the last few seasons.
The doghound open Championship line up was filled entirely by hounds from the College packs and was a triumph for Countryside officer Simon Timbrell and the Radley College whose Dado stood champion with Daresbury reserve. It was interesting to note that their picture in Horse and Hound bereft of scale could very easily been of foxhounds which says a lot about their racing conformation.
Heavy rain came on just as the morning’s proceedings ended but fortunately it abated in time for the bitch classes. They were judged by Tom Eames (MH Cotley) and my wife Kate Higgs (MH Trinity Foot and South Herts) who was hugely relieved to make it despite being heavily pregnant (Jack, our son, had the decency to delay his arrival by a further fortnight in order to allow his mother to judge her first major show).
I can, of course, say no other but that in my opinion this young team made a good job of it. They placed Dummer Pepper, a young hound of real quality first in the unentered class over the lighter Radley College Tackroom in second. Third was the RAC’s Saucy and reserve the Chilmark and Clifton Foot’s Spinster, well shown by their new huntsman Simon Dunn.
Dummer Cheerful ’08 won the entered class. A big white hound she is a striking bitch that moves well. The Radley were runners up again, this time with Taxi’08 and the Peterborough Champion RAC Whitewash ’07 was third. Again she disappointed on the day compared to her appearance at Peterborough
The Dummer /Radley one two persisted into the couples class Dummer Chutney ‘08 and the unentered Dabble winning and Radley Taxi and her sister Tangle coming second. Dummer Pepper and Spangle ’07 were third while the reserve slot went to the Purbeck and Bovington’s neat little couple Relish’03 and Hopeful’08 to the delight of their kennel huntsman Tony Stickland
The brood bitch class was a strong one with the Dummer’s Builth reserve Champion Tonic ‘03 having to be satisfied with third place. The class was won by the Chilmark and Clifton Foot’s Whisky ‘05, a smart, slightly heavier, black and tan bitch which was pleasing for the ring steward, their master Paul Jelley. The W. Somerset took second with their Waitress ’02. She went on with well matched daughters Whisper and Willow to win the progeny class. The Park were second with Pickle ’02 and her son’s unentered winner Walbrin and his brother Windsor. The Dummer had again to be content with third with Speedy ‘05 and her daughters Splendid and Spangle ’07 and the Purbeck and Bovington again took the reserve ribbon.
The local class was won by the Palmer Marlborough’s Womble ’08 a nice black, white and tan bitch. She eventually stood reserve to the Chilmark and Clifton Foot’s brood bitch winner in the local championship. Second in the local class was W. Somerset Varnish’08 and third was previous Honiton champion Park Garter ’05. The Britannia took a ticket with their reserve placed bitch Nature’08
In the Championship the judges were drawn to the unentered Dummer Pepper as unusually unentered hounds are eligible to compete. In the end they went to the more mature Cheerful for their winner. In the unentered Championship for the Lori Whitley trophy their decision was clear cut and Pepper prevailed to end an enjoyable afternoon.
Rydal Hound Show Report
A perfect summer’s day was just reward for Rydal Show’s committee who last year saw their efforts dashed by wet weather which forced the show’s cancellation. A record crowd soaked up the sunshine and this show’s unique atmosphere watching beagles, fellhounds, harriers and terriers as well as the hound trailing and sheep dog trials.
In the beagle ring hounds were judged byAlastair Jackson, director of the MFHA and his counterpart at the AMHB, Lizzie Salmon. Thirteen packs of beagles were forward including the Airedale, like many packs taking advantage of unmeasured classes to show their big hounds, and the Sunnyland from Co. Down whose hounds would not be eligible for the main AMHB shows as they are not in our stud book.
The Cheshire triumphed in the unentered dog class with a tall, graceful, red and white puppy with a slashing shoulder Warden. He was a different type to the rest in the class. Warwickshire Chester (namesake of their useful stallion hound was second and the local Black Combe Valiant a good third for their young huntsman Michael Cummings who works at Sellafield.
As in the unentered class the line up in the entered class were all red and white hounds. First prize went to Claro Warden’07. When Wayne O’ Brien retired huntsman at the Brighton and Storrington put him up at the Colne Valley show in the spring the grapevine was buzzing that he was an outstanding doghound that would take the shows by storm. Since then he has not really fulfilled that reputation so it was very nice to see him coming to the fore here.
An Old Berkeley hound, Fallible, was second to him which was nice for their retired huntsman Garry Irwin who was at the ringside as his wife Rachel walks a hound for the Coniston whose show this is. Fallible was shown by the Black Combe. Third was the Newcastle’s Glazier ‘08 who has had a good show season this year.
In the unentered bitches the claro’s Daphne was first, a pretty lemon bitch. The places were filled by the Newcastle with Wisdom and the Black Combe with Vanish.
The Warwickshire hounds have got bigger in recent years and they have not been the force in the show ring that they have in the past so their team was delighted with a win in the entered bitches with Trinket. The Hunsley Beacon, whose owner Patrick Till was stewarding with his daughter Rosie in the ring with his usual panache, took second and third with Truthful and Biscuit to their huntsman Stuart Cole’s delight.
The Newcastle hounds had punched below their weight through the day but there was no denying them in the group class where they stormed to victory with a well matched quartet of red and white hounds which were due to start hunting soon after. Both trophies for the best beagle in show and best opposite sex went to the Claro with Warden and Daphne to a great cheer from their ringside supporters.
This was a great result for their master and huntsman Mick Stevens who puts in many miles between his home and their kennels on the other side of Yorkshire. Mick’s judicious use of Radley College sires has brought in a lot of quality into his kennel in the two seasons since he joined the mastership and it was nice to see his quiet unassuming enthusiasm so dramatically rewarded here.
Claro Warden, and Claro Daphne
Warden went on to compete in the overall show championship against the winning hounds from the harrier and foxhound rings as well as the champion terrier. In fairness he had his work cut out but there was no little comfort for beaglers when Coniston Briton was found overall wiiner.
His walker Michael Burton, is the son of Tom Burton, Duke of Beaufort’s countryman, who many of us remember hunting the Weardale beagles with such success when Michael was just a toddler. Spending a lot of time in kennels with his father, his ability with hounds was evident even at that young age so it is a real pleasure to see him start as whipper in at the Coniston this season.
Matthew Higgs