West Country Treasures
The Attributes of the West Country Harrier, by Alun S. Thomas
Alun Thomas
Alun S. Thomas MH was for 10 seasons Master and Huntsman of the Taunton Vale Harriers. David Brian Plummer, is his 1985 publication, ‘Hunters All’, describes Alun as having ‘an enviable reputation as a terrier man and hunter’. Alun’s fascination for terrier work and breeding started as an11yro boy at the side of Tom Prosser, Huntsman of the Llangeinor. Ensuing decades brought appointments as terrier man at the Glamorgan, David Davies, Middleton, and Chiddingfold Leconfield and Cowdray. Alun describes time spent in the 1990’s as kennel-huntsman to Robin Cursham as ‘the best apprenticeship I could have served’. In 2000 he and Jackie moved to Somerset to take on the Taunton Vale Harriers. Alun was instrumental in the introduction of West County Harrier classes at Peterborough in 2006, where he has won two consecutive dog hound championships.
Some say they came from the Quarme Harriers on Exmoor, Captain John Guy Evered’s pack (1849) which was acquired in 1867 by William Loveband Chorley of Quarme to hunt hare and was disbanded following the last World War after a long and illustrious history. They certainly are indiginous to the West Country and they tended to be light in body and light in colour.
The hounds evolved into a sophisticated breed indeed. The Cotley were the cornerstone of this breed: the West Country Harrier. I would imagine this was when they were in their hey day, gaining from the benefit of security and the name of the Eames family, a private pack, and unable to be tainted by mediocre committees which lacked inspriation. Full Cotley blood is the oldest and purest West Country Harrier blood in England.
“If I had to choose a single type of hound, I would choose the West Country Harrier; for me it is the rough country hound of greatest excellence.”
Willy Poole, ‘Hunting – An Introductory Handbook’
Characteristically smaller than their cousin, the foxhound, and larger than their other cousin, the beagle, this lemon and white hound possesses the nose of the basset, the intelligence of the sheep dog, and the tenacity of the pit bull. Never known to give up, to the annoyance of many West Country huntsmen, they hunt like dervishes, yet to the watchful eye they appear to move with elegance and ease of effort.
I recall one Boxing Day late afternoon, with a very tired horse beneath me, and a very tired pack of hounds, I said to myself: ‘Don’t find now, you’ve done enough for the day’. During the gathering gloom, and a dropping temperature, a dog hound opened up and cried, “Fox! Fox!”. And at 4pm on a cold winter’s night we are away again, in full cry, for a 2½ hour hunt, for a 3 mile point, in tough, trappy Somerset countryside. (We did end up in Vic’s van and toasted the festive season copiously afterwards.)
Hunting legend, Ikey Bell, when master of the South & West Wilts (1925-34), was impressed with the Royal Artillery hounds of his era. (The RA, his neighbouring pack, at that time hunting harriers, had purchased the Instow pack of West Country Harriers in 1920, containing Quarme harrier blood. The harrier legacy lives on - the RA continue to wear the green coat.) Of them he wrote:
“The only occasion on which I began to feel anxious for my pack’s laurels was when Major Scott-Watson brought down a couple of his little hounds from Bulford Camp. This couple was of Quarme Harrier blood, and all day they held their place in front, and once when the pack were checked by sheep, carried on the line. No-one was more delighted than their gallant Master when I cheered his little couple with a “Forward to Bulford! Yooi!” and later on handed him the mask of a good fox, which his little treasures had played a full part in bringing to book.”
(Source: Full Cry: A Hound Blog)
Once in the humbling company of Lady Caroline Gosling I mentioned to her that I had put to a very decent little bitch of mine, Gable ‘06, to an Exmoor Dog, Boxer ’04, and asked whether she thought it would work. Lady Caroline carries more pedigrees in her head than most. She immediately said to me, “That’s got Catlow on top and bottom lines, that will nick very well.”
These hounds that hunt like beagles, in that you could throw a blanket over them, will one day make you the finest huntsman that ever was, and yet have the capability of letting you down so badly the next. But all you can do is laugh about it. These wilful, independent hounds have an unnerving ability to never want to stop hunting. This trait was enhanced by using College Valley lines in the 70’s and again when I re-introduced it in 2009.
Indeed, it did, and that litter in its first season of entry were very often lead hounds away from covert possessing voice, drive and intelligence. Going back to the wonderful Exmoor hound, bred with such style, I am sure ‘The Captain’ would have had a smile on his face. (Both Gable and Boxer are sixth generation descendants of TVH Catlow ’79.)
One must have a relaxed attitude, nerves of steel and a kind, loving approach towards this charming hound. It is my belief you need to ‘think them’, almost to become one of them, as they cast widely about, deep-scenting, holding a line even on tarmac and through other foils. They will certainly drive on.
It amuses me, when going to a meet of the Exmoor foxhounds, probably a pack of hounds, in my very biased opinion, of being one of the top three in England, that you will rarely see a hound at the meet and yet when Tony Wright is ready to go they will be in front of his horse, shouting with alacrity, “Come on, let’s be at them.” What a shame that lots of hunting people don’t understand that is foreign to these hounds to be held in some quivering heap, just to look good. Looking good, to me, is relaxed and happy and content.
They do not take kindly to being held up at a meet under the threat of a whip in a contrived fashion, but must be able to relax and enjoy the day, and hopefully they will devour a plate of sandwiches from some poor, unsuspecting host.
Huntsmen tend to move on from the harriers to the more fashionable and socially acceptable foxhounds. But, be warned young huntsmen, the harriers will make or break you in one day; beware of this charismatic, yet tough, durable, infectious hound. Are you tough enough? Are you good enough?
With the West Country Harrier it’s not just a question of being a good huntsman. Are you good enough to stay with them, try to understand them and, when they let you down, have broad enough shoulders? But, when they are good, they are stunning.
Alun S. Thomas