Karen Davison-White
BELVOIR KENNELS OPEN DAY 6TH JUNE 2010
Karen Davison-White
The Belvoir Kennels opened their doors for a packed programme of events on Sunday 6th June. A terrier, lurcher and family fun dog show drew people from far and wide.
There were plenty of stalls to look at, the second hand book shop had some lovely old hunting books to buy, and the Belvoir Supporter’s Club merchandise was splendidly positioned in the tea tent.
New huntsman for this coming season John Holliday was selling raffle tickets for a huge bottle of whiskey, an ideal way to meet and make many more friends in a neck of the woods he is more than familiar with.
In the afternoon there was a shoeing demonstration by W. Spence & Son. A sheep shearing demonstration by Geoff Rogerson.
Belvoir Kennels
The empty stables were made use of with some interesting goods for sale and a couple of horses present in theirs - were made use of with a “guess the horse’s weight” competition.
Highlight for me was a look at the hounds in the magnificent kennels where you can feel the history. The kennels are beautifully built. The stone flags almost look polished, with the use over the centuries. In the middle of each of the yards stands a stone bowl for the hounds to drink from. The lodges are immaculate. The kennels had been freshly painted which the young second whipper-in George Pearce told me he had been painting since the 1st May. What an opportunity he has ahead of him. George said he was at the Ludlow and went for an interview to the Ledbury, where John Holliday was huntsman. He said that he was leaving and would George like to join him as second whipper-in at the Belvoir: talk about right place - right time.
Belvoir Hounds
These Old English hounds are fed on meal and looked in very good order. There is no flesh round. There was a hound judging competition for the public which was a really good idea. Six doghounds to try and see if you could put them in the same order as the judge. Then the same with six bitches. The hounds wore coloured knitted collars to differentiate one from another. (Try learning the names of Old English hounds in kennel when they all look very similar, it must take a couple of weeks longer than normal for hunt staff.)
The Belvoir Hunt Kennels “Duke’s Room” was a delight. Full of memorabilia, galleried walls, paintings and prints. The famous huntsmen, the masters’ listed through the ages engraved on wooden plaques. I met George Tongue’s daughter who had kindly donated a painting of her father who was huntsman 1928-56: Doris Knight - as she now is - was born at the kennels, and said: “I helped my father in the kennels and did the horses.” The room is the brainchild of Tony Fenwick and I think I feel another story coming on.
Karen Davison-White