Matthew Higgs
Beagles Column
Matthew Higgs
SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOW, ARDINGLY | 11th June
Fortunately the heavy rain that darkened the skies on our journey down to the South of England Hound Show on beagle day did not follow us to Ardingly.
Ten of the packs entered were forward, the Old Berkeley being forced to scratch with the cough. They were undoubtedly deprived of a clutch of prizes and with only the Brighton and Storrington and Radley College present from the “big guns” the day was wide open with most packs getting into the frame at some point. It was particularly encouraging to see several young teams showing the various entries which can only be for the good.
The Doghound classes were judged by Kevin Price, master of the West Somerset, and John Musgrave, master and huntsman of the Stokesley Farmers, who had made the long journey south despite the ideal clipping weather on the farm at home!
The unentered class was won by the neat little Radley College Target by Warwickshire Tailor’05. Second was the larger lemon and white Eton College Payson with his kennel mate Cropper third, Bolebroke Tangle was fourth. It was not a strong class.
The entered class was won by Brighton, Storrington, Surrey and North Sussex Valiant’08, a robust, compact dog with considerable presence who beat the Radley’s longer bodied Taunton08, another son of Tandy’04 the dam of the unentered winner. So was the third placed Tango’09. Eton College Blackthorn’08 was fourth, a big white hound and a different sort altogether.
The Radley combined their top two placings in the previous classes to take the couples class with the Wye shown by huntsman James Woodward, and their new joint master Stuart Cole taking second place with brothers Gamefair and Graduate’06. Two more half brothers from the Radley, Renegade’05 and Recall’06, were third while the BSSNS filled fourth place with Proctor ’06 and his brother Prison.
The veteran class is always a telling one and the Radley were in pole position again with the tan Whiplash’04 who certainly drew the eye in the line up. Dummer Spartan’04 was shown by the BSSNS to take second place while the Clinkard’s youthful Falcon’03 was a popular third well shown by that pack’s young team. The Bolebroke were fourth with a BSSNS draft Viking’04.
There are some who criticise packs showing draft hounds but I can see no harm in it especially if it means some of the smaller packs can take part in the show. If one remembers that showing SHOULD be a bit of fun and that, whatever some may think, the prizes ought to be not too jealously sought, I can see nothing wrong in giving a hound not bred in the kennel it’s moment of glory, especially in the stallion, brood bitch and veteran classes.
BSS&NS Valient '08
Having said that I bitterly regret taking an Ardingly championship with a Dummer bitch many years ago depriving the Pevensey Marsh of pole position. I fervently hope I did not contribute too significantly to her breeder Ian Cunningham’s aversion to the showing ring subsequently!
The Park took the stallion hound class with their Chairman’07. He is a neat little dog and typical of their kennel. Second was Radley Renegade and third Eton Cracker’05. The Sandhurst and Aldershot were fourth with the veteran Surrey and North Sussex Padlock’03. It was good to see their hounds back in the show ring with their new kennel huntsman Peter Munt who as an amateur held hounds for Garry Irwin when he was huntsman there.
Before the Championship the Radley concluded a successful morning by winning the College class with the Eton College filling second and third places with the only other entries.
There was potential drama in the Championship when the Radley’s Taunton decided he did not like it anymore and refused to show himself. Fortunately for them he recovered his composure sufficiently in time for the entered doghound placings to stand, BSSNS Valiant truimphing over him as Champion.
The South of England Show’s committee is robust in its support for our sport and it was good that the bitch classes were delayed to enable all the packs participating in the show to join four foxhound packs in the main show’s grand ring for a stirring parade which drew loud cheers from the ringside.
The bitches were judged by Steve Duckmanton, who has just concluded 25 wonderful seasons with the Dummer as their huntsman, and Ollie Beckerlegge who, at the other end of the scale, has just returned to the Essex and Suffolk Foxhounds as professional whipper-in, having been master of the RAC Beagles while studying there. They got through the card smartly catching up the time spent in the main ring.
Four Belvoir tan bitches headed the unentered class which was won by Radley Dashful, a daughter of the veteran doghound class winner. Sisters BSSSNS Pansy and Placid were second and fourth respectively being divided by Trinity Foot and South Herts Zennor, which we were pleased with.
Last year’s Great Yorkshire champion Eton College Whitewash’07 was the best entered bitch with an active lemon and white hound from the Clinkard Meon Valley Promise’07 in second. Third place went to Radley College Taxi ’08, a sister of Taunton, the reserve doghound champion, and fourth was their Disco’08.
Eton College Whitewash '07
Two further relatives of Taunton, a full sister Tangle’08 and a half sister Tackroom’09 won the couples class. They were bright and active and typical of the Radley sort. Eton Blinker and Blameless’08 were second and the Park took third with their pretty Ascot’09 and Charity’07 both by Dummer Chaucer’02. The fourth slot went to the Stour Valley with the red and white unentered couple Womble and Worry, first of a flurry of placings for them, Radley CollegeTandy ’04, the mother of many of their prize winners, had to be content with second place in a good veteran class. She was beaten by the BSSNS Sapling’03, last year’s bitch champion who carried her years lightly. Her stable mate Cleo’04, also a previous champion, had thickened up a bit and was fourth while Stour Valley Faithful’04.the attractively blue mottle Park Garter’05 was third.
In the brood bitch class Stuart Cole who used to show the Hunsley Beacon entries when he was master there could hardly contain himself as he watched James Woodward show off Biscuit’04, a hound Stuart brought with him to the Wye. Both were ecstatic when this active little white bitch won over BSSNS Playful’05 in second, the attractively blue mottle Park Garter’05 in third and Stour Valley Posy’07 fourth.
The final class of the day was the interesting bitch and two progeny class and BSSNS Whitby’07 and her daughters Spicey and Splinter won. The Stour Valley were second with Wagtail’05and Winston and Wizard’09 and the Wye were third with Ramble’06 and her offspring Ripple and Ranger. There were only three entries.
The championship was a tussle between the Eton’s larger Whitewash and Hunsley Beacon Biscuit shown by the Wye whose huntsman cheerfully admitted his showing stamina was being seriously tested having found himself in the ring for rather longer than he was used to!
That the judges opted for Whitewash was ample reward for Peter Hunkin, the pack’s kennel huntsman whose last show it was before his retirement after 17 seasons at Eton. During that time he has quietly nurtured a host of keen hunting boys many of whom have gone on to work and hunt with other packs and his contribution to beagling should not be lightly dismissed. His successor is Wayne O’ Brien who has had a couple of seasons out after giving up the huntsman’s post at the BSSNS. That he takes over the stewardship of the Eton is reassuring to us all.
One other retirement should be noted before this report’s conclusion. After many years Vicki Ellinger has given up the secretary’s post to the hound show, a role she has filled with charming efficency. It was good to hear she had received a presentation the day before at the Foxhound Show and welcome that a large bottle of champagne from the beaglers complimented that on this day.
WELSH AND BORDER COUNTIES HOUND SHOW, BUILTH WELLS | 24th June
It was a blisteringly hot day for the Welsh Hound Show, the sun’s heat magnified by the bowl of the Royal Welsh showground making it hard work for hunt staff and hounds alike.
The doghound beagles were judged by Lynn Clinkard MH, Clinkard Meon Valley, and Alun Thomas who has just left the Taunton Vale Harriers. Eleven packs were forward and with many of them taking the opportunity to show three hounds in each of the “singles” classes the ring was constantly full of hounds
Builth is one of the shows to have a restricted class for packs that are not usually in the ribbons. While that does encourage one or two packs to show that might not otherwise, it can mean the judges end up selecting the least worst hound as was the case here. Monmouthshire Winner’00 took the class with the narrower unentered Wyre Forest Dalesman second. The Britannia filled third and fourth positions with Pressgang’08 and the unentered Richmond.
The unentered class was won by the small, compact Christchurch Hamlet to start a good day for them. Afterwards Lynn explained they were putting strong emphasis on the hound’s feet which explained one or two decisions that puzzled the ringside pundits. The lemon BSSNS Splinter was second and the Park’s Preacher, a son of their Chairman, third. Warwickshire Timbrel, a brother of the Radley’s Ardingly winner (the latter pack bred him) was fourth.
There was excitement in the entered class when the eventual winner CCFH Viscount’09 was initially dismissed from the ring. An active orange hound he moved well. The Ardingly Champion did not bother the judges leaving his brother, BSSNS Vatican’09 to uphold the family honour in second with CCFH Poacher’08 third and Park Wraxall’09 fourth.
By the time the couples class came to be judged the temperature was building and some hounds were beginning to flag. The class was won by the well matched dark BSSNS Prison and Proctor’06 with the Glyn Celyn’s couple, well shown by their team in their distinctive green coats, the unentered Savage and Sergeant second. The Warwickshire’s couple of big lemon and white dogs Victor and Chester both ’09 were perhaps hard done by in third and the Derby ,Notts and Staffs grizzled couple Dollar and Dasher’08 stood reserve.
The Christchurch continued their winning ways in the two couples class, their red and white Hero’07, the unentered Diver and brothers Grafton and Griffin’08 taking first prize. To the delight of a strong student following they also took second place with the black and tan Garrulous, Pagan, Poacher and Warrior all ’08. The Glyn Celyn entry was third and the Park’s fourth. The rosettes for this class were popularly presented by the show president, the evergreen photographer, Jim Meads.
To me the stallion hound class appeared a little weak though it was won by the eventual champion Park Chairman’07 repeating his Ardingly success. The heavier BSSNS Prison’06 was second and the 2008 Ardingly champion CCFH Victor’07 was third. Glyn Celyn showing Oakley Foot Truant were fourth.
The Championship was a tussle between two very different sorts, the Christchurch’s more modern Viscount and the smaller Park Chairman. The latter certainly shows well and really moved about the ring belying his heavier frame and on this occasion triumphed to the delight of his huntsman Lee Hounsell.
The bitches were judged by Albert Hickson, now a master of the Claro Beagles and Nick Banister MFH the AMHB’s tireless chairman and a master of the Pendle Forest and Craven Harriers.
Deservedly the afternoon was a walkover for the Dummer Beagles who won every class apart from the restricted. Any sense of ennui brought on by their predictable success was more than assuaged by the opportunity to see the endless flow of wonderful hounds from their kennel.
The restricted class which, obviously, was not open to the Dummer was won by a sister of the mornings winner Monmouthshire Wicket’07. Her kennel mate Delta’09 was second while the Britannia again filled third and fourth places with Peacock’09 and the unentered Quietly.
Dummer Vanity won the unentered class with Brighton Pansy second, as she was at Ardingly. Third was the CCFH’s Hazel and fourth Warwickshire Tipsy, a sister of Timbrel.
The Dummer and Christchurch had the entered class to themselves, the striking red Pepper’09 leading the field with the CCFH Sugar’09 second ,both are daughters of BSSNS Villain’02. Third was the bright back and white Dummer Charlock’08 and fourth CCFH Gravity’08.
Charlock’s sister Chutney was joined by Dabble’09, another daughter of Villain, to take the couple’s class and again the Christchurch were second with the smaller lemon and white Parody and Phoenix’07. An Ardingly placing was again mimicked here with Park Ascot’09 and Charity’07 in third and the Glyn Celyn did well to take the reserve ticket with sisters Dancer and Dazzle’08
The Dummer’s three two couple entries filled the ring and the eye the judges choosing Focus’09, sisters Petal and Pepper and Spangle’07 to take first prize. The CCFH were again bridesmaids with Parody, Phoenix and Scandal and Scarlet’06 with the Parks litter sisters Ascot, Ansty and Amble being joined by Charity in third. The Wyre Forest were a good reserve with Raindrop’09and some more siblings Virtue,Vivid and Vixen’09.
In the brood bitch class Dummer Faithful’07 was first and Parody went forward on her own to secure second again for the Christchurch. Third was Dummer Speedy’05 and reserve Hunsley Beacon Bargain’08 which was nice for Rosie Till who was showing hounds in the afternoon having held the strings for her father in the morning.
Mention should also be made of the Derby and Notts young whipper in Richard Archer who made the most of the afternoon having being given the opportunity to show the hounds by their huntsman Richard Mousley.
After the Monmouthshire’s restricted winner had been discarded the championship class was an exclusive Dummer and Christchurch affair and it was won by Pepper with the Dummer’s Spangle coming out of their two couples winners to secure a deserved reserve championship.
It was particularly nice that Pepper was champion in this election year as she was walked by Penny Stephens Clarkson who worked so tirelessly in the Vote OK office. No puppy walker more richly deserved such success.
Matthew Higgs