Weston School Meet
Weston Junior School Hosts a Ross Harriers Meet
The schoolchildren of Weston-under-Penyard on the Welsh Borders hosted a meet recently for the Ross Harriers kennelled near their village and enjoyed a day’s line-hunting in the local Ross-on-Wye countryside. The school meet was the brainchild of Weston’s vicar Neil Patterson who hunts regularly with the Ross Harriers.
Lee Peters with the Ross Harriers
Mitch Prosser: very keen and able youngster, who I'm sure will make a huntsman one day. He can cross the country very well. Mitch is 12yro (with a mind of a 30yr old); his 9yro pony's name is Poppy's Luck. Mitch currently holds the silver hunting horn presented every year to a member of the pony club who the master thinks deserves it for their commitment in the hunting field. Mitch is currently in the Welsh Dressage Squad and is due for more trials to keep his position.
The day was organised by Ross master and huntsman Lee Peters and Weston school’s headmaster Brian Bird. All the children first attended school first thing to be registered and counted, then the 38 children who had ponies brought their mounts to the meet , and the while the rest of the school (circa 40 children) presented the meet, and followed the day’s action on foot, all chaperoned by parents.
Lee Peters said: “This is a farming area, and very much a farming-children school, and we had a lot of farmers’ wives out, with children on lead-reins. There were lots of fresh faces out hunting which was very encouraging.
“The day was the idea of our local vicar Neil Patterson who hunts with us regularly, and always in his dog-collar. He’s a great man who really connects with the countryside and local community.
Lee added then school meet help to open up new country with local farmers, and it’s now planned to be a regular meet, as there’s been good feedback from the parents, and the villagers at the meet who brought along cakes and bits to eat.
“I would like to see the hunting world doing more with their local school as it’s creates goodwill with the local community, and it’s great PR for the hunting world,” said Lee.
Lees hunt report: “We had some local hunting in and around Weston Hall Farm, then moved on to Richard Green’s, a very good farmer who allows the hunt any time. We’d laid a good trail which took us an 1hr-40mins and ended on the main road between Aston Ingham and Newent.
Master and Huntsman Lee Peters with joint-master Anna Ernsting greeting the children
Moving off from the meet
School children arriving at the Weston School meet
After that we collected hounds and hacked on to Withymoor where we found again. That line took us in and around Aston Ingham and Withymoor before heading onto Mr Cracknell’s land at Withymoor Farm, and then crossing the Lea road onto Mr Pugh’s at Highgrove. On through Highgrove covert down into the valley where the field enjoyed some good timber fences and stout hedges, and where this trail was given best due to fading light at the Golf Club close to Upton Bishop.”
Lee Peters, 32, on Stud Book Harriers: “This is my first year hunting a pack of harriers. I was with the Tetcott Foxhounds before and I can see a difference between the two hound types. In fact they’re a lot different. We’ve had some really good days since I came here.
These stud book harriers are incredibly fast, and they just never stop trying for you. Noses to the ground, sterns in the air - and waving all the time. Whereas foxhounds can be a bit sulky, these harriers never stop trying. They’re like big terriers, they’re on the go, all the time. I sometimes think - while the foxhound is thinking about it, the stud book harrier has been and done it!
They’re flashy, and you have to be sharp or they’d be gone with you. You have to be with them, as you can easily lose them – they’re so fast. They pack together more as a team, and you could throw the proverbial blanket over them. They keep going – and trying, and going – and trying.
We have a good country down here, and we can jump about. And we are getting good fields out, so things are going well.”
Lee Peters MH