First came in the Master of the Fox Hounds (MFH) and the Whippers-In with all the hounds. What a fabulous sight & sound. All these dogs make plenty of noise...
Next comes the Bird of Prey & his handler. In November of 2004 the UK introduced a hunting ban, therefore the group uses falconers to bring in birds of prey to the hunt. I should probably point out that the hunt follows an artificial laid trail, so the hunt is really a recreation of past traditions.
The one thing I love about the hunt, is seeing all age & ability in the riders. I have seen entire families ride - children to parents to grandparents. What a fabulous way to spend a day!
Once the entry parade has finished, the riders and the dogs prepare for the day. The riders receive their mince pies & shot of Brandie while the dogs mingle with everyone around, especially girls with sticky hands and food hidden in their pockets.
Sophie thinks these hounds are the most beautiful dogs she has ever seen. Please don't tell Duke & Daisy; they might be a little jealous.
At this point the Master was checking with the Whipper because they had received word of a hound escaping. Sadly the dog had wondered off and was accidentally hit by a car, but thankfully nothing was broken and there was no permanent damage... he just couldn't hunt for the day.
Once everyone had finished their drinks, the wandering dog was recovered, the Master made his final speech, they were off. In a way it is anti-climatic once they trot off because there is so much excitement while the horses & the dogs are around, then us spectators just quietly go back to our cars & head home. However, we girls went to the stables and rode our own horses for the afternoon. It was a fabulous day - yucky weather but good riding.
Now, Kevin had plenty of fun at the antique auction. We won't talk about how much he spent, instead we will share a picture of a portion of what he bought. The furniture had to be delivered and the baseball items had already been stored for safe keeping (yes, you read that right - here in England, Kevin bought US baseball items).
When all was said & done it was a pretty good day ... until the flu hit Kevin & Cathy hard later that night. I won't blog about the flu, just use your imagination.
1 comment:
This is sooooo cool!
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