Articles

Written by H.F.C and published in an early Bailys, the author’s thoughts on hunting cover the behaviour of the field, the quarry, casting and scent. Written over 100 years ago the observations are as relevant today as they were when written and are much more than just a historical footnote. I suppose those happy individuals...

Former hunting correspondent, poet, author, broadcaster, huntsman, Irish Draught Horse and Connemara pony breeder  Stanislaus Lynch (1907-1983) from Ballyjamesduff in County Cavan in Ireland was honoured recently in Cavan County Museum. The special remembrance night saw a capacity crowd of  hunt followers from both mounted and foot  packs including admirers of his work from all...

An analysis by the VAWM. This carefully compiled document comprehensively puts the scientific record straight in respect of the hunting debate and demonstrates that there are not and never were any scientific grounds for banning hunting on the grounds of cruelty. Summary of Key Points The Burns Report is incorrectly and frequently cited as justifying...

We are grateful to Matt Cross editor of Countryside Controversial for this insight into the group calling themselves Wild Justice. For a while now I have been aware that Chris Packham, Dr Ruth Tingay and Dr Mark Avery had registered a company called ‘Wild Justice’. Ironically, given what follows, I decided to say nothing about...

In recent years there has been much discussion of reviving the old Peshawar Vale Hunt in Pakistan, in order to revive an old pastime, reconnect people with the countryside and traditional rural customs, and promote tourism in Pakistan. In 2019, led by Faiysal Alikhan, this finally began. The PVH was formed in Peshawar in 1870,...

How to win a sidesaddle race? Kelle King, winner of the Royal Artillery Hunt’s Sidesaddle Charity Dash 2019, has the answer: “Get a really fast horse!” Kelle’s mount, Time To Exceed, won by an impressive margin from a field of 13 on a good going at Larkhill on January 26th, 2019. Kelle regularly hunts sidesaddle...

This short article writen in 1928 demonstrates that authors should be very circumspect when they predict the demise of something in the equestrian world. There is every reason to believe that after long centuries the fashion in ladles’ riding skirts is changing; the old form of side-saddle skirt is giving way to the new style...

I find that there can be little doubt that the Kerry beagle and the bloodhound had the same origin. The colour and type of the two is still the same, and it is only a few years, as stated in Mr. Rawden Lee’s book on the dog, since the Kerry beagle had the same size...

Rosslyn Balding is sitting on a couch with her wool-sock-clad feet tucked comfortably beneath her. The professional huntsman has a bundle of handwritten notes in her right hand, which she keeps reminding herself, aloud, to refer to, but which she mostly keeps forgetting to check. She admits to being nervous. She has never been interviewed...

There are few packs of harriers in England that can equal the Quarme harriers them in keenness, pace, working capacity, and nose. However, they are well worthy of notice as being among the last representatives of the old light-coloured hunting hound once found plentifully in Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall. Until the year 1825, when the...