Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

Yes to the very end.

Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend

 

                                                                                    Christina Rossetti Up-Hill

 

And what an up-hill road we have travelled over the last few years but perhaps the summit is in sight and the outlook not quite as bleak as it was. The committee stage of the Bill has devolved into fiasco with our old antagonist Foster winning an amendment to ban all forms of hare hunting, completely blowing away Alun Michael’s two key concepts of ‘utility’ and ‘cruelty.’ Even more strangely Alun Michael failed to vote in favour of his own Bill. This points to the Bill being completely sabotaged when it returns to the Commons in March and the whole thing being turned inside out to reveal a Bill completely banning hunting in all forms.

 

You may feel that this will be a disaster, and so it will be unless the House of Lords throws the Bill out. The indications are that the Lords will act with common sense, as they did the last time a hunting Bill was presented to them, and refuse to endorse a total ban. It is vital, therefore, that we continue to lobby the House of Lords. If the Lords do reject the Bill, this will present Blair with an interesting conundrum.

 

He personally sponsored Alun Michael’s ‘Utility & Cruelty’ Bill, only to see it ambushed and turned into something completely different by his own Back Benchers. Now what is our dear Leader to do? (a) Say ‘You are right and I am wrong and of course I will invoke the Parliament Act on such a vital and important matter even though this is constitutionally unprecedented and please nice Mr Foster would you like to be the next head of DEFRA – or defra as it has now restyled itself. Or (b) draw stumps on the whole issue justifiably claiming that they have had their chance and have blown it. Even if you can take no comfort from the prospect of (b) I will leave you with one comforting thought – can you think of anything Blair has promised that he has actually delivered?

 

Meantime the fun and jollity goes on apace, the script for the Overton Giggle gets longer and longer as each day brings more incident, ( a noted contributor to the script, on viewing a new disaster “ Oh; I feel another verse coming along here…”) but commiserations to those whose incidents have resulted in injury rather than humour. Visitors from near and far have been hugely entertained and honoured to hunt with us, including Americans, Irish, jockeys and Irish jockeys. The Americans in particular find it totally incomprehensible that anyone should consider banning hunting, which coming from the land where it is virtually impossible to smoke a cigarette is an interestingly liberal view.

 

We are all – and the Carden Arms William Hill Substation in particular – most grateful for not being offered the opportunity to pay for our hunting by indulging in a 10-1 each way flutter on what could have been billed as the Wynnstay Hunter Chase at Haydock recently but expect better intelligence in the future. The Iscoyd Meet proved incontrovertibly something I have always suspected but never been able to prove - that the Cheshire Car Followers are even worse than ours.  Brace Up! Of course, in the words of the song – or rather in this case Mr John Jorrocks:-

 

“Tell me a man’s a fox-hunter, and I loves him at once.”

 

And women too, of course,  however we all hunt.

 

* * *

 

FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

 

It just seems like yesterday when over 230 of us squeezed into the Wynnstay Room at Bangor Racecourse to be well entertained by Clarissa Dickson Wright, Johnny Scott and Tug. Thank you everyone who came and enjoyed themselves as well as David Higham for securing such popular attractions and whose latest television series was so enjoyable.

 

Sally Kenyon and Nella Matson very kindly hosted soup lunches in November and December. Quality not Quantity was the order of the day. We did enjoy ourselves as well as indulge in Andrew Hunt’s delicious selection of cheeses. Thank you for being so generous. I think we have all enjoyed the activities each area committee has organised, whether it was a ride, gymkhana, hog roast, dance or quiz. All were excellent and well attended. Thank you Chairmen, Secretaries and Committee Members for your energy and commitment throughout the year.

 

The main purpose of our club is to support the Hunt Masters and local community as best we can and in this respect we have given a contribution towards covert laying and subsidised the buses for the September March. My final thank you must go to Peter Lawrence who keeps the books so efficiently between bowling matches and to Charlotte who has been brilliant and extremely helpful throughout her first year as secretary.

 

Happy Hunting

 

AREA I (WREXHAM)

 

Unfortunately we had to cancel this years ride owing to parking problems but we are in the process of opening up a completely new ride for this year so fingers crossed. The average age of our committee is now too high to be calculated and we would very much like to enrol some younger blood. If anyone would like to volunteer themselves please contact Annie Jones on 01978 780 870. The duties are not exactly onerous and can be good fun.

 

AREA II (WHITCHURCH)

 

Charlie Barnett's cross country ride was a tremendous success with an incredible 384 starters. Charlie, Geoff Bourne and their team of helpers had made a fantastic job of the course. There were some very inviting hedges and everyone I spoke to had really enjoyed themselves. A lot of money was raised with a donation going to the Air Ambulance and thanks to all helpers on the day as well as Mary and Brian Probin for use of their field for parking.

 

We had a very successful quiz night. It was extremely popular and it was difficult to fit everyone who wanted to be there into Welshampton Village Hall. It was a very jolly evening and a HUGE thank you to Mudguard for producing such a comprehensive and brilliant selection of questions on so many interesting subjects. The winners were the North Staffs - well done them ! A big thank you to all the many helpers on the night.

 

The Farmers Hunt Ball on 7th February was ably and efficiently run by Brian and Mary Probin once again with help from Liz Meyer. It was one of the best yet  - very well attended across the ages with excellent food, band and atmosphere. Thank you Brian and Mary - book now for 6th February 2004 to avoid disappointment !

 

AREA III (MALPAS)

 

We held our cross country ride on Sunday October 20^th starting from Stretton Hall Farm by kind permission of Simon & Melanie Chantler, an outstanding ride had been made by the kind permission of all the farmers who let us across their land and a lot of hard work from Henry Tomlinson. Jumps were provided by Gerald Williams and the Pony Club, and after several hours labour by some of the committee pallets and birch seemed to spring up from nowhere!! The day was a great success even though the weather did its best to dampen our spirits. A Thank You party at Edge Grange followed this up, on Friday 8^th November for all the landowners and helpers, at this a presentation was made to Mary Rutter who has retired after 23 years from our committee.

 

We are holding a skittles evening at The Bickerton Poacher on Friday 28^th February, by kind permission of Jonathan & Sally Chantler, teams of 5, maximum 10 teams.  Entry fee is £10 per team, there will be a first prize of £25 and a booby prize. Bar Meals will be available, entries should be telephoned to Pat Adam 01948 860394 by 25^th February. So please come along even if you are not in a team and support them, a good fun night should be had by all.

 

HUNTING REPORT

 

This season’s Opening Meet was held on Tuesday 29^th October at Sutton Green. It was moved to Sutton Green to celebrate that most stalwart supporter of hunting and the Wynnstay in particular, Captain John Ormrod’s 70^th birthday. Despite the excellent hospitality a disappointing day ensued. Generally speaking, however, November was an excellent start to the season. After a steady start the hounds produced very good days from Coddington, Stanwardine and Tushingham – from where, on Saturday 9^th, they ran straight to Barmere, over the A41 and on to Norbury Mere in the Cheshire Country. This good spell continued at Gredington, Erddig, Alkington and Whalebone Cottage. The sole disappointment being the shortage of foxes in some areas; this seems to be a national trend and not particular to us.

 

December continued in much the same vein with busy days from Adrefelyn, Harwick Hall and New House Farm Coed-yr-Alt. The Christmas holidays saw some fun from Somerset House on Christmas Eveand a tremendous turnout in Malpas on Boxing Day followed by a sharp mornings hunting. As always the Pony Club Meet was a busy day and I would like to congratulate Master Churton on winning the Masters Cup for general help and enthusiasm.  On Monday 30^th December the hounds met at Bryn Hovah following the sad news of the death of Neville Hill-Trevor. A particularly good day was had. Finding at Campbells Gorse hounds produced an excellent two hours in two large circles round the Cloy before running for the Hollow Wood, eventually being stopped crossing for Lightwood Green. They were then taken to draw the Caedrinnions. A very sharp hunt resulted, straight across Adrefelyn and left handed for the Devils Gallery, Campbells Gorse, over the Bangor road and marked to ground at Willington – a good sharp burst.In the evening a slower hunt was had from the Black Wood to the Well and Desk Woods before running back for the Caedrinnions where they were stopped in the gathering darkness.

 

January has proved to be a more mixed month. A hard frost suspended proceedings for the week of the 7^th, 9^th and 11^th. A steady day from Rosehill and an improving day at Sodylt were followed by another very good day on Saturday 18^th January, the day of the Hunt Ball. Three good days were had, the middle being the longest. A fox was found in Burtons Wood and taken through the Ran, left handed across Mulsford, behind the Caenant, through Broughton Walls and the Gorse and onto the meadows. After a brief check on the lane at Dog Kennel Farm they hunted on to Shocklach Church where they were stopped amongst sheep. At the time of writing February has started with very mixed weather conditions although the going remains relatively good. We hope for a good finish to the season and many more to come.

 

W.W.

 

***

 

 

Whilst we have communication problems, particularly with our politicians, spare a thought for the complexities of communication in Nuristan, a mountainous territory in the north-east of Afghanistan……

 

It was at one time assumed that, because there were two main tribal divisions within the country, the Siah-Posh or Black-Robed Kafirs and the Safed-Posh or White-Robed Kafirs, who took their names from the dress they adopted, so also there were only two languages. But it is now known that while the Siah-Posh who inhabit the north and east all speak various dialects of Bashguli, the language spoken on the Bashgul river, all appear to be able to understand one another. With the Safed-Posh the language problem is so wildly complicated that one’s mind reels. Expressed in the simplest terms the situation seems to be as follows: the Safed-Posh occupy the centre and the south-east and consist of three tribes, the Wai, the Presun or Parun and the Ashkun. The Wai live to the south-east of the Bashgul in the mountains above the Kunar river; the Presun on the upper part of the Pech river, and the Ashkun somewhere completely inaccessible in the mountains of the Alingar in the south-west. Of these the Wai and the Presun speak different languages that are mutually unintelligible and unintelligible to all the Siah-Posh, except for one small section of the Wai who speak a mixture of Siah-Posh, Bashguli and Parun. To whom they are intelligible is not clear. The Ashkuns are reputed to speak a variant of the language of the Wai but, as no one has ever visited them who was qualified to express an opinion, their language and everything else about them remain a mystery.

 

ERIC NEWBY – A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush

 

THE WYNNSTAY FARMING AND WILDLIFE COMPETITION

 

This competition, which has played a tremendously important part in highlighting the intrinsic link between hunting and conservation in the Wynnstay hunt country, was started by Gill Hutchinson-Smith and most ably assisted by Christine Jones in 1986. Both Gill and Christine are extremely knowledgeable on conservation and wildlife matters (they are both very modest about this fact and are well worth talking to because they are both mines of information if you want any advice). This competition is now widely recognised in conservation circles as showing this region of the country that hunting takes its responsibilities seriously thanks to Gill and Christine's hard work and dedication over many years. This is much to the annoyance of certain elements of the readership of local newspapers in the region who love to make out that hunting does no such thing.

 

The prize giving for the 2000 competition (foot and mouth prevented the competition running in 2001) was held at the delightful Nant Farm owned by the Marques family who have lovingly restored the property as well as the small farm and have planted hundreds of trees as well as protecting some wonderful traditional permanent pastures which provide an incredible habitat for butterflies. The farm walk and prize giving was held on a perfect evening in early May and a very good party was held which was very generously sponsored this year by Meadow Foods (formerly Bodfari Producers) to whom we are most grateful.

 

The 2002 competition was judged by Sarah Faulkener of Shropshire FWAG to whom we are most grateful for agreeing to spend a day looking carefully at the different entries. Christine kindly assisted on the judging day lending her support and quiet but most pertinent advice. It could be said that 2002 was a vintage year because all the entries were of an exceptionally high standard indeed and despite the fact that all farmers could be regarded now as being conservationists because it is in their financial interests to be so, it was most heart warming to see how many of the entries were genuine about their real efforts to improve (that widely misused word) 'biodiversity' on their farms.

 

Farmers are conservationists by instinct and many would love to spend more time trying to improve the habitats on their farms to encourage greater numbers of species of birds flora and fauna if it was humanly possible to do so. It is therefore rather humbling when one sees so many struggling in the worst farming recession in living memory still doing a little bit or in some cases a lot to improve the range of wildlife habitats available on their farms and at the same time farming their land productively. This is no mean feat and it was interesting to see how impressed Sarah was by the efforts of all the entries.

 

It was great to see so many entries coming forward this time and very pleasing that the Mainwaring family at Oteley were eventual winners for 2002 after much deliberation. This was a very hotly contested match and a difficult one to call because of the care and attention that had been made by all of the competitors. The prize giving will be held at Oteley this May which we know all will look forward to hugely. Well done to the Mainwaring family !

 

We are now actively seeking entries for this years competition. Entrants only need to give their name and address and telephone number ideally with a paragraph explaining what has been done on their farm or going to be done in the future. The competition is open to anyone however big or small their farm.

 

Entries to us at Lyneal Wood Farm, Ellesmere SY12 0LE  Tel. 01939 - 235009 fax. 01939 - 235008 or for those who like electronic communication simon@simonmartin.co.uk

 

Simon and Alex Martin

 

The Hon. Nevill Hill Trevor

 

The death of Nevill Hill Trevor on December 27^th has robbed North Wales of one of its foremost and authoritative field sportsmen. He was both a keen observer and preserver of country life and in particular the wild life. Nevill was born in 1931, the second son of the 3^rd Lord Trevor of Brynkinalt, near Chirk.  For his National Service he joined the Royal Air Force Regiment 1948 and soon applied for and was given a commission. After service in the Middle East he spent his last four years in the RAF as ADC to Sir Thomas Pike who was C in C, Fighter Command and then Marshall of the Royal Air Force. 

 

In 1962 he returned to North Wales to farm at Llansilin, not far from the family home.  From 1950 to 1958 he had been a joint master of the Border Counties Otterhounds where he developed his love of hunting.  He also loved shooting and fishing but now also hunted with Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn’s Hunt. Sir Watkin soon recognised in Nevill the qualities required of a master of hounds – a love and understanding of the countryside, a knowledge of venery and a good organiser, and he invited Nevill to become his joint master, which he did with great energy and attention to detail for eight seasons.  He was Sir Watkin’s man on the spot who visited all the farmers in the hunted country and knew each one of them. While Sir Watkin managed his estates, Nevill acted as his ADC (hunting) and made sure that this illustrious hunt continued to perform to the high standard expected by the senior master.

 

Nevill kept a detailed hunting diary and wrote hunting reports under the nom de plume, Willow.  This was the name of his famous horse who carried him throughout the term of his mastership and for many years afterwards. Nevill was always very concerned for the well being of hunt staff; he was responsible for the most successful appointment of Bill Lander as huntsman in 1972. When the time came to give up the horse he hunted on foot but preferred the Tanatside where the viewing is good and he was for some years the hunt secretary.

 

Although Sir Watkin was officially responsible for breeding the hounds, Nevill had a big influence and was determined that their pack remained of Old English type. Nevill was very good with the younger generation out hunting always giving encouragement.  His own enthusiasm was infectious and his advice, freely given, was much appreciated. Nevill’s love of the Welsh countryside was evident in his passionate defence of it; he played a large part in preventing two wind farms intended for places seriously windswept but more importantly of great beauty.

 

He was a dedicated trout fisherman. This he preferred to the exclusion of the salmon but this was because hunting the trout was to try to put oneself in their mind as one would for a fox or an otter, and this special challenge with nature was the driving force behind his enthusiasm. He tied his own flies and was successful with one in particular, his “little black fly”.

 

In the last few years of his life, including the period of his battle with Mr Parkinson (as he referred to that terrible infliction that he suffered from), his love was fishing two lakes in the middle of Montgomeryshire.  He was chairman of the Llyn Hir Fishing Club and loved to give his fishing friends a day on these lakes in one of the most commanding and beautiful places in Wales. Nevill loved a party and loved a good laugh with anyone.  His knowledge and his humour will be greatly missed.  To his wife, Deborah, and his two daughters Caroline and Diana go the hearts and sympathies of his many friends.

 

There’s never a bird on the heather,

There’s never a stag in the pass,

That can hold a man’s heart in a tether,

Like a horse and a handful of leather,

When twenty-two couple together

Are chiming away on the grass

W.H. Ogilvie

 

 

THE AREA II QUIZ

 

Colours

1.        The colour of a ribbon tied onto a horses tail to denote it may kick.

2.        The colour of a ribbon tied onto a horses tail to denote that it is inexperienced.

3.        The Beatles submarine

4.        Colour of felt awarded for passing your Pony Club ‘B’ Test.

5.        A Rock band who wanted another brick in the wall

6.        The detective in stories by G K Chesterton

7.        The Empress of Austria’s so called ‘pilot’

8.        The name of a horse in a detective story sometimes alternatively named ‘The dog that didn’t bark’

9.        A novel by Oscar Wilde about a portrait

10.     The name of the sire from whom all Tennessee Walking Horses are descended

 

NUMBERS

1. Highest score with three darts

2. Horsemen of the Apocalypse

3. Maximum break in snooker

4. Molars in a mature horses mouth

5. The number of rings on a Scorrier snaffle

6. What used to clean a big, big carpet for less than half a crown?

7. The number of people who rode Tom Pearce’s Grey Mare.

8. The official number of people attending the Liberty & Livelihood March on 22^nd September. 

9. The number of the Runaway train that came down the track and she blew

10. A blacksmith agrees to shoe your horse charging by a novel method; he will charge a penny for the first nail he uses, 2 pence for the second, 4 pence for the third, 8 pence for the fourth i.e. doubling the cost of the previous nail each time. Whatever the cost of the final nail is will be the final cost. To replace a single shoe therefore costs 64p ( 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 ) How much does a complete new set of shoes cost

 

Initials – Either of characters in shakespeare or soap operas

1.        R & J

2.        D C

3.        M O V

4.        J & V D

5.        H & M S

6.        R R

7.        A & C

8.        R & G

9.        E & C G

10.     A P Y

 

WHERE DO YOU FIND

1.        The Dublin Horse Show

2.        Hound Tor

3.        The Spanish Riding School

4.        The Palio

5.        A Pritchel

6.        The Withins

7.        A Lampas

8.        Queen Mary’s Bower

9.        The Dauntsey Brook

10.     Most of the Cheshire Field 1 ½ hours after the meet at Egerton Bank Farm.

 

WORDS

1.        What is the meaning of the Cockney Rhyming slang phrase ‘Brahms & Liszt..

2.        Give as many meanings in a horse & hound sense of the word Brush.

3.        Prussian Breed of Horse also used to describe a type of cross country fence

4.        Give as many meanings in a horse & hound sense of the word Cast.

5.        Give as many meanings in a horse & hound sense of the word Run Up.

6.        What is the meaning of the Cockney Rhyming slang phrase “Double Bubble” 

7.        In sporting terms give as many meanings as possible of the word ‘Box’.

8.        A type of tree the name of which includes all five vowels

9.        A 5 letter word that can be converted into five anagrams meaning Big, Dazzling, Royal, a type of  Drink and the name of a Composer.

10.     The opposite end of a hammer to the hammer head.

 

EVENTING

1.        Where did the type of fence known as the Helsinki steps first make an appearance.

2.        What is included in the speed and endurance phase of a three day event.

3.        Which Horse Trials introduced the Coffin fence.

4.        In which Olympic Games did Great Britain first win a 3 day event Gold Medal?

5.        Who, where, when and on whom was the first British rider to win an individual Gold Medal.

6.        Name the arena letters of a small dressage arena in correct order clockwise starting at C. 

7.        How many nights stabling are required for the Badminton three day event for competitors who complete all phases?

8.        What is the New Zealand equivalent of Badminton Horse Trials.

9.        At which Horse Trials is the Ha Ha fence.

10.     Who won the first Badminton?

 

TROPHIES

1.        Ryder Cup

2.        Prince Phillip Cup

3.        Lonsdale Belt

4.        Route du Rhum

5.        Golden Dagger

6.        Aga Khan Trophy

7.        If the coin had landed on the other side, which race would have been called the Bunbury.

8.        Kadir Cup

9.        Calcutta Light Horse Challenge Trophy

10.     North Meols Trophy

 

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING LINES

1.        Hubble Bubble

2.        Hush Hush whisper who dares

3.        I wish I was in                    

4.        Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply .

5.        And there in the Van was the Grand Old Man

6.        For the sound of his horn brought me from my bed,

     And the cry of his hounds which he oft-times led;

7.        The Rich Man in his castle

     The poor man at his gate

8.        And it’s not for the sake of a ribboned coat,

     Or the selfish hope of a season’s fame,

     But his Captain’s hand on his shoulder smote –

9.        Oh wasn’t it naughty of Smudges?

     Oh, Mummy I’m sick with disgust

     She threw me in front of the judges

10.     A letter from Tom Oliver, Trainer, to Fothergill Rowlands Esq

    Honoured Sir,

    Your horse can stay four miles, …….

 

WHAT IS

 

1.        What is a ‘Right and Left’

2.        What is a Jess

3.        What is the car in front?

4.        What is a Miller’s Thumb.

5.        What is a fox’s billet

6.        What is a Horse’e Neck.

7.        What is nux vomica.

8.        What is Labour’s majority in the House of Commons

9.        What is a Freemantle Doctor

10.     What is a varvel 

 

RAGBAG

1.        Who wrote the Hymn “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains”

2.       Where did first Oscar Wilde first use the expression describing hunting as ‘The pursuit of the uneatable by    the unspeakable.’

3.        How many Methuselahs in a Balthazar.

4.        What is Humble Pie

5.        When is the Harvest Moon?

6.        In ancient Mythology who was Camilla?

7.        What is a pig in a poke?

8.        When particularly should you not let the cat out of the bag

9.        From which grey horse are all grey thoroughbreds descended

10.     What can you get in Alice’s Restaurant?

 

 

 

It is a sunny morning in the forest and the Bear family is getting up. Baby Bear goes downstairs, sits in his little chair at the table and looks into his little bowl.

“Someone’s eaten all my porridge” he wails. Daddy Bear comes down, sits in his big chair at the table and looks into his big bowl. “Someone’s eaten my porridge!” he roars. Mummy Bear puts her head round the kitchen door and growls “For Heaven’s sake, how many times do I have to tell you……

 

It was Mummy Bear who got up first,

It was Mummy Bear who woke everyone else up,

It was Mummy Bear who unloaded the dishwasher from last night and put everything away,

It was Mummy Bear who let the dogs out,

It was Mummy Bear who went out into the cold and fed the horses and chickens

It was Mummy Bear who did the mucking out,

It was Mummy Bear who laid the table for breakfast and put the bacon and eggs on

And now that you have decided to come downstairs and grace us with your presence listen to this and listen carefully because I am only going to say this one more time…….

 

I HAVEN’T MADE THE B****Y PORRIDGE YET!”

 

 

Charles Moore - Leaping to Conclusions – original article in The Spectator 14/21 December 02

 

Christmas in hunting means the Boxing Day meet. This is the sport's annual photo‑call, when everything is at its most picturesque and  the numbers in the field get too large for the hunting to be fun. Alun Michael, the minister appointed to forge a policy out of Mr Blair's indecision, agonises about the balance between 'cruelty.' and ‘utility’. No one knows how this balance could struck or how one could be usefully cruel or cruelly useful. I want only to observe that Mr Michael's concept pays no attention to the fact that hunting is a sport.

 

But what sort of a sport is it? The 200-Year old row about this centres on the role of the horse and of jumping. Surtees asserts somewhere that ‘real sportsmen take no pleasure in leaping.’ What he is saying is that the act of hunting is the thing: you can ride if you want, and jump if you must, but this is only a means to an end, which is to understand and assist the work of hounds. It’s a definition of utitlity, I suppose, though not one that would please Mr Michael. Who’s in the right, the jumpers or the ‘real sportsmen’? In our own dear Vale of Tears Hunt (VT), we jump a good deal and think well of our courage in hurtling into woods with low branches, but ours is not a ‘big country.’ I recently went off in search of some.

 

I shall call my hosts the Wild Welsh Watkins. I entered their country under the inadequate protection of my friend the MP, whose reckless courage and innumerable injuries suit him for life in the modern Conservative party. The Wild Welsh are famous for jumping fast and big. Their Master, Lord Pegasus, rides beautifully in his dark coat with silver buttons. His horses are perfect. Lord Pegasus will jump five foot metal gates from concrete onto concrete and go straight across country whatever the obstacles. He is, therefore, to be avoided at all costs. I avoid the MP for the same reason, and so seek guidance elsewhere in the Irish eyes and modest confidence of the huntsman’s young wife. I do not confide to her that I have hardly ever jumped a hedge. In the VT country it is almost all post-and-rails, where you can see something of the other side. Hedges are more absolute and opaque and concealing. She says I can tuck in behind her.

 

In the melee, though, things go wrong and I find myself behind an elderly gentleman on a grey who makes slow progress towards the first fence. I can just hold my keen hireling until he’s over it but then I realise that the grey is slowly but surely going down, enmeshed in thorn and wire, and we are jumping onto him. Down we go, too, and I feel soft ground and hard horse on my shoulders. Remounted, we gallop on. When we eventually meet the old man on the grey, my embarrassed eyes fasten on an unmistakable hoof mark on his horse’s flank. Suddenly hounds find and we’re away, first clattering down the road and then queuing for a swollen stream whose bed permits only a narrow crossing place between deep pools. Several horses plunge wildly in and soon we see their riders dripping on the bank as in 19^th century cartoons. A black hat bobs on the water.

 

Second horses now, and I’m on a gallant little grey, well away from sane humanity and in the company of three ‘thrusters’ who lead me straight at a line of hedges. Throw your heart over it and the rest will follow after, one is always told, but how can you throw your heart when it’s in your mouth? We make a line of our own for a section not yet jumped and somewhere from the other side of the hedge I hear a warning shout ‘Left! Left!’ My horse seems to understand better than I and veers slightly, leaping big and bold over barbed wire rather than into the morass where I had been heading.

 

A sharp turn, and then a sharp hedge that’s four foot six now and will be five foot three by the time I tell the VT about it. As we jump I mix the feeling that we can’t do it with the knowledge that we just have. Now we’re heading for the last in the sequence at full pelt. As we do I notice too late that a hound is cutting across to jump just as we do, and that on the other side is not more grass but a public road. To avoid the hound, my horse jumps bigger than ever and we skid across the tarmac with him just losing balance and me beneath him. As I pick myself up, I see him turn away into another lane and disappear. Kind people catch my hero, reunite us, and we proceed in good order as the day begins to die.

 

Two things I notice. One is that I have not seen the fox all day. The other is that I’m suffering from what Somerville and Ross call ‘the unexpected intoxication of foxhunting.’ So who’s right about ‘real sportsmen’ and leaping? Neither! Both! I don’t care.