A stewards’ enquiry, runners taking their own line – led over fences by a human athlete – and much Prosecco featured on the Cheshire Hunt’s hound racing afternoon.
Crowds gathered at the Cheshire’s kennels on 13 October to cheer on 54 hounds in nine races organised by the Cheshire Hunt Supporters, huntsman Robert Truscott and his partner Rebecca Connor, and whipper-in Huw Foulkes-Humphreys.
“The clerk of the course had inspected the going on the right-handed track and declared it good to soft,” hunt member Rachel Cooke told H&H. “Race-goers gathered around the parade ring to discuss the market movers, the favourites and the outsiders.”
Rachel said the hounds were loaded into the “starting gates”, aka the old hound trailer.
“The starter’s flag went down and the huntsman blew his horn, then ran in front of them, calling them on with his horn,” she said. “Undoubtedly the huntsman was at the heart of the sport leaping over the gated fence in every race.”
The first two races on the card were the bitch and dog hound puppies, aged six to eight months.
“These caused much amusement with a few refusing to start and a couple taking their own line,” Rachel said. “A stewards’ enquiry was opened and adjourned as there were no objections.
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“The bookies became more competitive as the race card progressed. Final declarations were submitted for two divisions of second and third season dogs and bitches, mixed third season and above, two divisions of the open bitch race and finally the veterans’ race. Postman took the fastest dog hound of the day and Bloomer the fastest bitch hound.”
The winning sponsors were each given a bottle of Prosecco, a rosette and a photograph with the winning hound, after which spectators took full advantage of the bar and barbecue, and children tried out the course themselves.
“The afternoon was described by a hunt supporter as ‘a truly great old-fashioned country day out’,” Rachel said. “Thank you to everyone who helped and supported the day, raising funds for a new hound trailer.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
