Two basset hounds who were stolen in February have enjoyed success in the show ring months after they were reunited with their pack.
Westerby Drama made a winning debut at the Festival of Hunting when she was awarded best unentered bitch in the basset hound ring on 21 July at the East of England Showground. Lattice finished third in the entered bitch hound class.
The pair were among the two and a half couple of hounds stolen in February. The hounds were found following a social media campaign involving the help of Beauty’s Legacy, a voluntary group that uses social media to reunite lost and found animals with their owners.
After a sighting of one of the bassets, representatives from the group liaised with Leicestershire and Greater Manchester Police, which ended with all five hounds being found and returned.
Kennel huntsman Sophie Cripps was heavily involved in the search for the basset hounds after they were stolen, with “every waking hour committed to finding them”.
“Having had time to settle them back into the kennels routine, we decided to take a couple of the bitches to compete at the Festival of Hunting,” said Sophie.
“I was not sure how they would react to the show ring and a different environment, however, they showed beautifully and I was so proud of them.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“It was quite an emotional drive home when we thought back to four months ago when we were sick with worry for them, to having them bounding around the show ring at Peterborough and coming away with some silverware – it was incredibly special.”
Polly Portwin, the Countryside Alliance’s director of the campaign for hunting, added: “Seeing the bassets relaxed and clearly relishing the showing environment is testament to all the hard work and devotion of those involved in the search, recovery and subsequent transition of the hounds back into kennel life.
“Hunt staff strive to maintain the highest standards of animal welfare in kennels at all times and it is great to see this dedication has, in this instance, enabled hounds that have had a traumatic experience to thrive back in their own environment.”
What are your favourite memories of the Festival of Hunting? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
