IT IS ONE of the more romantic sights of summer: two slow-moving bicycles ridden by men in brown coats and flat caps with a pack of hounds happily clustered around the wheels. In busy areas, you might pinch yourself thinking that you have blundered on to a film set or that one of Daniel Crane's paintings had been brought to life. The scene radiates contentment: hounds with sterns aloft, people calmly pedalling. The pack move across as one at a single command, and anyone who has struggled to control a lone dog might marvel at the manoeuvre and the quiet way in which it is conducted. To the modern eye, more used to seeing bikes in the context of skinny rumps in Lycra, it could be a scene from another time.
In the days when hunt kennels bustled with grooms and staff for every eventuality, horses were used for hound exercise. Cobs in the main were brought out for the early days at the start of the summer before being replaced by hunters midway through autumn hunting. From the Second World War onwards staff numbers slimmed and it was then that bicycles came into regular use as a low-maintenance alternative for hound exercise. Ever since, they have been an often-neglected but nonetheless essential part of kennel life. For most of the year, while a well-run hunt kennel moves along military lines, the bicycles tend to be flung against a wall. Blink and you miss an unprepossessing tangle of metal festooned with cobwebs lurking somewhere in a dusty corner. Here they stay pretty much ignored, until they are dragged out at the beginning of the summer to play a crucial role in getting hounds fit. Each huntsman will have a slightly different formula for this but for most the bicycle is at the core.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2024 من The Field.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2024 من The Field.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Strength in Numbers -The success of Britain's growing band of Farmer Clusters shows the value in working together and engaging with the public in the name of conservation, says Gabriel Stone
In a world that leans into gloomy headlines, it's important to wave the flag for a refreshing success story. That's especially the case when it comes to our overburdened farming sector and the wider way in which we manage the landscape. Yes, we: everyone can play a role, not least through one inspirational initiative. Ever since a 2013 pilot project by the GWCT in association with Natural England, Farmer Clusters have mushroomed across Britain. Led by farmers with guidance from expert advisers, today's network of about 125 clusters encourages a cohesively managed, locally tailored, larger-scale approach to conservation work.
Going over old ground
Forget modern tractors and minimum tillage - there is something glorious about the sight of farmer, horse and vintage plough in perfect harmony
Return of the natives
There is nothing as satisfying as creating a magical miniature woodland or conservation hedgerow using our native trees - and now is the best time to start.
Tagging the Cornish tunny
Enormous Atlantic bluefin tuna are once again making waves in UK waters almost a century after their showstopping appearance in the North Sea
In it for the long haul
It may have fallen out of favour at the elite level but long-format three-day eventing is still proving popular with grassroots riders
Unpicking the story of hunt buttons
These treasured tokens are bestowed only upon those who go above and beyond in service of their hunt but the rules around them can be complex
A place of tradition in the heart of town
Cordings has helped shape the sartorial landscape of Britain for 185 years, with its classic country tailoring a firm staple of many sporting wardrobes
Don't play it by ear
Hearing loss can have a devastating impact on day-to-day life, making ear protection a non-negotiable piece of field kit
Back to base-ics
Britain's famously unpredictable climate can make staying comfortable in the field a challenge but the right under layers can be a game changer
Stand and deliver
A good stance provides the platform for shotgun marksmanship and is fundamental to consistent success in the field or breaking clays