The happiest of days

The North Cotswold's hunt horse day - which raises funds to buy hunt horses is a rip-roaring success despite foggy conditions

- POLLY PORTWIN

North Cotswold, Broadway Tower, Worcs 

"ON a clear day you can see for absolutely miles," enthused almost everybody at the hunt breakfast ahead of the meet at the iconic Broadway Tower.

The day of my visit, however, was not a clear one. Visibility, which did improve after we left the meet, was extremely limited, so I had to enjoy our hosts' generous hospitality without the views I was anticipating. That might have been a slight anticlimax but, thankfully, was most definitely not the case for the rest of the day, which did not disappoint.

Rain lashed down upon the 65-strong field that had come to support the North Cotswold's hunt horse day, which Richard Ashbrook, chairman of the Hunt Horse Club, had coordinated. It was a case of third time lucky for me as my two previously planned visits to this meet had been cancelled thanks to frost and snow, with Covid also claiming other recent renewals.

Joint-master and amateur huntsman Oliver Dale left the meet with 18½ couple of bitch hounds and headed towards the first draw at Hare Park, Springhill, where trail-layers James Phillips and Harriet McDiarmid had been busy preparing for us earlier on.

As well as having amateur whipper-in and farrier Nick McDiarmid - Harriet's husband turning hounds on the day, kennel-huntsman Sam Brown, whose father is Mark Melladay (huntsman of the Ledbury), was first whipper-in. Oliver and Sam's horses were a credit to stud groom Drew Davis and his second-incommand, Lucy Hayling.

It always helps to get your bearings when visiting a different country but that was largely out of the question in the conditions, so my thanks go to John Beach, chairman of the Hunt Supporters Club, who became my de facto tour guide.