I SET off from home in the pitch dark. I'm hacking to the meet by myself in the light of the moon. It's December but Teme Valley hounds are meeting at dawn because I love quiet, crisp mornings. The meet is Beguildy Top, right in the heart of our beacon. Robbie Savage is our host. The Jones family have done much of the heavy lifting in the kitchen for the meet and we're thoroughly spoilt.
Often it's a bleak, wet and windswept spot; however, today is dawning dry, clear and comparatively warm. There is hopeful talk of good scenting conditions. Quad bikes haven't been invented so my joint-master Murray Boss is mounted. So too is our host Robbie and his brother David. Their father Roy is hunting hounds. He stands with 17 couple gathered around the heels of his hardy chestnut, Jim.
There are no announcements. The Hunting Act doesn't exist and all local farmers are delighted we're in the area. Roy casts hounds straight from the meet and within minutes eagle-eyed foot follower Steve Stone spots a dark red fox climbing quickly through the covert ahead of hounds.
Denne historien er fra January 18, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra January 18, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Walking up a sweat
Plodding around the hills in the summer is poor preparation for a riding lesson, finds Tessa Waugh, who nonetheless improves from \"granny crouch\" to conjuring a floating trot
'She's a little rocket'
An amazing Billy Stud auction purchase is untouchable and a Dorset \"family holiday\" proves profitable
Speedy Brown bags a win
PHIL BROWN and Rachel Cardall's M Bear Esquire (Joey) were the only combination to keep a completely clean sheet in the sole intermediate section - a feat that earned them top spot.
Ballaghmor Class looks sharp
Oliver Townend's veteran star is back in the game, while elsewhere horses heading to Pau dominate, as this East Anglian event defies the weather
A symphony of red and gold'
Waking with the jackals, sleeping under the stars and galloping to the world's edge in a \"true wilderness\", Eleanor Jones experiences the trip of a lifetime in the Namibian desert
'The world's toughest steeplechase'
The Pardubice is well known to be formidable. Xander Brett asks some of the British raiders how they rose to the challenge
What's the problem?
Lameness is often the first thought if a sport horse performs below par, but there are plenty of other possible causes. Imogen Johns FRCVS explains
Lewis Robertson-Carrier
The new national dressage champion and his newly-wed wife tell Oscar Williams about the highs, challenges and emotions of their unforgettable week
New technology aims to reduce equine inbreeding
The idea is to give owners of mares and stallions more information when choosing possible pairings
Half of owners cannot identify equine lameness
A study found many owners cannot tell when a horse is lame or sound