IT IS NOT every day you take a bite from a police dog. But this is exactly what I am doing thanks to the persuasive skills of the Countess Bathurst, the chatelaine of Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire. She's described by the Duchess of Rutland in her popular podcast Duchess as "a tornado of a woman". I am learning why.
Incongruously we are in the middle of one of the Park's prestigious polo pitches, famous for hosting sporting royals from the Duke of Windsor to HM The King. But it also doubles up as a police-dog training ground and "has done for generations".
We meet at the Countess' home on the edge of the Park to talk about her new project, the National Federation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA), as well as her love of fieldsports, namely shooting. However, I've been bundled into the Countess' Porsche and whizzed across the Park, past a marquee set up for the VWH hunt ball, to participate in a police-dog training exercise. "Oh well done," I hear. "Not many people would be brave enough to take that on," says the Countess - or Lady B as she is affectionately known after a snarling German Shepherd hurtles towards me and grabs the bite shield on my arm.
The NFRSA, which was officially inaugurated in April at Christie's, was her lockdown project in 2020. While many of us were in a pyjamafied state of somnambulance, she decided to "put all her soldiers [or police officers] in a row" and create a charity inspired by her stint as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 2016.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Field.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Field.
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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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
Heaven is a High Four
A team of guns enjoy a day of the finest sport Devon has to offer, courtesy of the GWCT and a quartet of generous shoot owners