A joyful celebration

The Berks and Bucks Draghounds mark their 50th anniversary by meeting at a historic sporting venue

- By GEMMA REDRUP

IF you're searching for a way to inject some adrenaline into your Sunday afternoons throughout the hunting season, then may I introduce you to the Berks and Bucks Draghounds?

It was a no-brainer for me to take up the very kind invitation from Andrew van Oostrum, master of this pack, for their iconic meet at Flat trainer Andrew Balding's historic Park House Stables in Kingsclere, Hampshire. All the more special was the fact that the Berks and Bucks are currently celebrating their 50th anniversary year.

Emma Balding's parents bought Park House Stables in 1953 and her father, Peter Hastings-Bass, trained from here until his premature death 11 years later. His assistant, Ian Balding, later to become Emma's husband, took over the training licence in 1964 and after almost four decades at the helm, handed the reins to their son Andrew in 2003.

Many top-class horses have been trained in Kingsclere during the Baldings' reign, but Mill Reef remains the benchmark against which all are measured. To have the opportunity to ride to hounds over the hallowed turf at Watership Down, where some of the gallops for Park House Stables are located, was one not to be missed.

The meet was perched on top of a hill in the North Wessex Downs in late February. It was possibly one of the chilliest days of the winter, with wind speeds of up to 60mph and, as I put my boots on, I half questioned what I was doing in the name of work, but it was only a fleeting thought.

A WARM WELCOME

A RUNNING thread throughout my day with this pack was the warmth and friendliness of everyone involved with it - I felt welcome from the word go.

I introduced myself to Andrew van Oostrum, who has been a master for this pack since 2017 and brings 30 years of draghound pack experience with him. Andrew owns an import business and also runs a small stud, and he ensured I found my conveyance for the day - Ugo Blue.