FOR MANY hunting enthusiasts a visit to the Wales & Border Counties Hound Show at the Royal Welsh Showground on the last Thursday in June is a highlight of summer. There are several rings for different hound breeds at the spectacular setting within a natural bowl of the mountains at Builth Wells, where the Brecon & Talybont, Golden Valley, Irfon & Towy, Radnor & West Hereford and Teme Valley foxhounds all converge. But the most important ring of all is the one run by the Welsh Hound Association, founded in 1922 under the presidency of Sir Edward Curre "for the purpose of preserving and promoting the Welsh foxhound as a specific British breed". A dedicated stud book has been maintained ever since, and each year registered hounds compete for championships just as prestigious to Welsh hunts as Peterborough is to their English counterparts a month later.
Pure-bred Welsh hounds are shown off the lead in the English style but exhibited by their huntsman kneeling down to support the hound's chin and stern with each hand, possibly to compensate for the breed's aversion to anything as pretentious as showing. Every hunting aficionado knows that a thick, broken coat is the hallmark of a Welsh foxhound, but the breed is also distinguished by a dome head and ears long enough to meet in front of the nose close observation of the Welsh ring at Builth Wells will reveal huntsmen gently tugging the ears of their charges to demonstrate purity of Welsh blood. Once the serious business of the day is complete there is a raucous singsong in the livestock sheds to look forward to, perhaps followed by a visit to the Barley Mow pub nearby, where the former landlord used to host Meets on six consecutive mornings during the Builth Wells hunting festival in November.
Bu hikaye The Field dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Field dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
Celebrating the game changers
Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross
The first civil engineer
John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever
School spirits
From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure
Top of the pups
Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief
Angling for success
It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help
Talking scents
The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years
Wall-to-wall excitement
Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference