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.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من The Field.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من The Field.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A sweet-pea Summer
Sweet peas are enjoying an Instagram moment’ but to appreciate fully these charming flowers one must hasten back to the real world, says Ursula Buchan
Top sporting stays
Effortlessly smart and with superb shooting and fishing on the doorstep, these British hotels are the perfect base for fieldsports enthusiasts, says Madeleine Silver
Tradition with a twist
Showcasing the finest British produce from honey, beer and butter to game and venison, this month’s trio of dishes truly encapsulate the taste of Britain, says Philippa Davis
Daylesford
Organic farming at its finest
The best of British breeds
When it comes to developing and establishing the world’s most popular gundog breeds, Britain has a lot to be proud of, says David Tomlinson
Ping and you're winning
An email alert for burgonets coming to auction draws Roger Field’s attention to a promising lot. Meanwhile, a sale from novelist John le Carré’s estate temporarily raises an eyebrow
Saving the queen of flowers
Trailing clouds of glory into your garden, historic roses are as vital a part of British heritage as a Gainsborough painting and must be preserved
Long live the sporting pub
Not just a place to drink, the right kind of country pub is a beacon for fieldsports enthusiasts. The Star Inn in Harome is one such spot
The sole survivors
An increasingly casual attitude to what we wear has given rise to the so-called dress sneaker’ but proper gentlemen's shoes will never go out of fashion
A win in the willow
The cricket bat industry is steeped in tradition yet must move with the times to meet demand, opening a lucrative door for landowners in the process