ORDINARY insomniacs count sheep. Finding themselves unable to sleep, a hunting person lists hound litter names instead: Dauntless and Dainty and Dasher and Dapper; Racket and Random and Ranter and Rapture. The dactylic rhythm soon drifts you off to dream of negotiating trappy rails and soaring over impossible hedges.
As early as 1781, Peter Beckford, in his Thoughts on Hunting, acknowledges that hound names are important – and that while the naming process is fun, it is not easy: ‘Young hounds are commonly named when first put out [to walk], and sometimes indeed, ridiculously enough. Nor is it easy, when you breed many, to find suitable or harmonious names for all; particularly as it is usual to name all the whelps of one litter with the same letter, which to be systematically done should also be the initial letter of the dog that got them or the bitch that bred them.’
Beckford goes on to list more than 800 hound names, from Able to Wreakful, but he is outdone by CFP McNeill, MFH, whose The Unwritten Laws of Foxhunting was first published early in the 20th century. William Bevin of the Cottesmore and the Quorn, says: “McNeill’s is the rarer publication – and he lists at least 5,000 hound names.” Bevin explains today’s naming conventions: “The first thing about a hound name is that it has to be two syllables, or occasionally three, and it should be clear. If you call the hound’s name, it makes it clear which hound you are calling.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 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 October 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
The apple of your eye
With scores to choose from in the UK, there is a delicious apple variety for everyone - and now is the ideal time to start thinking about planting one
Art in the field
Being able to study her subjects as she races alongside them has informed Belinda Sillars work, as she explains to Janet Menzies
A silvered sword from the Saxon armoury
With weaponry from the electoral court, the more silver on show, the higher the rank of the owner
Nicole Moore
The Shooting Girl With An Afro blogger explains her passion for fieldsports and outlines the importance of sharing skills and knowledge with newcomers
'Probably the greatest detective in the world'
For 100 years, on page and screen, Hercule Poirot has captivated audiences around the globe with his supreme intellect and peculiar eccentricities
View from a Bridgerton
They were the 18th-century version of a drinks trolley and now hunt tables are popular once again, partly due to Regency-period television dramas
A brush with history
Britain is world renowned for its contribution to hair care and grooming, and, as its oldest firms will testify, heirlooms come in many forms
Practically perfect
From modest origins, the gilet has evolved into a sporting wardrobe staple, combining function and fashion to become a status symbol in its own right
Best laid plans
The ancient craft of hedgelaying is playing a central role in efforts to restore the balance of nature on our farms
Under the spell of spaniels
Our favourite working breed comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, all of which have successfully carved out their own special niche in British sport