Hunt reports

When the rain arrived, as did the scent and hopefully it’s here to stay! We have had a difficult time with this long dry spell, as have many others.

Several busy days were had, mainly from Ston Easton and Priddy. September 15th from the Kennels being one of them. Henry Tricks, reporter from the Financial Times arrived, ( article, FT Saturday October 25th) late, the first time he had ridden for many a year. The first fox was found quickly in Kennel belt, running up and down the length of it, along the back of the hound lodges, before crossing the road, up the kennel drive, skirting the flesh house before going to ground in Sparkes’ pit. Our second fox was found in Wills Farm Spiny, a very twisty fox running several circles over Wills farm, Plummers farm, up to Townend, turning back to cross Greenhill and Swallow Hole and Eastwater farm, where he was badly headed by walkers. Offering no information, hounds were quickly cast on and a very timely holla was heard, where our twisting pilot was seen crossing EastWater drove onto North Hill. This being very badly foiled by cattle, but a cast into Nine Barrows proved useful as hounds again hunted steadily back across the lane onto Wills farm. Re crossing the lane back to Green hill hounds suddenly got to terms with their fox and the pace and music suddenly increased running hard past Eastwater farm across Priddy road through Lower Pitts Farm to Sandpit Hole, where hounds quickly cast themselves on, to cross the Durston Drove towards Ebbor Wood. Surprisingly our fox turned just short of this huge woodland to run back across Ebbor Grove running parallel to Pelting Drove into Priddy village where hounds were stopped.

Our Newcomers day from Church Farm, Chew Stoke, was not a great hunting day, but with 106 people out, mostly new people, proved a great achievement for Hunting’s future.

November 8th and 29th, both in the Ston Easton area have proved useful days. Both producing a good hunt each day, from two covert’s next door to each other. Neither particularly far but fast with hounds pushing on with positive drive. The first to the top of Hollow Marsh and the second along Clapton Bank, Folly Hill, Matic’s Bank crossing the Chilcompton road onto Blackers farm where our fox turned to the gardens.

The Strawberry Special at Draycott was an interesting day, entering some country that reportedly had not been hunted for nearly forty years. All these foxes proved circular and got to ground very quickly. At second horses we drew on to Cheddar Head Bungalow, Where a fox was scene in the bracken banks, with a shrill holla our pilot was soon afoot at a great pace along the top of Cheddar Head farm. Here hounds hunted in two lots with a brace of foxes in front of them. Luckily, as the smaller of the two packs checked, and with a timely cheer on forrard, hounds were again hunting as one across Bristol Plain Farm towards Draycott Sidelings. After jumping several dry stone walls in a line, the Huntsman and the field luckily took a pull and avoided jumping onto the Glider station Airstrip, just as one flew up and over. Hounds were still pushing their fox hard and fast crossing New road, Mr Cakebread’s over the Old Settlement and down to Big Stoke. Our pilot turned here for the first time along the top of the hill into Westbury Gorse. With several fresh foxes afoot, hounds took their time but persevered with their hunted fox across Broad road into the top of Broadmead Quarry. Slowly but surely hounds hunted down the hill and marked him to ground where they were quickly rewarded. This was not a long hunt but fast and hounds worked very hard for their fox.

Lester.