Pair of Old English hounds. County Louth hound (foreground) shown by huntsman Alan Reilly / Noel Mullins photo
The Irish National Hound Show at Stradbally Hall, County Laois, Ireland keeps growing in both entries and spectators. This year the weather also played a positive role as hound enthusiasts were often three deep along the ringside, and a large number lingered and socialised long after the show was over.
Competition was keen in the foxhound ring where judge Nigel Peel, a well-known hunting correspondent himself (and a member of Foxhunting Life’s Panel of Experts), commented that the Old English hounds were some of the finest he has judged either in Ireland or in the UK, and the Modern English Hounds had real quality as well.
The Old English (or Traditionally-Bred) hounds and the Modern English hounds are judged separately in their own classes, but the winners of those classes come up against each other in the final championship classes for dogs and bi*ches.* On occasion the Old English hounds being bred today will prevail.
The cream of foxhounds, harriers, and beagles came from all parts of Ireland, and it appears that the standard just keeps getting higher every year. Even to get in the placings one has to have a hound with good conformation and mover, properly prepared and active and attentive all during showing.
The Foxhound Classes were fairly evenly divided among a strong entry from some twenty packs. In the Doghound Classes Fergus Stokes, huntsman of the County Limerick, won two classes including The Irish Field Perpetual Trophy for the Best Unentered Old English Bi*ch, Talent. The trophy was presented by Managing Editor Leo Powell to Joint-Masters Lady Ana Johnson and Emma Thompson.
Westmeath Foxhounds Unentered Bitch Restricted Champion Gracie (left) and Champion dog hound Whacker (right) with John Smith, Niall Mahon, and Emma Copthorne / Noel Mullins photo
Ryan Carvill, huntsman of the South Tyrone, won two classes in the Doghound section: the Couples with Captain and Hardy and the Unentered Doghound Champion with Hardy again. Although Hardy beat the eventual Doghound Champion Westmeath Whacker in that class, ironically, he lost to Whacker later in the Doghound Championship Class. It looked to be an exciting rematch, but Hardy was in the ring just briefly for the championship before being excused, and the consensus was that he was not given an adequate opportunity to take Whacker on again.
The Reserve Unentered Doghound Championship went to Wicklow Panther. The Meaths who have an enviable record in the National Hound Show had to be content on this occasion with placings in four classes, South Union won the Unentered Doghound Restricted with Casanova, while Island Barrister was Reserve to Champion Whacker. In the Bi*ch Classes surprisingly Westmeath Whimper’12 by Ballymacad Norman ’06 the dam of Whacker did not get called in, but she is a lovely model. Sharing the spoils were the Louths, East Down, Westmeath, County Limerick, South Union, and Wicklow. While the Ballymacads came into their own winning three classes including the Horse & Hound Perpetual Challenge Cup with Mantra and Marble, and the Unentered Bi*ch Championship with Mantra, while County Louth provided the Reserve Champion in Talent. The Bi*ch Championship went to Wicklow Paisley who is a smashing bi*ch with East Down Ringlet the Reserve Champion.
Champion Bi*ch Wicklow Paisley ’15 with Wicklow Foxhounds huntsman Philip Lazenby and his daughter Shauna / Noel Mullins photo
Judging the doghounds in the foxhound classes along with Nigel Peel, Master of the North Cotswold, was Andrew Cook, MFH of the Dumfriesshire & Stewartry. The bi*ches were judged by Edward Foster, ex-MFH of the Wheatland and Nessie Chanter MFH of the Heythrop.
The show was organised by Laois Foxhounds Master David Lalor and his team. The foxhound ring was managed by Roddy Bailey and Rupert Macauley, and the harrier ring by David Burke Master of Grallagh Harriers and chairman of the HAI, assisted by Imelda O’Donnell Master of the Tara Harriers and Janet Reilly of the Louth Foxhounds.
Fortunately there is a new enthusiastic generation of hunt staff coming along in Ireland who want to make a career in hunting, some assisted by the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Bursary like Thomas Moran with the Ballymacads, Keith Broderick the Kildares, and Adrienne Copthorne the Westmeath Foxhounds. While with others the tradition runs in the family. Galway Blazers Even Dempsey now whips-in to Niall Dunne huntsman of the Waterford Foxhounds. Dempsey’s uncle Tom hunts the Blazers, grandfather JJ whipped-in for over thirty seasons, and his grand-uncle Michael, a former Blazers huntsman, has been a Master for thirty-eight years.
The marquee was popular as Emer Mulhall of Stradbally Fayre Restaurant served lunch to a large number of spectators. Side events were showjumping, polo, endurance, an Irish Draught Horse Hunter Championship, and a spectacular hunt chase where teams from hunting packs from all over Ireland take each other on at lightning speed over a series of natural fences. The winners again were the Killinick Harriers from County Wexford.
Posted July 22, 2016
*To use the common term for a female canine is to risk having our e-magazine blocked as spam by some computer firewalls.
Noel Mullins is a lifelong foxhunter and sporting photo/journalist. Click to visit his website and view his books and articles.