The Galway Blazers Puppy Show drew a large attendance at the Kennels in Craughwell, County Galway, Ireland.
Michael Dempsey, internationally known Joint-Master and former huntsman of the Galway Blazers for the last 32 seasons, has maintained some Old English bloodlines in his pack. He likes a light hound that can bank the Galway walls and leave the stones in place. Vincent Shields was attending his first puppy show as a newly appointed Blazers Joint-Master, while retaining his current Mastership of both the East Galway Foxhounds and the Roscommon Harriers.
One is ever mindful of the great tradition of hound breeding at the Blazers’ kennels, particularly when thinking of previous huntsmen like Captain Brian Fanshawe, Paddy Pickersgill, and above all American-born Isaac Bell who hunted the pack from 1903 to 1908, and who made such a lasting contribution to what is now known as the modern English foxhound.
Another name from the past is Lady Molly Cusack Smith, who hunted the pack during the war years 1939 to 1943, and later formed her own pack with her husband Sir Dermot, the Bermingham and North Galway Foxhounds. It was fitting that her daughter Oonagh Mary, who was Joint-Master with her mother, was present, and especially that her great-granddaughter Robyn sponsored the winning bitch. Also present were Lord Hemphill, who was Joint-Master with the American film director John Huston, and Lady Hemphill, who served as Field Master for more than fifteen seasons.
This season’s entry of 21-1/2 couple was made up of 9-1/2 couple of doghounds and 12 couple of bitches. The current huntsman Tom Dempsey had put in an enormous effort in preparing the new entry, with not a shy hound on show. As a huge rain cloud hovered overhead, judging was brisk. But the winners stood out well before the elimination process began, with Active by Waterford Archer ’08 out of Dixie ’06 taking the doghound class, and Leisure by homebred Linkman ’08 out of Pearly ’08 taking the bitch class. The best hound of the show was awarded to Active, whose sire Waterford Archer by Louth Artist out of Waterford Careful was bred by judge Graham Bustin when he was hunting the pack. Active was sponsored by Joseph Wright, who is from Kinsale in County Cork.
When Wright attended the Blazers Hunt Ball at the end of the season, a fund raising event was held to sponsor all the new entry for the following season. This gave an opportunity to those that were unable to walk a puppy, but still wanted to maintain an interest, by contributing a sum of money towards its rearing.
Followers will watch with interest how the new entry will integrate with the main pack when Autumn hunting begins on the first week of August.
The entry were judged by Graham Bustin, huntsman of the County Limerick Foxhounds, and Richard Markham, huntsman of the Waterford Foxhounds. Both are experienced huntsmen and are well known as successful hound breeders. Bustin previously hunted the Waterford and the Stonehall Harriers before replacing Will Bryer at the Limerick. Bryer hunts the Cattistock in Dorset this coming season. Markham hunted the Ormond, and during his time there bred a beautiful pack of Old English hounds.
July 19, 2010
