Galway Blazers shown by (l-r) whipper-in Jason O’Donnell and huntsman Tom Dempsey / Noel Mullins photos
The magnificent grounds of the Cosby Estate in Stradbally, County Laois again hosted the annual Irish National Hound Show. Three rings featured foxhounds, harriers and beagles.
Hound shows are important events to meet and catch up on hunting in different parts of the country. For masters and hunt staff it is an opportunity to see what packs have on show, and maybe to pick out a suitable stallion hound for future breeding plans. However, at hound shows, hounds can be judged only on conformation and movement. Only in the hunting field can the other essential qualities for any working hound be assessed, like stamina, scenting ability, fox sense, and drive, as hounds are only as fast or as steady as their noses.
A number of packs have already held their puppy shows, so unentered hounds had gotten experience in the show ring and accustomed to the distraction of people. In addition to some of the best bloodlines in the foxhound classes, it was an opportunity to see the harrier classes—many of them hunted on foot and others on horseback. The foot pack followers are recognised as some of the best experts on working hounds. Many of their lines, like the black and tan hounds, go back to old bloodlines in the counties of Cork and Kerry, amongst them the packs originally owned by the Herberts, Chutes, Bullers and the O’Connells of Derrynane Abbey. It is from the packs hunting in the hills of County Kerry that the Ryan family of Scarteen get many of their outcross hounds.
One of the most famous hunting Irishmen was the lawyer, statesman and Member of Parliament Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847). Known as The Liberator of Ireland, his statue overlooks O’Connell Street in Dublin. He campaigned for many worthy cause, including repeal of the Act of Union. He kept and hunted a Kerry Beagle pack near the home of his uncle Maurice “Hunting Cap” O’Connell in Cahersiveen in County Kerry. These hounds have remarkable scenting ability. As their hunt staff are often at a distance from them in hill country, hounds have to be independent and able to cast themselves when they overrun a line.
Seen
It was good to see Meath Foxhounds whipper-in Barry Finnegan back in action after a serious hunting accident towards the end of last season. Another Meath whipper-in Mark Casserley has taken over as huntsman of the Killultagh, Old Rock & Chichester Foxhounds in County Down. Sam Staniland will hunt the Kilkenny Foxhounds, and Denis Gilmartin will take on the North Tipperary Foxhounds. Former Tipperary Master and huntsman Michael Higgens and Yvonne McClintock were at the show as well as Mickey Flanagan who spent forty years with the Tipperarys, and whipped-in to Higgens for eighteen seasons. Others at the show were Joe Townsend, huntsman of the Hurworth Foxhounds, who has been generous with drafts to Irish packs, and Leo Powell, Managing Editor of The Irish Field, who sponsored one of the Old English Classes. Peter Brook of Baily’s Hunting Directory also sponsored a class. The IMFA chairman Rupert Macaulay asked for a minute of silence in respect of young Paul O’Brien, a former huntsman of the Kilmoganny Foxhounds, who tragically passed away recently.
Judges
Foxhound Ring Judges (l-r) Tim Coulson, MFH, Lauderdale Foxhounds and Alistair Jackson, ex-MFH and former Director of MFHA (GB)Foxhounds were judged by Tim Coulson, Master and huntsman of the Lauderdale Foxhounds on the Scottish Border, and Alistair Jackson, a man of considerable experience as a former Master of the South Dorset, West Percy, Grafton and the Cattistock. He was a Director of the British Masters of Foxhounds for fifteen years and was at the ‘coalface’ defending the right to hunt when the Tony Blair government was actively trying to ban it. He is a director of the British Hunt Staff Benefit Society, the organization that provides personal pension schemes to hunt staff. Both judges remarked on the exceptional quality of the foxhounds on show. They were particularly impressed with the bitches, especially the Bitch Champion and the Best Two Couple of Bitches Class.
Foxhounds
It was the largest number of foxhound pack entries in recent years. The Galway Blazers showed for the first time since the 1970s when the show was held in the Royal Dublin Society grounds in Dublin, and on this outing they picked up some placings. With such a competitive entry in the foxhound classes, red rosettes [signifying first place in Ireland] were well earned. The Tipperary Foxhounds led the winning packs by taking four individual classes, including the Stallion Hound Class with Captain and the Brood Bitch Class with Sable. They also sweeping the championship boards by winning not only the Doghound Championship with Ambridge (Lonsdale ’07–Angel ’08), but also winning the Bitch Championship with Sable (Meynell & Staffs Luther ’04–Worcestershire Sago ’04).
The Doghound Reserve Championship went to Island Paragon (South Dorset Panther ’08–Pickle ’08), with the Reserve Bitch Championship going for the first time to the West Wicklows Melody (Kildare Chaplin ’07–North Cotswold Mystery ’03). It was a good day for Billy O’Connor of The Island Foxhounds in winning two classes. And Richard Markham of the Waterford Foxhounds had remarkable success in winning two classes outright with Charity (Chukka ’07–Lavish ’07) and also first and second in the Unentered Old English Bitch Restricted Class. The entered Two Couple of Bitches Class took some time as the judges deliberated between the Meaths, Tipperary and East Down, but in the end Meath Foxhounds won it with Hearsay, Patsy, Pansy and Cactus. The rest of the classes were shared by East Down, Kildare, North Down, County Limerick, and Kilkenny.
Harriers
Entries were also up in the Harrier ring, and because some harriers hunt fox and some hunt hare, a class was featured for both. College Valley Master and former huntsman Martin Letts and Doug McGuinness of the Abbeyfeale Harriers judged. Tom Shanahan of the Premier Harriers and Ger Mooney of the Ballinalacken Harriers showed some real quality hounds. In the Foxhound Class, David Burke’s Grallagh Harriers won the Championship with Jumbo (Tyne Judas–Duke of Buccleuch Stella). They followed that by winning the Foxhound Reserve Championship with Sherry (Ormond Sheriff–College Valley Dewdrop). But the Harrier Championship went to Ger Mooney’s Ballinalacken Daisy (Coolnakilla Archie–Brideview Dora). Tom Geary’s Killeagh Harriers had a rewarding day winning the Reserve Championship with Striker (Scarteen Boxer–Scarteen Ratify). Striker went on to win the Unentered Doghound Class, and linked up with his litter brother Tanner to win the best couple shown. Tom’s niece Rebecca, seven, is already a veteran follower of hounds, and she showed the winning couple. The Killeagh Harriers rounded off the day with another litter sister Treakle winning the Unentered Bitch Class and their sire Boxer, who was Reserve Champion two years ago, winning the Retired Hound Class.
Beagles
Judges in the Beagle Ring were Ian Ewart, Master of the Sandhurst & Aldershot Beagles, and Pat Deacy, former Master of the Curragh Beagles. John Shaw Brown’s Sunnyland Beagles won the Doghound championship with Admiral ’07 (Newcastle & District Tangent ’03–Orchid ’03). Woodrock & Blackwater Valley’s Spurron’09 (West Somerset Sparkford ’00–Chifton & Chilmark Amber ‘03) won the Bitch Championship.
Posted August 14, 2012
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Champion Brood Bitch: Tipperary Sable with (l-r) whipper-in Charlie Daily; Michael Higgens, ex-MFH; huntsman Derry Donegan; and Tipperary Joint-MFHs Liam Kearnet and Marion Goodbody