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South Downs Bloodhounds Clay Shoot

Wednesday 18th August - at Priors Dean (top of hill by entrance to Keyham Farm GU34 3SD)

By kind permission of Mr & Mrs A Silk and Crew Service and Investment Corporation and in conjunction with Petersfield Gun Club). Shooting from 5.30pm - 8.30pm. Stands for experts and beginners. Even children!!!    -    Barbecue and Bar.

Hounds Parade at Merrist Wood.
Jeremy, Stephen, Kate and Minky, took the hounds to the Agricultural College at Merrist Wood, near Guilford, where they paraded twice in the main ring. In between parades, the hounds drew large numbers of admirers throughout the day, with Jeremy and Stephen having to answer many questions about the hounds and our sport. Kate and Minky were there, in between shamelessly ogling Guido, a stunt rider in the Rockin' Horse Stunt Show. "We could do that," said Stephen, as the riders galloped down the ring, vaulting on and off, or standing on two or three horses while going over jumps, "we just don't like showing off!" Whereas all Jeremy would say, as Kate and Minky sauntered off, was, "brazen hussies!"

 

Picture by
Sharon Thayer

2009 - 210 Season comes to an end at Preshaw Manor
There was a great turnout for the closing meet of the 2009 -2010 season. The weather was possibly more suited to a day on the beach, rather than hunting, but Sir Richard and Lady Pelly provided some generous refreshments, before we set off in pursuit of Quarries, Chris Lee and Nick Hudson. Despite the warm weather, there was a good serving scent, better than we had for the previous three Sundays; perhaps hounds were getting used to the warmer, brighter conditions of March/April. It was good to welcome Nic Wheeler, senior Master and Huntsman of the Coakham Bloodhounds, resplendent in his chestnut hunting coat with brown collars and cuffs..........and green wellies; his wife having forgotten to pack his hunting boots (as Nic put it!). As usual, when Jeremy and Nic get together, there was a fair bit of banter about which pack of bloodhounds is the greatest, which is surprising, as I would have thought it is beyond doubt - the SDB.

Sharon Thayer's (photographer) website.            Kevin Milner's (photographer) website.    

Picture by Sharon Thayer

Picture by Sharon Thayer

New Meet at Longwood.
It's always nice to have a new meet on the meet card and it was kind of Phillip Mason and Michael Pakenham to invite us for a day at Longwood. Stephen Kelk MBH "volunteered" to be Quarry, as for the first time this season we had no-one else booked in to run. Just as well he didn't fill himself up too much with the Pakenham's refreshments, as he had quite a tough day ahead of him. Once again, this was a warm sunny day and scent was very poor; hounds seemed to particularly struggle on the rape. Sadly the Hursley Hambledon had also organised a hunt ride over the jumps at Bereliegh, and this undoubtedly led to a lower turnout than we would otherwise have expected. The day was rather marred by a freak accident when our best young hound, Bayleaf, managed to break both his front legs, in an accident that no-one saw. "I have never seen anything like it in my 26 years of hunting hounds, it is a complete mystery as to how he did it" said Jeremy. Nonetheless, the hunting part of the day was fun and let's hope we get invited back there again.

Sharon Thayer's (photographer) website.         

Picture by Sharon Thayer

Picture by Sharon Thayer

Good turnout and new ground from Polly Glovers Farm
West Meon is not the easiest part of our country to find enough ground to hunt over at this time of the year. So Jeremy was delighted to hear that Lord Northbrook at Woodlands, and Pete and Julie Butler at Sly's Farm, would permit us to use their land, in conjunction with ground belonging to Alex and Matthew Morton, and the Silk family's Wood Farm, following a well supported meet at Polly Glover Farm, where Helen and Jes provided refreshments. We were lucky to have Nick Hudson offering to Quarry for us at the last minute, because our booked in Quarry didn't turn up! The weather was warm and dry, probably part of the reason why we had such a good turnout on horse and on foot. The last hunt of the day was particularly enjoyable for being over the Butler's grass and jumps before going onto Lord Northbrook's and the Silk's ground, to finish a stone's throw from the Beagle Kennels. Minky Kelk had a fall at the last jump of the day, which is worthy of note only because I think this is the first time I've ever heard of her falling off, despite jumping pretty well everything in sight on every day!

Sharon Thayer's (photographer) website.         

Picture by Sharon Thayer

Picture by Sharon Thayer

Poor scent at Upton Park
Upton Park is a lovely place for a meet, starting as we do, in the Park. Mike Garside was our new Quarry for the day. The weather was dry and bright and hounds did not run particularly well on the grass of the first hunt, but by the time they got to some beans, there was no scent at all. Some people criticise hunting with bloodhounds as being too predictable and, because the routes are prearranged, too easy. This was a day that proved neither criticism is true. Whilst it true to say that with bloodhounds you are guaranteed to get a hunt, it does not necessarily follow it will be without complications. Hounds really struggled on this day, leaving the Field with a surprising amount of time standing still or walking. At least with "hunting the clean boot" with bloodhounds, we can legitimately claim this to be unusual!

Sharon Thayer's (photographer) website.         Kevin Milner's (photographer) website.

Picture by Sharon Thayer

SOUTH DOWNS BLOODHOUNDS VAMPIRE BALL

The inaugural SDB Hunt Ball was a fantastic success and was a sell out. The idea of having a "vampire" theme was inspirational, giving Ball goers the option to dress up in ghoulish, scary outfits, or just come in normal black tie. The only problem was our senior Master getting a slap in the face after congratulating one young lady on her scary outfit, only to be told she had not put on any form of fancy dress or scary make up! Perhaps the only fly in the ointment was the food, but I know the committee has taken this on board for the next occasion.

Alice Geaves MBH and Kate Kelk really did work hard on setting up the Ball and nothing was left to chance. Itchen Abbas Village Hall was an ideal venue, and Alice and Kate had gone to town on turning it into some kind of vampire's lair, complete with bats, rats, cobwebs, red and black balloons etc. The "boy band" seem to go down well with the dancers, but I understand the male Masters have demanded "a bit of totty" on the next occasion when we have musical entertainment!

Not only did we have great support from people attending the Ball, but we also had some fantastic raffle prizes donated. Perhaps the highlight of the night was the auction, where once again people had been generous in offering their services in aid of hunt funds. Johnny Cowper-Coles MBH donated fishing on the test, Chris Geaves donated a trip on his RIB (rigid inflatable boat you fools, not on his chest!) Libby Arnott donated her services cooking for a dinner party, the Coakham Bloodhounds donated a days hunting with the "2nd best pack of bloodhounds in the country," (as our senior Master calls them!) and finally, the star attraction, Louise Hudson offered her husband, Nick, as a "slave for the day." All the other men at the ball had a really good laugh at this item, until he was finally bought for an obscene sum of money, by three ladies, at which point these other men went green with envy! Chris Geaves was our auctioneer, and he did a brilliant job of squeezing money out of people.

A great night was had by all, but I believe there was a national shortage of Alka Saltzer the following morning!

Sharon Thayer's (photographer) website.
Caption Competition No. 20

It's your chance to show your imagination, wit and sheer brilliance as you come up with a witty caption for the photograph on the right. If you win, you enjoy the glory of seeing your name on the website. What more could you want? Entries to captions@SouthDownsBloodhounds.com

Previous Caption Competition Photos


Either photo will do!

Captions suggested so far:

Jeremy Whaley: Sharon's idea of wearing a bikini while taking pictures, to make people smile, doesn't appear to be working!

Tanya Salzer: Stephen's face was a picture after seeing Kate's credit card bill! But the cost of Minky's phone bill was enough to throw himself on the floor!

Jeremy Whaley: After making a mess of the first jump Kate shouted, "Stephen, sit up and look confident." Well, one out of two isn't bad!

Jeremy Whaley: After watching stunt man Guido, at the Rockin Horse Stunt Show, Stephen Kelk MBH was heard to shout, "Anything Guido can do, I can do better!"

 

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