"A stonkingly good day," was the Masters verdict at the end of the day following the meet at Abbotstone. "I think we spent more time in the air than on the ground!" he added. Of course it is great to be hunting on the Grange Estate at any time, but to be given a meet by the Hon. Mr and Mrs Mark Baring really was the icing on the cake. Mark and Miranda Baring generously provided refreshments for a good turnout of riders and foot followers, including Lady Susan Ashburton and Admiral Sir James Eberle GCB MH (Master of the Britannia Beagles). Our Quarries for the day were Nick and Richard Hoare and Jeff Lynn. We were sorry to be missing our Amateur Whipper-in, Kim Thayer, who had a horrendous fall during the week while exercising a friend's horse. Just goes to show Kim, you're much safer hunting! We hope she's back out with us soon.

The first hunt started down by the Abbotstone cross roads, with hounds racing away up to Itchen Stoke Down. Hounds checked here as they ran onto the junction of five byways. There would be quite a bit of foil on these popular byways and hounds tried each one, only to find the Quarry had not used any of them. They eventually picked up the line into a field that brought them running beside the Northington Road. Hounds met a gaggle of foot followers as they came to the Abbotstone road T junction, but didn't hesitate crossing into the next field and racing back to the water at Lynch Row, where they caught their Quarries.

The second hunt started opposite Newhouse Farm, with hounds running north over a crop of beans. As they came into the wood, where there are numerous jumps, some hounds were distracted by some roe deer that had apparently crossed into the wood at the same time as the Quarry. The Master stopped the errant hounds very quickly and they were soon back on the line running towards the Grange Park. The Quarries were warned they might get their feet "damp", only to find the route had been set through the stream north of The Grange Lake. Hounds were screaming as they went through the water, to turn down south, leaving The Grange Lake on their right. As they came level with The Grange hounds swung east round the Lake House Woods, to cross the drive and catch their Quarry. This was a good three mile hunt over plenty of jumps.

The third hunt started near the end of the second hunt, with hounds running by Abbotstone Farm, over the Wayfarers Walk. The field enjoyed a number of jumps as the hounds ran parallel to the Wayfarers Walk. Hounds crossed the Oxdrove Way to run up to another good row of jumps going up into Sheep Wood. Sunshine 03 was in the lead and didn't even pause to sniff the riot of foot followers, cars and dogs that had lined up to see the riders fall off over a jump! It is rumoured that one of them got a picture of our Master over a jump lacking his "usual poise and elegance" - his words, not mine. I'd almost pay money to get a copy of that picture. The operative word being "almost!" Anyway, while the Master was performing equestrian aerobics, hounds pressed on through Abbotstone Wood, to come out south of Northfield Plantation. Sunshine was still pressing hard and the Master got a good view of her nipping at Jeff Lynn's heels as he leapt over a hedge! On the other side, Sunshine ran on past all the Quarries as if to say, "come on boys, you're 200 yards short of the finish!" The last word goes to Quarry Jeff Lynn in an email to the Master. "Thanks for a great hunt yesterday.  It was my favourite so far - all those hedges, the river, the final chase - marvelous.  (I must be mad)"

Photographs by Nicky Stent, Fran Baker and Jeff Lynn (Click to enlarge)