Real hunting hounds!!

Hello everyone,

I have been meaning to tell you all about my special trip last Saturday with 'The Brigga'deer"
We, 'the girls' went on a special road trip, Mouse stayed at home to look after Chris who was doing 'man' things with tools from 'the man shed'.

Our trip took us through a couple of showers (which can only be described as a mist, making the windscreen wipers squeak) and a selection of middle lane drivers which were serenaded from the confines of the car by fantastically funny and rude commentaries from 'Briggs'. This middle lane thing seems to wind everyone up, why do people not look behind them when they are driving? or at the very least, stop 'picking their nose' long enough to realise that they are hogging the road! This nasal cavity excavation seems to take so much concentration that I am surprised they can manage to muli-task driving! Ho Hum humans are strange...

Anyway, after an entertaining trip to 'Fitzzwilliam country' a few windy lanes, several expensive looking houses and a plethora of 'hedgeless' ditches later, we had arrived, parked at a jaunty angle roadside and began to make our way down the single farm track alongside a herd of pampered horses all sporting plaits and nicely spoken riders.

The meet itself (Hurry told me ages ago that a meeting of hounds and horses is called 'a meet') was a hive of activity, paws, hooves, wellies, leather boots and push chairs, all sharing about an acre of room to nibble on mini sausages, 'bite sized' pieces of cake and glasses of alcoholic substances which humans seem to like 'quoffing'. Mummy headed straight for the hounds to greet the huntsman who she has hunted with before (many years ago). I wanted to go back to the car, I have never been so scared in my entire life and thought I was about to die, it seemed like over a hundred noses were suddenly on me, big paws, tri-coloured bodies all pushing to sniff me from front to back, I wanted to be cool and not to react but found myself hiding behind mummy's legs trying my best not to let my hackles go up and send the wrong message. Mummy realised I was scared and put me on her shoulder (hmmm, I guess the practice of shoulder travel does have a use after all...note to self, try to embrace habbit this and keep my balance)

Up on high, I realised that there weren't a hundred noses at all, there were about thirty, to be 'hunting' correct, approximately fifteen couple. Funny thing is, not one of the hounds tried to hurt me, they inquisitively sniffed me and jumped up mummy leaving huge muddy paws on her coat to talk to me. One of them told me they were off for the last time this season, they would all be in for a break after today. I wished him and the rest of the pack a good day and also said I was sorry for being so frightened. With gentle eyes and a sideways grin, he said "well you do look a little bit like a fox", then winked and joined his pack behind the huntsman. I will remember his kind face always, mummy has always said that hounds are among the 'handsomest' of the canine world, I do believe she is right!

"Hunting Hounds" Copyright © Kirsty Brooks

I will finish this later as I need to go out for a sniff round. It is a beautiful day outside, I need to make the most of the sunshine...

Ha Ha, I have to tell you about mummy....Briggs just reminded me!

Ok ok, in response to the above line...

Mummy has having a chat to the huntsman about her day out eight years ago with the Fitzwilliam, obviously George didn't remember her but she remembered him, that day's events and more importantly the horrid horse she had been asked to ride (that's a story in itself!), as she was talking (me perched up on high like a petrified parrot) one of the hounds was a little overzealous trying to reach me and mummy lost her footing, she nearly went flying infront of Georges horse, (that would not have been funny for me!) It was quite an exaggerated and slow motion tumble, more comedy than accident and resulted in mummy collapsing in fits of laughter, the lady stood next to her, who fortunately had saved her from landing on her bottom by grabbing her arm, was also doubled up with laughter. Briggs took photo's for prosperity and bribes although she too was laughing so much I doubt the photo's will be in focus. I was just relieved that mummy had managed to keep hold of me rather than let me fall into the pack of hounds all waiting for a 'terrier close up'.

Finally, after the speeches and unsuccessful raffle, the horn was blown and off they sped...the sound was incredible, just as mummy has described it...like music! I now know why the hounds are so special to her and Brigg's, there is something rather magical about them and their particular sound. We tried to follow for a while, watching the hounds cast across the flat landscape followed by horses of all shapes and sizes until we could no longer hear or see them. After a few moments of nostalgia between the girls we turned for home, mummy's boots muddy for the first time since leaving Shropshire!

Night night. xx