|
Scotland Having got back from hunting at Baron's Grange the hounds were fed and then loaded in the lorry with Song (the huntsman's horse), Nic, Sue, Adrian and Bill. After nine and a half hours driving up the A1 we arrived at the Berwickshire Hunt kennels at 7am, taking everyone totally by surprise. The hounds were taken for a quick walk and then fed. Song was found a stable and then we all went to Master and Huntsman Jeremy Whaley's house for breakfast. The rest of the day was spent looking over the land we were to hunt on Tuesday, which was totally different from ours and full of sheep. Meanwhile Roger, Caroline, Gillian and Samantha had travelled up by plane but were delayed when part of the wing started to fall off half way and they had to divert to Luton. Roger and Bill stayed at Bonkyl Lodge. Gillian and Caroline stayed at Ayerton Castle, while Nic, Sue and Adrian stayed at Reedy Loch. Tuesday
12th November The meet was at a small group of pine trees in the middle of nowhere, miles up single track lanes and over numerous cattle grids. There was a strong wind blowing and it was raining fairly hard and it was cold. The hounds were laid on parallel to the road and hunted down the field, turning along the stream where the sheep had gathered on the line. They cast themselves over the stone wall and back, eventually picking up a line and hunting on up the hill. They held the line well over a stone wall, exposing the wire we had buried under the stones on top of the wall the day before, so it was question of kick on and hope for the best. We hunted through the cattle droppings (or foil) past the wood at Laughing Law. Here the hounds dropped down a very steep slope. Jeremy had suggested the runners did this so the foot followers would have a view. Unfortunately most of the followers had not come out because it was raining so hard. The young hounds overshot the line and had difficulty negotiating the hill back up again, but the more experienced members of the pack held the line across the slope past another plantation to, surprisingly, catch their quarry near Dell's Neuk. Adrian was in a state as he had broken down and was hardly able to walk. Was this because he was told to run across the steep slope? Was this some form of sabotage?! By now the cold was getting to some members of the field and many disappeared. We thought the Scots were supposed to be hard! With Adrian sidelined we were now relying on the Berwickshire quarry, who we hoped would know the right way to go. After some delay and we had collected up the young hounds, hounds were hacked along the road to God's Croft. They now had some clean fields to hunt on and really raced into the wind, the field struggling to keep up. They hunted right the way across to White Burn, and round numerous stubble fields which rode surprisingly heavily. They were then into cattle, and coming out of the field Nic jumped a single strand of electric fencing that stopped everyone. Hounds, not hesitating, continued over the hill, giving the field numerous metal sheep hurdles to jump. They took their quarry back at the meet. After drinks were taken, hounds were laid on across the common below the meet. This was a very boggy area and the hounds crossed it considerably quicker that we could on horseback. They hunted well up to Fannanside, where luckily they checked enabling us to catch up. They were cast right handed picking up the line before jumping the stone wall into some very sheep foiled kale. Jeremy had slipped on and opened the gate, to allow the hounds through to the grass on the other side. Hunting on down the hill they crossed the stream, four hounds got over a post and rails and gave the rest of the pack the slip, while the others got stuck. Jeremy was quickly off his horse and jumping on the rails made a hole big enough for them to get through, and they were soon on their way up the hill and over Ecclaw Hill, which was rough gorse. Two foxes came away at this point. The lead hounds, which included Tootsie and Basil, had hunted on and crossed the road, jumping a five bar gate onto and then off the road. The rest of the pack hunted on and the foot followers opened the gates for them to cross, and they took their quarry just below Elma's Wood. By now it had nearly stopped raining and there was a little sun. The field consisted of about six of the 20 that started, mostly Coakham members. That evening we all got together at Jeremy Whaley's house, Reedy Loch, where he entertained us and some of their supporters to supper. On Wednesday Roger, Caroline, Bill and Samantha went off sightseeing, while the rest of us went to look at Thursday's meet. In the evening we all met up at Manderston House, by kind invitation of Lady Cornelia Palmer, and 30 of us sat around the table for supper. Afterwards we all played a game called Freda, which is played around a billiards table, and can get quite competitive. After many people had been knocked out, there was only Nic and our host Lady Palmer left so we had to have a quick meeting to discuss whether Coakham honour was at stake or whether we should be polite - we played on and Nic won! On Thursday we met at Bonkyl Lodge. It was raining so hard and blowing such a gale we left the horses in the lorry and had the meet in the house. It was Roger's birthday so we sang happy birthday. After various speeches we were on our horse and took the hounds down the road and laid them on into the stubble fields above Baird's Covert. This was straight into the wind. The rain was horizontal and the hounds really struggled crossing the line numerous times but were unable to hold the direction the quarry has taken. On past rough cover they picked up scent in numerous places but still could not settle. They cast down wind into Bunkie Wood where unfortunately a horse slipped up and rolled on the rider, injuring them quite badly. The hounds were stopped while we waited for the field to catch up. They were laid on again and hunted over the lane below the church and managed to hold the line up across the plough to Marigold. They were taken through the farm yard and laid on beyond, running through the pond where our quarry had gone, up onto the grass where the wind was really strong. They hunted through Broomhill Plantation turning left across the Thief's Road to take their quarry at the top of the hill. The quarry had been at the end of the hunt for over half an hour and were really cold. Hounds had really struggled in these conditions but kept owning the line as they went. By now the wind and rain was really strong and even the horses were having a job to stand. They were hacked on down the road and laid on into Fawcett Wood. Over the stone wall with a drop, past the disused pit, and parallel with the stone wall, just past an open gate, hounds were throwing themselves over the stone wall to hunt the line on the far side. Those that did not make it hunted down the near side. Now we realised hunting downwind there was a really good scent. They zigzagged past the forestry and turned really well through the gates behind Brockholes. Out into the corn they really flew, flat out down the hill overshooting the line, casting on over the stone wall and burn into the sheep. They soon returned to pick the line up, hunting through the bottom of Fawcett Wood, ignoring the hares which jumped up in front of them, they took their quarry early on the hill. They were given ten minutes law, hounds were laid on and hunted up the sheep foiled hill, but were unable to take the line across the stubble. Once on the grass again they hunted on and took their quarry on the track near Black House Dean plantation. For the third hunt hounds were taken down a track and laid on into a field with hundreds of sheep. They hunted along the fence and turned into Green Burn Plantation. Hunting through the thick plantation, they came out over the top and checked inexplicably twice in the middle of the field. They hunted on down to Foster Land's Burn, where Jeremy had slipped on to open some gates. He informed us that four deer were running in front of us and had crossed the line three times. He was in the right place to make sure no hounds strayed into the forestry where the deer had entered. They hunted on over the hill near Gallow's Law, where the hounds were held on the road to allow what was left of the field, mostly Coakham members, to catch up. They were laid on over the road, and hunted down across the grass into the rape, where they took their quarry just short of the main road. The roads were about an inch deep in water, we had all been soaked to the skin for hours, the quarry were absolutely shattered - so home was blown and we went back to Bonkyl Lodge where there was a very welcome tea waiting for us. In the evening we all met up at a pub, where the Coakham members bought the Berwickshire members the drink and a very convivial evening followed. We even managed to get Adrian, who had not been in the best of moods since breaking down, to do his Jethro impressions. On Friday, hounds were fed and then loaded into the lorry and we said our goodbyes and thankyous. We were back at the kennels at 8pm, and it took two days for our coats to dry out!
|