South of England Show, Ardingly

The foxhound judging was eagerly anticipated after an exciting time at the Surrey Union kennels on Sunday, and this was reflected in the large crowd of supporters who turned up to watch the day unfold. None though had arrived quite as early as Roger Sellens (3.45am) or indeed the Hunt lorry (7.00am).  By ten o'clock and the first class, the atmosphere was electric, energised by news from the previous day's MFHA meeting. Today at Ardingly, the great and the good had assembled by the show ring:  Martin Scott, the country's principal foxhound authority; Stephen Lambert and Alistair Jackson of the MFHA; VWH legend Sidney Bailey; local grandee Nicholas Soames; local MP and Shadow DEFRA Minister (and occasional beagler) Nick Herbert; Ian Farquhar of the Beaufort, Nigel and Sophia Peel of the North Cotswold. At length, the morning began.

Class 1 for Best Entered Dog Hound saw a dozen hunts compete, including the VWH with some superb hounds. The proceedings took a good 30 minutes to complete and the judges appeared to deliberate for another 15. Understandably, as the quality was extraordinary. At last the announcement was made: 1st rosette went to the CL&C for Rigorous. To great applause, Senior Master accepted the Gregson Perpetual Challenge Cup. Class 2 was upon us, Best Couple of Unentered Dog Hounds and the judges Mr Eames and Mrs Humphries made lighter work of it. The winners: the VWH's Pageant and Panther Reserve:  the CL&C's Derby and Dexter. The next class was quick and the result encouraging: The CL&C beat the VWH to secure Best Single Unentered Hound for Derby. A fourth placed rosette was the outcome for Rigorous and Ripper in Class 3 for Best Couple of Entered Dog Hounds. The next  Class 4 for Best Two Couple of Entered Doghounds continued the unbroken run: Sage garnered a superb second placing to the VWH (a pattern was emerging!) with Rigorous and Ripper and Ringwood and Rifle. However, Class 5 Best Stallion Hound found us lacking as Governor was removed early on.

After an hour's break for lunch, the bitch classes began and Classes 8 and 9 saw our luck dwindle but not Sage's confidence in his charges (he confided that he had not expected to do well at all with the dogs and that it was the bitches that would be the making of us...) Suddenly it was Class 10 for the Best Two Couple of Entered Bitch Hounds. This, remarked our Hound Trustee Nigel Peel, is the class every huntsman who makes the journey from up and down the country wants to win...and, in a swift reversal of fortune the winners were the CL&C with the VWH runners-up.  This was tremendous.  Sage showed Ripple, Ribbon, Righteous and Goblet beautifully. Everything about them was graceful and their attention would not be broken. They could not help but win.  The game was on again...Class 11 for the Best Brood Bitch saw our much-fancied Goblet take 3rd place.  It shows the level of expectation upon us that this was considered a major upset by the knowledgeable. We have the making of a champion in Goblet so one to watch out for at Peterborough in July. Class 12 for Best Bitch Hound saw us come away - probably quite correctly in this company - with nothing.

If anything Class 13: The Barclay Perpetual Challenge Cup for best overall performance was, at least for the Masters, our finest moment. When you totted up the points (5 for a 1st place down to 2 for a 4th), the CL&C came out Reserve Champions, beaten by a few by the VWH. This is, the great and the good, exclaimed a fantastic result for a two-day-a-week pack with less than 35 couple in the kennels. The VWH, by contrast, a four-day-a-week pack can muster over 65 couple. Another memorable day in the sun. Can Peterborough be this exciting? Join us if you can on July 22nd

Robin Muir