Describe your hunting country...

J

JenHunt

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As the title really - following on from the post about the sort of horse best suited to your country...

we all ask what sort of country a hunt covers, so why don't we create our own little reference library of that info? I'll start...

Bilsdale
On the western edge of the North York Moors. We have a broad mix of country, including everything from open heather moors, to close managed forestry, to rolling grassland. The ground has notorious wet boggy patches, and some very steep hills, but also glorious views in every direction :) The jumping is mostly timber hunt jumps, but a few little ditches and streams and the occasional hedge pop up for the taking in the lower country.

The Bilsdale have a land sharing agreement with the neighbouring Hurworth for this coming season, with the two huntsmen hunt their own packs on a Saturday, with the Hurworth Huntsman drawing hounds from either pack on a Tuesday to suit the land to be covered.

Hurworth
I've not hunted with the Hurworth properly for many years, but what I remember of it is lovely grassland and some plough, with plenty of jumping (timber and hedges). I'll update this when we've done a bit more this season!
 
Fitzwilliam (Milton)

Covers approximately 300 square miles of country in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire. Mainly arable farmland with hunt jumps and ditches, but covering a large chunk of the Cambridgeshire Fens which only form part of the meetcard during autumn hunting - no jumping, large ditches and wind turbines form the major hazards in this somewhat bleak but beautiful part of Fitz country.

Best centres include Milton & Great Gidding, Gidding being famed for large hedges at Moonshine Gap & Flittermere.

Any type of horse is capable of hunting around here, but needs to be fit to cope with deep plough during winter. A two wheeled steed is particularly favoured by an elite group of subscribers.
 
Will update on the Meynall when I have a bit more experience!

Rockwood Harriers - most of it is mainly open grass land with small covers, quite hilly in areas on the edge of the pennines. Would say at least half of days are almost all stone walls some of which quite large! Also have some timber/hedge days and a lot are mixed and have a bit of everything. Generally a very busy little hunt and never really have a quiet day - all good fun!
 
combat_claire said:
I think they are quite capable of looking at a hunt map to see where the packs are based. descriptions of the country are freely available in Bailys!
Click to expand...

thank you CC... my thoughts exactly.

I just thought that not everyone has a copy of bailys, and for newcomers who are part of the forum to have a regular/subscribers view of the country might be of some help...

IMO if you read any hunt's website/bailys entry you'd be forgiven for thinking they had the best country going, and whilst that's not necessarily untrue, someone who's not hunted before may want a less glam'd up, more personalised version of the tale.
 
Cottesmore - Covers south of Melton Mowbray as far as the River Welland, Rutland, west of Melton Mowbray where it joins up with Quorn country, and parts of West Lincolnshire and East Leicestershire.

It is generally very hilly, lots of hunt fences, the going can be quite deep in places, particularly in wooded areas and you need a sure footed good jumping horse if you are going to hunt with the Cottesmore. Lots of hedges, post and rails and ditches but also lots of gates so you can go through them if you would rather not jump. We have a mixture of open fields, stony tracks, grassy tracks, quiet country lanes and lots of spinneys.

It was once declared the best hunting country in the world and I totally agree! :)
 
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