Puppy Show - midweek or weekend, your thoughts please

[irish_only]

My local pack always have the puppy show midweek, and I can't help but get frustrated with this. Why o why o why??
The only people who can go are those who are either prepared to take the afternoon off work, or don't work.
No children or younger supporters there.
Considering that every hunt should be encouraging younger members to become involved/interested a weekend would be better, and younger members are always thin on the ground with this pack.
I have mentioned this a few times but been told " It's always been on a Friday".

aaaagh so frustrating

p.s. I am a long term puppy walker

Thoughts please....................................

 

[rosie fronfelen]

all the ones around here are on sundays.

 

[combat_claire]

Our hunt has always held our puppy show on a Wednesday afternoon. I consider it a huge privilege to be invited (it certainly isn't an open invite) and I am happy to take one day of my annual leave to watch the young entry, unless I really can't juggle the office diary.

Conversely two other packs I have involvement with hold a weekend puppy show. Summer weekends seem to be manic and squeezing in puppy shows can be worse than mid week. The mink hounds I whip into have theirs joint with the local beagles on a Saturday, which means we then go hunting the following day - totally exhausting for staff and followers alike.

 

[irish_only]

Our hunt has always held our puppy show on a Wednesday afternoon. I consider it a huge privilege to be invited (it certainly isn't an open invite) and I am happy to take one day of my annual leave to watch the young entry, unless I really can't juggle the office diary.

Conversely two other packs I have involvement with hold a weekend puppy show. Summer weekends seem to be manic and squeezing in puppy shows can be worse than mid week. The mink hounds I whip into have theirs joint with the local beagles on a Saturday, which means we then go hunting the following day - totally exhausting for staff and followers alike.

My thoughts are that with the dwindling number of two legged young entry, the way to get them more interested in the bare bones of hunting is to make events such as the puppy show more accessible by having it at a weekend. Seeing the judging, meeting the puppy walkers etc might inspire them to get involved more.

 

[combat_claire]

Speaking from experience and digressing from the original question - being able to attend a puppy show or not is hardly going to be enough to stop the rot and be a miracle solution to have youngsters flocking back through the gates.

We have found that the key has been giving the youngsters a forum to put forward their own ideas where they don't feel intimidated by the older hunt supporters. Our masters were hugely supportive and allowed us to form a Young Hunt Supporters Club. Our remit was to concentrate on having fun and don't make a loss. We have organised many successful events in the 6 months we have been formed and even added a few hundred quid to the hunt coffers. We've had pub grub evenings, a ball and with punting, polo, barbecue, hound exercise on bikes, start of season party and equine first aid to follow later this year.