TwoPair
Well-Known Member
...from yesterday! It has been years since I have hunted seriously. I used to be out almost every week at least once a week on my 14.1. We jumped everything we could, and had some fantastic away days - with the Beaufort, South Notts, and Cambridge Uni Drag in Fernie country. I have got a lovely lovely white horse to hunt temporarily, and am thoroughly enjoying myself. I've done two Tuesdays on the trot with the Cottesmore, as I have always always hunted with them, and I'd sat on him all of, um, five times? However the owner is Belvoir country so very kindly offered me a Belvoir Saturday on him 
I've never been out with the Belvoir before but had a lot of PC friends from there.
I arrived to be told it was one of the high days, and the PC girls took great delight in telling me that we would be going over Hose Thorns. This was completely lost on me, but they told me it was a serious and notorious line, and any follower would tell you that . (Post meet Googling has shown Hose Thorns was mentioned in memoirs of 1880!) On leaving the meet, we must have trotted about 50 feet out of the yard and no sooner was my horses tail out of the gate the front of the field were swinging back towards a hedge. No exaggeration here, this must have been a good six and a half feet of solid, Leicestershire hedge. I was a bit but after the Master, his daughter, and at least two other scalps were claimed I followed the rest of the field in circling back through the gate Our sock then had a fantastic run around the same three fields for about twenty minutes. A set of upright rails with a ditch behind was the second fence, and this time the Master AND his horse fell, followed quickly by three others. We again circled round and when the caught the rest of the field up the last few were just clambering the rails.
It was a bit slow after that, but we then had some nice rails to get us going. There was a run of a few hedges - must have been four or five - I did two as been brought up in the school of 'if there's an open gate, save the legs for when there isn't' There was a couple of XC fences, which we did, and then I gave the PC girls a lead (well, I jumped first and they all followed) over a hedge with rails. Jumped a lane crossing - everyone shuffled in two, the White Hoss popped it on one Came haring up a field, to a socking great hedge with a ditch in front. Jumped it, horse flew, but I scared myself and bottled the next two. Caught up with the PC lot at the end who were all buzzing and said that was Hose Thorns I coughed I'd bottled the last two and they laughed at me. H's mum shared her hip flask with me and then gently told me we were about to head back down Hose Thorns, which meant the ditch towards was now away Was told hang back, let the carnage commence and vaguely clear, then pick your own line and kick on Seems I didn't have much choice, so I donned my brave pants, followed orders, and kicked on. Turns out my horse is a machine, I should trust him implicitly and not let my own nerves ruin his day He flew his way down, over all three big thorn hedges. After that, nothing was too big and I just grinned like a loon all the way back to second horses That said, I am back out with the Cottesmore on Tuesday - as much as I enjoyed myself I do prefer the Cotts, possibly because I'm more comfortable?
Sorry, just had to share because I'm still buzzing - I went back to Hose Thorns today which is always a big mistake in cold blood. I'm 5"4 and the smallest bit of hedge was at my shoulder Very pleased with White Hoss, he's amazing and I'm so lucky to be allowed to hunt him! Left over Sloe Gin for anyone that made it this far, I think I have some Cadburys Yule Logs left, and there's some Damson Vodka in the cupboard for those that prefer it!
I've never been out with the Belvoir before but had a lot of PC friends from there. I arrived to be told it was one of the high days, and the PC girls took great delight in telling me that we would be going over Hose Thorns. This was completely lost on me, but they told me it was a serious and notorious line, and any follower would tell you that
. (Post meet Googling has shown Hose Thorns was mentioned in memoirs of 1880!) On leaving the meet, we must have trotted about 50 feet out of the yard and no sooner was my horses tail out of the gate the front of the field were swinging back towards a hedge. No exaggeration here, this must have been a good six and a half feet of solid, Leicestershire hedge. I was a bit but after the Master, his daughter, and at least two other scalps were claimed I followed the rest of the field in circling back through the gate Our sock then had a fantastic run around the same three fields for about twenty minutes. A set of upright rails with a ditch behind was the second fence, and this time the Master AND his horse fell, followed quickly by three others. We again circled round and when the caught the rest of the field up the last few were just clambering the rails. It was a bit slow after that, but we then had some nice rails to get us going. There was a run of a few hedges - must have been four or five - I did two as been brought up in the school of 'if there's an open gate, save the legs for when there isn't'
There was a couple of XC fences, which we did, and then I gave the PC girls a lead (well, I jumped first and they all followed) over a hedge with rails. Jumped a lane crossing - everyone shuffled in two, the White Hoss popped it on one Came haring up a field, to a socking great hedge with a ditch in front. Jumped it, horse flew, but I scared myself and bottled the next two. Caught up with the PC lot at the end who were all buzzing and said that was Hose Thorns I coughed I'd bottled the last two and they laughed at me. H's mum shared her hip flask with me and then gently told me we were about to head back down Hose Thorns, which meant the ditch towards was now away Was told hang back, let the carnage commence and vaguely clear, then pick your own line and kick on Seems I didn't have much choice, so I donned my brave pants, followed orders, and kicked on. Turns out my horse is a machine, I should trust him implicitly and not let my own nerves ruin his day He flew his way down, over all three big thorn hedges. After that, nothing was too big and I just grinned like a loon all the way back to second horses That said, I am back out with the Cottesmore on Tuesday - as much as I enjoyed myself I do prefer the Cotts, possibly because I'm more comfortable? Sorry, just had to share because I'm still buzzing - I went back to Hose Thorns today which is always a big mistake in cold blood. I'm 5"4 and the smallest bit of hedge was at my shoulder
Very pleased with White Hoss, he's amazing and I'm so lucky to be allowed to hunt him! Left over Sloe Gin for anyone that made it this far, I think I have some Cadburys Yule Logs left, and there's some Damson Vodka in the cupboard for those that prefer it!