East Down Foxhounds Enjoy Seaforde Hunt
4 January 2012 |
Posted by Jim Masson |
The Boxing Day hunt of the East Down Foxhounds is always a big social occasion.
Elish riding Barbie at the Boxing Day hunt at Seaforde.
As the horses gathered at Seaforde this year joined by horses from the Tullymurry stables, a group of around 30 headed across the Lecale countryside looking for their quarry…. a fox
This time round the hunt was unsuccessful but there was an afternoon of excitement as the supporters of the hunt followed in their cars on the cold day but dry day.
The East Down Foxhounds emerged from the local hunting tradition dating back to 1768 when Matthew Forde’s pack at Seaforde hunted the area. In 1837 they became the Lecale Harriers and in 1887, WB Forde gave up the role of leading the hunt and it became the East Down Foxhounds.
It grew quickly after the Second World War when foxes had seen an increase in their population. One of the current leading lights in the East Down Foxhounds is Craig Cavan who in now in his 33rd season as master accompanied by James Armstrong in his eighth season.
Craig has a special interest in the breeding programme of the East Down Hounds and has had three successes with Irish Champion Hounds and several Best Brood Bitch categories.
The hunt is usually on a radius of 15 miles from the kennels on the Buckshead Road near Clough, and is over stone walls, hedges and grassland, with a view to minimal damage to the countryside.
David on Pablo looking forward to the hunt.
