Now, before I start this little blog, I should say I didn’t know what the Jolly Farmers Meet with the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds was all about.  I had a rough idea that the jumps might be slightly bigger than normal and that there was a fair amount of jumping, and this is what I relayed to my merry team.  However, it was all a slight understatement as I later found while galloping along with my mouth hanging wide open as my friends awesome cob charged off in front and flew over what can only be described as a well over five foot double of hedges with just a few paces in between. 
 
When the hedges just keep coming, you just keep riding and they just come at you so fast that you don’t have time to debate with yourself as to whether or not you may or may not die on landing and this can only be described as a good thing !!  If I had time to think, and look at the approaching hedge and analyse its drop on the other side and the large ditch beneath it and the sheep staring at me on landing, I probably would have to say ‘no thanks’.  But, as it happened, all that I had was my horse, Harry, galloping and popping them like they were the 1’6 feet clear round class.
 
Beyond that, they just kept coming, hedge after hedge after hedge, what an amazing rush of adrenaline as your horse just takes you over them one after another.  Every now and again you find yourself looking around blindly to make sure fellow team members are still in situ in their saddles, which of course they are.  I cannot quite describe the amazing feeling after jumping about 10 huge hedges in a row, I think for me it was mainly shock and I can only really thank my horse as I sat there like a limp fart much of the time occasionally patting him on the neck whilst galloping full pelt.
 
My friends horses range from a fantastic cob with the jumping ability of a stag in full motion and a flirty ex-racehorse who needs some vocal encouragement to avoid use of the handbrake prior to take off (she enjoys seeing her rider engage the air bag) but who can also jump like a deer when she opts to.  We all had a fantastic day.  The Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds are lovely and inviting, and should you part company from your horse (as occasionally is the case) there will always be someone there to catch you and your horse.  Should you not be in the mood for a 6ft hedge, there is always a way around and a friendly field master to guide you on an alternative route.  I cannot recommend them highly enough.  Not only that but their super Photographer Julian Portch always gets some amazing full flight shots so that you can look back on your super day and smile.
 
There is nothing that can beat a day’s hunting, nothing at all and I have tried them all.  Show jumping is over too quickly, dressage is like putting me in front of headlights and eventing deprives me of sleep the night before.  Hunting however never ceases to bring a smile to my face, from the port and mince pies at the meet, to the hedge hopping and high fives as we go along, to the massive love for our horses after a fabulous day. 

All I can say is try it, you will definitely like it. If you are not sure and need some advice, get in touch and take a look at my hunting guide and some info on hirelings , if you don’t fancy taking your own horse!  There is also some helpful info here on the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds page. Get cracking folks !!

Fox hunting with hounds in the UK is a highly debated subject which stretches across all kinds of people.  Every person I meet has a different opinion and I can never gauge what the reaction might be when I tell people I go fox hunting.  The point is, that fox hunting is not what it used to be.  We DO NOT HUNT A FOX these days, we actually hunt a few human runners.  So relax folks before you get all up in arms in excitement about fox murdering - it just isn't done these days.

To be honest with you, I did fox hunt as kid, I was brought up with it and I have seen both sides of the coin.  I have many pro hunting friends and many against.  The fact is that nower days we do not hunt a fox, but the rest is pretty much the same as it has always been.  I gallop about, jump hedges, drink from my hip flask, laugh profusely, freeze my ass off and have a generally awesome time gallavanting around the countryside.

With the hunting season just kicking off now, there are many options for the aspiring hunter.  You can go out with a drag hunt, blood hounds, fox hounds or no hounds - none of which actually hunt a fox - most of which hunt a few exceptionally keen and fast humans across the countryside - all of which is completely consensual I might add.  These are not folks that were caught stealing from the local bread market, no, some of them are training for marathons, triathlons or just trying to keep fit and they do a great job.

They lead us over ditches, up hills, through gates, over hedges and more.  They then get a quick break between lines while we all chat and quickly reach to pull our hip flasks out before galloping off once more.  If you are considering hunting and just don't know whether you and your horse could cope, take a look at my hunting guide which provides some great hunting tips and info - in a nutshell, man-up, you will love it.  I have seen a first timer go home without a huge smile across their face - do ensure you wear thermals, it gets a bit nippy :)

Well, what a super great weekend despite a dodgy sore throat......

(NB: pic of key equipment above - safety pins are a must when you don't know what to do with your stock - the rest speak for themselves!)

All looked pretty grim on Saturday with absolutely pissing down windy rain, decided not to take out the Arab on the basis of last weekends' fun and games, so quietly did my ponies and dived back home to clean tack and prep my hip flask.

My buddies and I headed out on Sunday with the SC & RMA Sandhurst to Tweseldown for their 12:30 meet which we just about scraped to meet despite my hectic planning efforts, not quite sure how we actually managed to be late given my cohort are normally complaining how horrifically early I always am!

Anywho, having spent hours of fun plaiting, trimming and bathing and what-not, we eventually get on board Derek's trusty lorry (see my transport page for more info on Derek :) and we are off.  Now normally, one of my cohort is an avid stock tier who sorts us all out, but unfortunately on this occasion we were not quite so lucky (how very dare she have to go to work instead of coming hunting - this won't be forgotten if you are reading this), so having spent some considerable time searching Google and UTube for video's of people tying stocks, we eventually settle for a half tidy, bouffed-up looking stock which I attempt on each of us and which as you will see from the pics below, was not too bad ;) well ish........

We then fly our ponies out of the lorry, leap on their backs and we are away - galloping across some great countryside over various hunt jumps (rails and tiger traps) and we are as happy as Larry.  Slightly out of control, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  My highlight of the day was debating a larger tiger trap on an awkward corner with a two stride run-up before a cocky looking showjumper in front of me made it look like a blooming crosspole at which point I merrily kicked on and galloped over it - I later thanked the lovely lady and her gorgeous chestnut for growing me some balls very quickly !!

We then parade ourselves around Tweseldown XC Course (which I might add looks amazing and has had even more jumps added - definitely going there soon) whilst we get quietly informed not to piss off over any jumps unless instructed to do so - eye eye captain - at which point we all gallop off over a heap of XC fences - woohoo (all behind the field masters off course ;)

Great fun, lovely folks and I cannot fault the day. Thank you to the Sandhurst Drag for having us, see you soon ;)