The Ringlestone Inn, Ringlestone
3rd February 2002

Hounds met at the Inn at 12 noon. The weather was overcast with light winds but drizzle set in during the afternoon. Hounds moved off down the road towards Doddington and were laid on by the cottages. They hunted up the hill, round the new fencing. Running along the set aside in the bottom of the valley, they entered into Stede Hill Wood. Hunting well through the trees they turned and headed towards Wrinsted Court, where they took their quarry in the farm buildings. It was a very fast hunt, with the horses galloping hard to keep up.

The second hunt started alongside the farm buildings running round the set aside strip into Wrinsted Wood. Hounds crossed over the valley onto a large grass bank where several hares put up in front of the hounds, which brought them to their noses as they puzzled the line out, eventually taking us onto Ashdown Farm. Crossing the road into Lord's Wood there were numerous more hares about in the wood but hounds took the line through the trees, finding the going extremely tough. The horses were reduced to walking pace as the hounds struggled through the brambles on into Wichling Wood. They hunted on thorough the brambles taking the quarry near the Doddington Road. A slow hunt through the woods which hounds found hard work and extremely tiring.

The third hunt started alongside Coal Pit Lane. We followed the hounds at top speed jumping in and out of the lane. Following along the side of the road the hounds turned and jumped the fence into Ending Wood. They hunted really well through the trees and crossing the steam engine line they jumped out of the wood catching their quarry near the Torry Hill Park Road. This was a much faster hunt with hounds hunting well. The ground in the Torry Hill Park was good so for the fourth hunt, in spite of the drizzle, hounds raced away behind the house. They twisted and turned around the clumps of trees to enable the field to go slowly so as not to mark the fields at the back of Torry Hill House. The hounds went racing away once on the farm land and the field enjoyed numerous post and rail fences as they crossed the road turning back to jump onto the cricket ground field. Here every care was taken to keep off the pitch, and just before the road bridge they caught the runners early. An extremely fast hunt and hounds hunted brilliantly, all on old turf.

The last hunt started in fading light and rain The hounds were laid on at the aerodrome where we hunted across the runways to take the quarry near Ringlestone Inn. A long hard day for horses and hounds, with lots of jumping and excellent hunting. Chris and Ralph made up one pair of quarry, whilst David ran with Blobby. We all then retired to the the pub for an excellent tea.