We were blessed with another gloriously sunny, autumnal day as we all congregated to continue the tradition of celebrating St Hubert's day at Montague, by kind invitation of the Glessing and Hole families. It still seems incredible that St Hubert's day has turned out to be the first "meet" of the 2001-2002 season.

There may have only been four hounds in attendance, who were destined to go back into the horsebox and sulk after the meet, but a large turnout of foot followers and mounted riders were there to see Master Clare Miles hand over a cheque for £5,200 to Jenny Yeo, chair of the Battle & District Cancer Research Group. She also presented the prizes to the three people who raised the highest amounts of sponsorship: Francine Orchard of Filsham Valley School raised the highest amount of sponsorship, £840, the junior prize was won by Lucy Bundy, and Bill Boniface retained his laurels for another year, raising the most sponsorship for a walker and for a Coakham member.

Senior Master and Huntsman Nic Wheeler then thanked Mr and Mrs Glessing and Mr and Mrs Hole for having us and introduced Canon Sheen. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the realisation that, as he blessed the oldest rider, John Glessing (on the right), the oldest hunt supporter, Clem Ramus (on the left), the oldest horse, George and the oldest hound, What Not, he was naming the same four as he blessed last year!

The riders then collected their horses, happy in the knowledge that John Glessing had ensured that all the hedges on the farm were trimmed and ready for jumping, but saddened by the fact that the hounds were going back into the horsebox when they should be out hunting down their quarry. The ride started with a hack down onto the marshes, with a brief interlude whilst Robbie Miles cut loose a sheep whose wool had become well and truly entangled in the brambles.

The first fence turned out to be a very large hedge. Whilst the rest of the field dithered as to whether to jump, partly missing the bravado generated by a pack of hounds in full cry, John Glessing showed us all the way, kicking on and jumping it perfectly. We then moved on round the farm, jumping hedges, gates and timber, with a few riders collecting some souvenir mud on their jackets on the way, but everyone arrived safely back at Montague for a magnificent tea laid on by our hosts.

The day may have lacked the excitement generated by a true hunt, but it was good to see everyone and catch up on the gossip, and we were all simply glad to be out and jumping across such wonderful country, with excellent going - at the St Hubert's Day meet last year, we spent much of the day wading through water!