Ford Hill Road End  ~  Saturday 27 November 2004

16 December 2004

Ian McKie

From the last week of October to the last week of November these hounds have scored two points of four miles, three points of five miles, two of six and one over seven and, with a two and a half hour hunt of fourteen miles as they ran from the Opening Meet, we have certainly enjoyed a good start to the season.  Justly renowned for their tenacity in hunting the hills, the College Valley North Northumberland hounds have in fact a much varied and demanding country in which to test their mettle.  They can be asked to climb out over two thousand feet several times in one day, and then to handle intensive mixed farming conditions the next.  It was in the lowland area from the meet at Ford Hill that we scored our furthest point so far.

Kit Graham, a sportsman of considerable mileage, reliably informed us of a good fox that he had seen visiting his covert (aptly named the Friendly Hound belonging to the Joicey family) close to the meet.  The hounds spoke hesitantly at first as the fox broke for Ford Moss, changing his mind shortly after he turned back on himself, ran through the wood where he was found, to the road above.  Here, Andrew Proe K.H. saw him glance back then shake himself, having gained small but valuable distance by his U-turn, before setting his mask for his point.  We were with the hounds at Watch Law, Hazely Hill and Wood End running fast and straight.  Unfortunately for the field, the hounds soon began to go much faster than the horses, but thank goodness for the tail as we caught sight of them by Licker Moor making for Bowsden Mains and Berrington Loch.  We assumed they were in Berrington Dean among fresh foxes but, after retrieving only two couple and wasting unnecessary time, it was soon apparent by the sheep gathering in the distance that they had run unattended through to Langdyke and Ancroft North Moor to Allerdean and Scremerston Hill where the motor bikes had at least gained remote contact.  Swinging left handed for Unthank, we were now eventually in a position of some control and brought this remarkably straight hunt to an unsatisfactory end after on hour twenty five minutes nine miles as they ran with a point of seven.

IRMcK