A former Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show champion hound showed he had other talents when he took part in a hunt “horse and hound” relay competition.
East Sussex and Romney Marsh Dante 11, doghound champion at Peterborough in 2013 and a successful stallion hound, retired from the hunting field at the end of last season due to an injury to a toe.
Di Grissell, joint-master of the East Sussex and Romney Marsh, said: “Biddy Ackerman had walked him as a puppy and said that she would like to have him back when he finished his hunting career.
“He really does have an amazing life with her. He isn’t quite domesticated yet but the family adore him, and he has a lovely temperament.”
Dante 11 was bred and hunted by H&H columnist Andrew Sallis, who was joint-master and huntsman of the East Sussex and Romney Marsh until 2017.
The East Sussex and Romney Marsh ran the “horse and hound” competition to replace its hunt scurry, which had to be abandoned because the course was waterlogged. Entrants jumped their horses round a course of showjumps, and then ran round the course on their feet with their dogs jumping the fences.
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Dante, who finished third, was not the only foxhound taking part – a bitch called Volatile, who lives with event hosts the Pearson-Woods in her retirement, also had a go.
This year’s Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, now part of the Lycetts Festival of Hunting, is the 130th running of the prestigious show. It takes place on Wednesday, 18 July at the East of England showground, Peterborough. As well as modern and old English foxhounds, there are classes for beagles, bassets, harriers, bloodhounds and draghounds, and displays of fellhounds and coursing dogs. There is a popular inter-hunt relay, with junior and senior classes, and ridden qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show.
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