IF you are attending Downpatrick Races and want to let the traffic clear, take a turn marked The Mill and Ballydugan Lake and you will find a real gem of a traditional Irish pub, The Lakeside Inn, complete with its half door. It is an old coaching inn with the stables still intact.

It is owned by Margaret and Geoffrey Ferguson who are the epitome of hospitality. Margaret’s family have owned the Inn since 1890, and she herself was awarded Ulster Barperson of the Year. Her mother Meta is still fondly remembered by the photo over the bar. Margaret who is a keen local historian, flower and craft enthusiast, arranges fishing permits on the lake if you like coarse fishing, and even accommodation a few yards up the road at Ballydugan Cottages, owned by Jeni and Jim Morrison. They are well known breeders of Holsteins and Aberdeen Angus cattle and Jim has a keen interest in animal genetics.

Not only the publicans were out to meet the East Down Foxhounds at the inn, but also local farmers, like Tom Edgar and his sheepdog Jim. Last year Tom told the huntsman that the foxes had taken 24 of his hens and were as fat as fools, and he did not want to lose any more! Mrs Black stopped to say she had taken her pony in so they could draw away, and farmers David Nicholson and Stephen McGinn were also down to say they had taken all the locks off the gates and wishing the followers an enjoyable day. Stephen Murray, a stone mason of Stoney Ways, which specialises in all types of traditional stonework as well as landscaping, was also there in support. It was a refreshing example of community spirit, upholding old traditions and respecting each other’s sport.

Pat Turley, who took on the mastership this year, farms on Downpatrick Racecourse where his Kingsfield Haylage business is based. His son Patrick trains about 20 point-to-pointers together with 12 breezers, so performance is targeted at the sales. Patrick has the ideal background for training as I remember him hunting 12.2hh ponies with the East Down and riding up front with the huntsman. I asked him when he was a teenager what he wanted to do when he left school and he said a jockey.

He rode for five years, won 20 point-to-points then went to Ann and Tony O’Callaghan’s Tally-Ho Stud in Mullingar, where top stallion Kodiac stands. Then he set up his training operation at home where he has installed a carbon fibre jumping strip. Two of his graduates are in top yards: My Whirlwind is with Nicky Henderson, and Power Pause is with Willie Mullins.

The other new joint-master is Donna Quail whose Arakan Quest, trained by Brian Hamilton and ridden by Keith Donoghue, was running in Gowran Park as we left the inn. Viewing the race on her phone, she was delighted with the ride Keith gave her horse to slot into third in testing conditions. Her daughter Toni is an international junior eventer associated with Ringfort Rua and currently riding out point-to-pointers in Wexford and was second recently in a point-to-point in Tipperary.

One-man band

It is worth travelling to the East Downs just to see how huntsman Declan Feeney handles 17½ couple of hounds on his own. He is a one-man band, does his own hunt horses, hounds, and the hunt country, and evens finds time to operate a knackery for fallen stock. Looking over the fence was Camilla, his donkey, who won many of the prizes at the Trim Show as she works under a plough, harrow, and side car. The pair are going to do an re-enactment of the coaching stop at The Lakeside Inn soon. Declan was riding Harvey, a former eventer when ridden by Declan Cullen. He previously hunted his Diamond Chin mare who was a real hunting machine for 14 seasons. Willie McDowell, a local Suffolk Cheviots sheep farmer, is a great support to Declan.

Craig Cavan, the former master for 35 seasons, farms beef and tillage locally. He plans the hound breeding programme with the huntsman, and they have had considerable success at all the major hound shows, particularly at the National Hound Show in Stradbally. BBC Countryfile have been filming recently at the kennels with the huntsman and honorary whipper-in and veterinary surgeon Daisy Dillon, and also at the hunt point-to-point at Tyrella.

Masters Donna Quail and Pat Turley were on horseback as well as Bartley Murphy, John and Leona Laverty, Kieran Murray, visitors Neil Keary, former huntsman of the Iveagh Foxhounds, now hunting with the Dunfreese in Scotland and Lynn Mackey from the Iveagh. Hunt chairman James Armstrong was away on business. Following by car were Gerry Gibney and his son Aidan, Paddy Gilmore and his friend Erica, Sean Fowler, Cathal Rogers and his children Emmy, Ruben and Jude, Maura and May Savage, Ron Barr, Herbie Andrews and his wife Margaret, Jimmy Traynor and Stephen McGinn.

While a number of hunts cancelled, not the East Down, as they were hunting in drumlin country formed after the Ice Age melt 10,000 years ago, and under the soil is Ordovician and Silurian shale and grits, so it is makes a nice dry home for wildlife.

The first draw was in Cargry on Tom Edgar’s farm and although there was a whimper, foxes seemed to be out for the day. Veterinary surgeon Daisy Dillon joined us at that stage as she was on call on the weekend.

Terrific hunting

But when hounds got to the bog off the Ballydonty Road, which is a huge covert, we realised why the first two coverts were blank as there was at least a brace and a half congregating along the old railway line not far from Stephen McGinn’s flock of ewes. He had lost one ewe overnight and foxes had cleaned the carcass bare. There was some terrific local hunting. One beautifully marked fox slipped out within yards of me and never made as much as a sound. He headed briefly into the open but turned back into the wood instead. Hounds were brilliant in bad scenting conditions in the covert, but they struggled in the open and it appeared the foxes were aware of that.

Just to confuse matters, another really dark-coloured fox ran in a diagonal away right-handed and the pack hunted that line briefly but cast themselves back again. Declan Feeney, known as one of the top professional huntsmen in the country, did not panic so he let hounds work it out, never interfering with them as he did he want to break their concentration. A flock of crows gave us additional information as to the location of the foxes. Hounds hunted in a loop and down the railway bank, then crossed the bog near Huddleston’s herd of sheep. They then dropped down by Alister Moffett’s old house and crossed the road again left-handed in a loop and they marked him to ground by the side of the old railway line.

The huntsman took the pack along the Ballydonty Road again to the back of Hollymount Church into Andrew Galway’s, and Kenny and Ian Dixon’s, but there are a number of new houses built around the old covert and foxes are probably not comfortable there any longer. The last draw was off the Drumcullen Road near Barbara and Robin Nichols and into Liam Russell’s Bog by Macralaggen Lake, which was flooded. Not surprisingly, foxes had gone to drier ground, so Feeney blew for home. Hunting is all about memories, and former master Craig Cavan recalled, when looking at an enormous hedge in Russells, the day both Feeney and himself taking on a similar hedge trying to keep with hounds only to discover there was a 10-foot drop on the landing side. Feeney shouted ‘Sit back’ as both were on the buckle of the reins, but horses fortunately managed to scramble and keep on all fours!

The day ended with a warm fire, refreshments and the friendly hospitality of Margaret and Geoffrey Ferguson at The Lakeside Inn.