THE weather was mostly kind, but occasionally with some heavy downpours of rain in between for the National Hound Show in the classic setting of the Cosby family’s estate Stradbally Hall, which also hosted the Laois Irish Draught Branch Show.

The occasion is a great opportunity to catch up on all the hunting news and meet with the wider hunt supporters. A minute’s silence was held for Nick MacDermott, former master of the Kildare Hounds and honorary secretary of the IMFHA, whose wife Anne was on hand to present trophies.

I met Russell Jones, who has horses in training with Jessica Harrington. A former joint-master of Mr Stewart’s Cheshire Hounds in Pennsylvania, who was master when my nephew Ivan Dowling from Loughrea in Co Galway hunted the pack. They made a great partnership and, over 10 seasons, developed a hybrid hound - the Cheshire Crossbreds, crossing the Pen Mary Del with the English hound and, latterly, the American crossbreds that could really hunt and had tremendous voice.

Another familiar face was Olympic event rider and former jockey, Tony Cameron, who was field master with the Meath Foxhounds. Young Jamie Heffernan, a son of flat jockey Seamie, who was assisting his partner Ashley Fitzell with the Tipperary Hunt winning trophies, told me he is riding in the Pat Smullen Charity Race shortly, but he needs to find a horse!

Jake Cromwell and Paddy Finnegan in the young handlers class at The National Hound Show at Stradbally Hall \ Noel Mullins

And another racing connection was Jake Cromwell, a son of trainer Gavin, who was competing in one of the most popular classes of the day, The Young Handlers Class in the Harrier ring with Paddy Finnegan, a son of the new Fingal Harriers huntsman Ollie, who gave a fantastic hound display at the Flavours of Fingal Show last week, inviting all the children into the arena and even arranging a race with the hounds from both ends of the show jumping arena.

I counted 14 young handlers ranging from three years old upwards in the Harrier ring, with three-year-old Lilly Barrett getting a great response from Iveagh Gollum, who was reserve champion in the Foxhound Ring. I counted another 12 young competitors in a similar class in the Beagles ring, with three-year-old Tom Fox, assisted by John Bonham, looking really professional.

Three-year-old Lilly Barrett puts Iveagh Gollum through his paces with the biscuit in the young handlers class at The National Hound Show at Stradbally Hall \ Noel Mullins

We were missing a few packs, namely the South Tyrone, County Clare and the East Down, who were strong competitors last year. Former Carlow Farmers joint-master Gill Browne was recording the results in the foxhounds ring; Mark Mulrine and Caitriona Conlon Dempsey in the harrier ring and Elizabeth Brown in the beagle ring had to contend with the rain and keeping the paper results dry.

And long-time sponsor of the show The Irish Field had its editor Mark Costello on hand to present The Irish FieldCup to County Limerick huntsman Fergus Stokes and joint-master Emma Thompson for their winning Old English Unentered Bitch, Traffic.

Foxhounds highlights

Judging the doghounds were Mark Hankinson (ex Wilton) and Martin Scott (ex VWH). It was an extremely competitive show this year and one could see the enormous amount of work that had gone into the preparation of hounds.

The honours were well spread out with the Westmeaths opening with a win in the Unentered Doghound Restricted with Darter, followed by the Louths in the Unentered Old English with Tomboy. Kilkenny took the Doghound Couples with Lawyer and Lawman, while Ballymacad won the Entered Couple of Doghounds Restricted with Bosco and Boxer.

The Best Old English Couples were Waterford Wiseman and Cinder. The Best Two Couples was really competitive with Kildare taking the honours with Granville, Grover, Ladbrook and Griffin, with the Michael Higgens Bronze going to huntsman Padraic Moynihan.

The Stallion Hound winner was Ballymacad Lockdown with the Best Old English Stallion Hound County Limerick Tailor. The Ballymacads were back again to take the Doghound Championship with Boxer, while the Reserve went to George Barrett’s Iveagh Gollum and the Best Old English going to County Limerick Tailor.

The judges in the Bitch Class were Stephen Lambert (ex Heytrop) and George Sanderson (ex Brockelsby). Niall Dunne and the Westmeaths won the opening class, the Unentered Bitch Restricted with Riskey, while County Limerick were back to win The Irish Field Perpetual Trophy presented by the editor Mark Costello for the Unentered Bitch Old English with Traffic.

The Horse & Hound Cup and the WR Filgate Challenge Cup for the Unentered Bitch Couples Open was won by Meath Panic and Pastry with the Reserve going to Kildare Harmony and Hasty. The Entered Couple of Bitches was won by Tipperary Annabel and Blessing with the Best Old English Couple going to County Limerick Trickle and Truffle.

The Best Two Couple of Bitches Open saw Tipperary take the spoils with Annabel, Anvil, Blemish and Blessing, while the Brood Bitch Open went to Tipperary Annabel and the Best Old English brood Bitch County Limerick Truthful. The Champion Bitch was Tipperary Anvil, while the Reserve went to County Limerick Truthful.

Harriers highlights

Judging the harriers were Rory Dicker, master of the Rockview Harriers, and John Henry, former huntsman of the Meath Foxhounds. There was a constant gathering of interested spectators around the ring for all the classes. In the Foxhound classes, the Fermanagh won the Unentered Doghound with Bouncer and the Unentered Bitch with Bramble, with East Antrim winning the Entered Doghounds with Grocer while the West Wexford won the Entered Bitch with Reckless.

The Brood Bitch was won by the Tara Harriers with Pepper, with West Wexford winning the Best Couple with Reckless and Ruthless, but Patrick Murphy’s Fermanagh Harriers were back to take the Championship with Bouncer.

In the Harrier section, Fontaine Harriers won the Unentered Doghound with Bellow, the Best Couple with Bellow and Bramble and the Bitch Championship with Bellow, while Cork National took the honours in the Entered Doghound class with Border, the Entered Bitch with Music, the Brood Bitch with Gossip and the Reserve Championship with Border. The Scarteen did not go home empty-handed, as they won the Unentered Bitch class with Galaxy.

The Harriers young handler class was won by Shea Murphy with Fermanagh Wilson.

Marie O'Connor who hunts the Woodrock & Blackwater Valley Beagles with a bounty of rosettes and cups for most points in the beagle classes at The National Hound Show at Stradbally Hall \ Noel Mullins

Beagles highlights

The judges for the beagle classes were Pat Deacy, who hunted the Curragh beagles, and Elizabeth Brown, chair of the IMBA, whose late husband John Shaw was Master of the Sunnyland and did so much for beagling in Ireland. Marie O’Connor, who is in her second season hunting the (WBV) Woodrock, Blackwater Valley Beagles had little room on her sleeves as she won so many rosettes. The WBV won the Entered Doghound with Coleman, the Stallion Hound with Puffin, the Champion Doghound with Puffin, followed by the Entered Bitch with Vision, Best Couple of Bitches with Gaiety and Countess and the Reserve Bitch Championship with Vision.

But Richard Bonham’s Lakeland Foot were up for the challenge and they claimed six classes, including the Reserve Doghound Champion with Foreman, the Champion Bitch with consistent winner Trinket, who also won the Supreme Champion Bitch of the Show.

Mr Kerrs won the Best Couple of Doghounds with Painter and Fathom and the Unentered Bitch with Placid and Reserve Champion Doghound with Foreman. The Best Dam or Sire and two Progeny was won by Lakeland with Trinket, Spot and Sperrin and the Best Unentered Doghound was Mr Kerrs Luther. Aileen Byrnes Goldburn Beagles picked up some good placings also.

The Beagles young handler class was won by Oliver McDonald.