Posted by Adam Quinan on November 06, 2002 at -1:51:21 from 24.114.195.38 user Adam.
In Reply to: Re: FOX HUNT posted by Marcus Andrews on November 05, 2002 at 21:29:56:
The hound trail described in SD is a cross-country race for hounds. They follow a aniseed scent from the bag dragged round the course beforehand. The hounds were hunting dogs by breed, but whether these particular ones go hunting I don't know.
Fox hunting comes in two types, the open country hunt which gallops around on horses chasing the hounds chasing the fox. The participants are usually the more wealthy country folk. Oscar Wilde I think described hunting as the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable. They employ a number of less wealthy folk to look after the horses and hounds.
Then there are the high country hunts such as occur in the Lake District or North Wales, John Peel of the song was such a huntsman. These pursue the hounds and fox on foot and the participants tend to be less well-off.
This is not to mention beagling or hare coursing etc.