Hound Trailing
Encyclopedia
Hound trailing is a traditional Cumbria
n dog sport now also practised in other areas of northern England as well as Ireland.http://www.borderhoundtrailing.com/home/historyofthebhta/page Border Hound Trailing Association history page Trail hounds, originally Fox Hounds
, follow a cross-country course of approximately ten miles marked by an aniseed and paraffin
trail.
The sport is regulated by a number of hound trailing organisations and is a form of gambling, similar to horse racing
. Participants will gamble on the outcome as well as compete for prize money.
scent trail. The Hound Trailing Association, LTD (HTA) was set up in 1906 as the first association to oversee trails. This was later followed by others such as the Borders Hound Trailing Association, BHTA, in 1933, the Yorkshire Hound Trailing Association, YHTA as well as Irish associations in County Cork
and County Kerry
.
. Over the years, selective breeding
has been used to improve the speed of hounds used in the sport. The Hound Trailing Association has stated that foxhounds can no longer be accepted as participants in trails due to their relative lack of speed.http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/houndtrailing.htm Hound Trailing Association LTD submission to DEFRA However, foxhounds crossed with trail-hounds are acceptable as a way of improving the stamina of bloodlines. A foxhound trail-hound cross will take roughly three generations to regain the speed required to be competitive.
Retired hounds, hounds that interfere with other hounds in races and hounds that are naturally too slow to be competitive can be retrained as pets and rehoused.
The association will get permission from any farmers and landowners over whose land the trail may run. Owners and supporters will gather at the start of the trail, often along with stalls for bets to be placed and stands for food and drinks to be sold. Trailers will drag a rag soaked in aniseed, paraffin and oil across the course, leaving a scent trail. The dogs will then be lined up, held by their owners until the starting flag. They will then be released to follow the course, which often takes between 25 and 45 minutes. The first back is the winner, with rosettes
, ribbons and cups
as well as prize money being awarded to those achieving good positions in particular races or overall league tables.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
n dog sport now also practised in other areas of northern England as well as Ireland.http://www.borderhoundtrailing.com/home/historyofthebhta/page Border Hound Trailing Association history page Trail hounds, originally Fox Hounds
English Foxhound
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.-Appearance:The English Foxhound is about 21-25 inches tall to the withers, and weighs anywhere between 65-75 pounds, although some English Foxhounds bred for the show ring can be...
, follow a cross-country course of approximately ten miles marked by an aniseed and paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
trail.
The sport is regulated by a number of hound trailing organisations and is a form of gambling, similar to horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Participants will gamble on the outcome as well as compete for prize money.
History
Hound trailing originated in the 18th century, when a dispute arose as to which of two foxhunting packs was the fastest. Later years saw the addition of the aniseed and paraffinParaffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
scent trail. The Hound Trailing Association, LTD (HTA) was set up in 1906 as the first association to oversee trails. This was later followed by others such as the Borders Hound Trailing Association, BHTA, in 1933, the Yorkshire Hound Trailing Association, YHTA as well as Irish associations in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.
Trail Hounds
Originally, hound dogs were fell foxhoundsEnglish Foxhound
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.-Appearance:The English Foxhound is about 21-25 inches tall to the withers, and weighs anywhere between 65-75 pounds, although some English Foxhounds bred for the show ring can be...
. Over the years, selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
has been used to improve the speed of hounds used in the sport. The Hound Trailing Association has stated that foxhounds can no longer be accepted as participants in trails due to their relative lack of speed.http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/houndtrailing.htm Hound Trailing Association LTD submission to DEFRA However, foxhounds crossed with trail-hounds are acceptable as a way of improving the stamina of bloodlines. A foxhound trail-hound cross will take roughly three generations to regain the speed required to be competitive.
Retired hounds, hounds that interfere with other hounds in races and hounds that are naturally too slow to be competitive can be retrained as pets and rehoused.
Modern Hound Trailing
Owners of hounds register them with one of the various hound trailing associations and also pay a fixed member's fee. The hound trailing season runs from 1 March to 31 October each year. Trails occur several times a week during this period.The association will get permission from any farmers and landowners over whose land the trail may run. Owners and supporters will gather at the start of the trail, often along with stalls for bets to be placed and stands for food and drinks to be sold. Trailers will drag a rag soaked in aniseed, paraffin and oil across the course, leaving a scent trail. The dogs will then be lined up, held by their owners until the starting flag. They will then be released to follow the course, which often takes between 25 and 45 minutes. The first back is the winner, with rosettes
Rosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
, ribbons and cups
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
as well as prize money being awarded to those achieving good positions in particular races or overall league tables.