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Latest Working Section News - UPDATED 13/03/08 The Working Section
A Guide to Drag Hunting The Season. This usually starts in late September and finishes in March with The Field Trials. Meetings are held on Sundays, usually two or three weeks apart. They are held at various venues and drags are run over many different types of country from hilly arable to lowland pasture and more often than not, heavy plough. About eight lines are run at each meet. The Scent. This is made from Aniseed Oil and Vegetable Cooking Oil. The mixture normally used is one part of aniseed oil to twenty of cooking oil. It is sometimes useful to start the season with a slightly stronger mixture and work down to the 1:20 ratio but anything stronger than 1: 10 will drown those very sensitive noses. Hounds can be worked successfully on a mix of 1 :40. The Drag. This is made from some old material, preferably natural fibre which retains the aniseed mixture, toweling is a good example. A strip of an old bath towel about eight inches wide and 36 inches long may be folded twice to make a pad say 4 inches by 18. A length of cord, orange nylon garden line is good, about 30 feet long is tied (securely!) around the middle of the pad. A loop may be tied in the other end to act as a handle or to go round the shoulder. The pad should be initially well wetted with the mixture and it is advisable to keep the pad in a plastic bag as the mixture tends to make things a bit sticky and oily. In use very little of the mixture needs to be added to the drag at any time. It usually takes some time for the drag to get to its best when good and dirty. When out on muddy fields, the drag will usually pick up a fair amount of mud and this may be dislodged by dropping the drag in puddles or streams. This also appears to re-vitalise the aniseed mixture. The Drag Line. This is the line taken by the drag layer and may be anything between one and three kilometers in length, It is normal to start the season with shorter lines and work up during the season as the hounds improve. For training much shorter lines may be used. The line will often be laid within the confines of a single field, but as hounds become more competent, efforts should be made to include routes through hedges and streams. The line taken should not encourage the hounds to think that they are just out to run straight round a field. The intention is to emulate the movements of a live hare which will often change direction sharply. Hence it is advisable to include various changes of direction. It is also useful to pick the drag up now and again to break the line. This will cause the hounds to cast about and really work to find again. It is suggested that the drag may be carried for about 20 meters. The line taken should preferably start off running into the wind and should finish about 50 meters downwind from the start point. The last 50 meters back to where the handlers have released their hounds can be covered while the main part of the line is being worked. The hounds are released on the instruction of the Field-master, usually by a blast on a whistle or horn. Normally we release the hounds in two groups, the proven working hounds first and the novices when the first group have run about 30-40 meters. The natural tendency will be for the novices to follow the workers and thus, hopefully, get the message about what they are hunting. A few people are always needed to "whip-in". They should be posted at various danger points around the area being dragged such as gateways and gaps in the hedges. Although beagles can be trained to hunt the drag line very well, we will always have the problem of those hounds who feel that the grass may well be greener, (or the plough muddier!), in the other field. There is also the possibility that a hare, rabbit or even a deer may be around and any of these may seem preferable to the hounds. Whippers-in are needed to encourage any wayward hounds back onto the line rather than to run off screaming at hounds that escape or berating them. Whips if carried are only used to "crack" and never to be used to strike a hound. Most hounds will respond to the sharp crack rather than to shouting. Whippers-in must never walk across the field thus crossing the drag line route. Training. As with any training, plenty of patience is required and for drag hunting a fair amount of physical effort is needed as well. Training must be carried out at home; it is no use going to a meet and expecting that your hound will know immediately what is expected of it. He will instinctively know about hunting but his only experience of aniseed will probably be from "doggy-chews". Pure aniseed oil is not always easy to obtain and is very expensive but a little goes a long way. Substitutes may be found such as aniseed sweets which can be boiled to produce a weak liquid to mix with cooking oil. Similarly the "doggychews" mentioned above may be boiled and the aniseed extracted. A friendly high street chemist may however be persuaded to provide some pure aniseed oil more because of their surprise at the reason for the requirement than from professional interest. Remember that 100 mls of pure aniseed will give a whole litre of the required mixture. Initially training should be done in the garden away from distractions, but as your hound gets the idea of what is expected drags can be laid in local fields or parks. You may feel very silly running round a local park towing a length of cord with an old rag attached, it is surprising how many people will show an interest! In the garden, lay short lines for a start ending at a suitable point such as a tree or bush, beneath which some of the hounds favourite treats may be placed. Walk the hound along the line you have laid on a short lead, encouraging him to "find it" or some other suitable phrase. He will soon get the idea that by following this evil smelling line along the grass he will find the treats you have put at the end. Don't always finish at the same place as the clever little fellow will realise that there is a quicker way to get to the treats! When you then take your hounds to a drag meet you will find the rewards of your efforts at home in the way that your hound will hunt as a member of a group. At the end of the season you will have a very good chance of being awarded one of the coveted Working Certificates at the Field Trials which are judged by two Masters of Hounds. The Field Trials. The Field Trials are held at the end of the season, and offer the opportunity of presenting the hounds who have participated in drag hunting meets for the assessment of two invited Masters of Hounds. The judges, therefore, will have extensive experience of watching hounds hunting, and will be able to assess the manner in which our trencher fed hounds are capable of working. Hounds who really hunt always "give tongue" in pursuit of the quarry and this is one of the characteristics which the judges will seek. The music of hounds in the field is one of the most cheering sounds to the owners who usually may be heard to be ordering "stop barking In order to qualify for entry to the field trials, hounds must have taken part in a minimum number of drag hunting meets of The Beagle Club Working Section. Dog hounds must attend four such meets, bitch hounds must attend three meets. Hounds who have already been awarded a Working Certificate need only attend one meet during the season, but most people who have a proven hound will be seen at nearly every meet. The Beagle Club Working Certificate is approved by The Kennel Club and is awarded to those hounds, which the judges at the field trials consider worthy. There are also several Beagle Club trophies to be won and the competition for the Best Working Hound is particularly keen. Every hound which participates in the trials is awarded a Working Hound Badge. Conclusion. Drag hunting offers a fine outdoor alternative to the beagle owner to increase the enjoyment of having one or more of our fine little hounds. Many hounds which are successful in the show ring also attend meets but the number of weekends in the season is limited and clashes of dates unfortunately arise. As far as possible, meets are fixed to minimise these clashes particularly with championship (where CCs are on offer for beagles) and club open shows, but the availability of our hosts’ land during the season has to determine when we can visit them. Hopefully your beagle is eager to get out and work for both his and your enjoyment. We look forward to seeing you. Good Hunting!
RULES & REGULATIONS (Revised Aug 2006)
l. The Working Section is open to all paid-up members of the Beagle Club. 2. The Field Master will decide on all matters relating to drag hunt meets and Field Trials. 3. Hounds of 12 months and over will be worked as directed by the Field Master. 4. Handlers will work their own hounds under the direction of the Field Master. 5. Hounds must be obedient to either whistle or horn. 6. Hounds must be free from riot and steady with all livestock. All members of the Working Section must observe the Countryside Code at all times. 7. No hound may be brought to a Meet if it has contracted or been knowingly exposed to any infectious or contagious disease during the 21 days prior to the Meet; no bitches in season will be allowed to hunt or to be present at the Meet. 8. All hounds not working must be kept on a short lead (i.e. no flexi leads) by the Handler. 9. Hounds must be caught up by the Handler on direction from the Field Master. Handlers shall not walk up the line or cross the line unless permitted to do so by the Fieldmaster. 10. Hounds will be walked on the line on direction from the Field Master. 11. The Field Master will decide on the drags to be laid and the order of running. 12. Novice Hounds must attend and participate fully in not less than three drag meets for bitches and four drag meets for dogs in order to qualify for entry in the Field Trials. Working Certificate Hounds must attend at least two drag meets in the season. Acceptance of Hounds for Field Trials will be at the discretion of the Field Master. 13. The Cap for each Meet will be £1 per person and £1 per hound present. Both cap and tea money will be collected before the meet moves off. 14. When teas can be arranged after each afternoon Meet, these will be charged at a nominal amount if the tea is provided by a Club Member and at cost if provided by an outside caterer. 15. The Field Master's decision is final in all matters taking place on the fields. 16. The Beagle Club shall organise and run Field Meetings on published dates at selected locations. The dates for each season will be published in the breed notes of the dog press at the beginning of each season and on the Beagle Club website with confirmation of each meeting given in the dog press one week before. 17. All Club members who intend to come to a meet should inform the Working Section secretary before the event and not later than the Wednesday prior to the meet and, if appropriate, indicate whether they intend to stay for tea. 18. At the end of the season, the Working Section Field Trials will be held in either February or March. All hounds that have qualified under the regulations following may participate. The maximum number of hounds that may participate in the Field Trials is 36. In the event of there being more hounds eligible to attend, the following provisions shall apply: (a) All hounds that hold a Working Certificate and who have attended at least two meets in the season shall be allocated a place at the Filed Trials; (b) Novice hounds shall be required to demonstrate their working ability to the satisfaction of the Fieldmaster on pre-qualification drags to be held at designated meetings prior to the field Trials before being selected. 19. Hounds participating in the Field Trials will normally be judged by two Masters of Hounds invited by the Beagle Club committee. 20. The judges will award the following: (a) The Beagle Club Working Certificate approved by the Kennel Club. (b) The Perrystar Trophy for the Best Working Bitch. (c) The Jesson Trophy for the Best Working Dog. (d) The Perrystar Hare Trophy for the Best Working Hound. (e) The Ch. Houndswood Havoc Trophy for the Best Veteran Working Hound. (f) The Sharomay Emperor Trophy for Best Novice Working Hound. (g) The Kempton Hopeful Whip for the young person (under 16 years) who has been of most help to the Working Section during the season (to be won once only). 21. In addition the Barterhound Rosette will be awarded to each Working Certificate winner and the Barterhound Working Hound badge will be awarded to each hound participating in the Field Trials. 22. Any member who wishes to raise any matter irrespective of its nature in connection with the Working Section must do so personally with the Working Secretary/Field Master if the member wishes consideration to be given to his/her comment. 23. Any member attending any meeting is deemed to have accepted the above rules and regulations.
For More Information Contact: Working Section Fieldmaster: Mr D McSheehy Working Section Secretary: Mrs T M Chapman
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THE
BEAGLE CLUB