Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 84

life EQUESTRIAN Puppy Parade proves great success This year’s Isle of Wight Fox Hounds Puppy Show held at Gatcombe in early June was again a great success and over 150 guests sat in the sunshine, reviewing the fox hound puppies born last year. The work which Huntsman Stuart Trousdale and his wife Zoe put into the preparation of the kennels and Hounds for this important day is phenomenal. The flowers bordering the freshly mown grass, and the stables and kennels crisp in their new coat of white paint looked stunning. There are 28 and a half couple (57 hounds) currently kennelled at Gatcombe. Seven and a half couple puppies were on parade plus the best working 84 hound from last year and the best working hound in kennels. Since the hunting ban, the future of hunting has been in the balance, and Stuart Trousdale is firmly thinking in the future: “David Cameron has pledged to bring in a one line Bill which will repeal the act and it’s looking fairly likely that he’s going to get a crack at it. I think it’s looking as promising now as it ever has. What we are doing now is a stop gap to keep the infrastructure in place until the law changes, which it will.” But if Labour were to be successful at the next general election, what would that mean for hunting? “We would keep going as we are, hunting within the law until such time as it is repealed,” he answered resolutely. One of the two judges at this year’s show, Rory Knight-Bruce from Exeter, the current Horse & Hound Hunting Correspondent said in his address to the guests: “I never need an excuse to come to the Isle of Wight. When the reason is to judge the IW foxhounds I come even more quickly. The importance of hou nds to the island and the farming community cannot be understated and the followers are fantastic, they are hospitable, friendly, courteous and, most importantly, legal. “The puppy show today, which has gathered so many Island Life - www.islandlife.tv