Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2013 | Page 66

EQUESTRIAN

Warm reception
for Bloodhounds
A new hunting sport has been introduced to

10 to 15-minute start for a three to four-mile

the Island as an alternative to fox hunting,

run, and the hounds aim to catch him before

Agricultural Benevolent Fund charity for

and it is already catching the imagination of

he reaches the finishing point. Ideally, the

hunting, and 10 per cent of any further

many local riders.

hounds catch the runner within the last 100

takings are handed to the farmers on

yards or so. We normally do three or four runs

whose land the bloodhounds hunt. Asa

each meet.

said: “We have had some great response

Bloodhound hunting is a totally non-blood
sport. It was started here earlier this year by
Islander Asa Wingate, a former National Hunt

from landowners and gamekeepers, and we

jockey. Asa is Master Huntsman of The Isle of

hounds are hunting the runner, and they are

are looking forward to some exciting days’

Wight Farmers