On Wednesday 2nd December we visited the Eggesford Hunt’s first post-lockdown meet at Chulmleigh Beacon.
Accompanied by just three riders and a handful of quadbikes, they began the day on Horridge Moor, where hounds were encouraged to hunt several foxes in the valley below South Beara. At times they also rioted on deer.
Eventually some hounds chased a fox across the road between Challacombe and Lower Dodyard and the pack ended up split on both sides of the road. Huntsman Jason Marles was overheard radioing the terriermen and other hunt followers to “wake up” and help him. A sab in the valley used this opening to call the hounds back down into the valley towards him, which caused some momentary confusion for the hunt followers who seemed certain it was in fact Jason calling the hounds.
Jason eventually returned to retrieve the majority of this pack but the hounds that had gone across the road were lost for the next hour, doing their own thing in the area between Farrier’s Bridge and Brookland Wood. Whenever we saw Jason from then on he was without hounds and seemed frankly a little lost. Hounds were heard in cry again around Hole Farm and Wixon Farm.
By 1.30 the assembled hunt had had enough, returned to the meet and boxed up. A rather short day for them, despite ideal hunting conditions!