Nocturne’s lightning movement nails it
catherine.austen@futurenet.com
West of England, Honiton Showground, Devon
THE VWH claimed the last championship of the hound show season with their elegant white bitch Nocturne 18.
“She’s a good hunting bitch from a great family,” said huntsman Philip Hague, “but I’m pleased not to have to throw any more biscuits this year and to be able to concentrate on the hunting.”
Martin Scott has been breeding the VWH hounds for years.
“Her tail female line goes back to Portman Maxim 31,” he said, “a line that my father [Bill Scott] brought to the Old Berks from Sir Edward Curre.”
The judges, Jacky Thomas and Fred Eames, were particularly taken by Nocturne’s quicksilver movement across the ring. Reserve champion at Peterborough, her outstanding action was shown to its best in the Honiton ring. Concrete undercover rings are great for analysing the finer detail of a hound, but grass is so much the best and most natural surface on which to see a hound move.
“She is definitely the hound that I would love to take home,” said Fred.
In typical West Country fashion, the
