Boxing clever

It is Twelve Days before Christmas but in hunt kennels across the land all is far from crisp and even – and the only thing that is deep is the muck heap. The Master has sprung some extra days, the prettier grooms have gone missing and the second whip has put his name on the transfer list. Welcome to the festive fun for hunt staff.

Of course, it is not all bleak midwinter. There is a cocoon of good cheer that envelops the countryside from the beginning of December and hunting sits at the very heart of this. It is not about shopping but the thought of seeing a dash of scarlet on a hillside of lightly dusted snow. Many hunts host their own carol services and these provide yet another opportunity to raise a glass to better times ahead. Such sights and joys, however, do not simply come down the chimney. For hunt staff, it is the busiest time of the year. Even