It’s Bedtime for the Beaufort
catherine.austen@futurenet.com
West of England, Honiton, Devon
FOXHOUNDS
A WARM and sunny Honiton welcomed large crowds around the ringside and full classes within. While the larger Gloucestershire packs took both the championships, the locals held their own in the open classes, most notably the Portman, who won the bitch two-couple.
Matt Ramsden MFH (Beaufort) was joined by last-minute substitute Guy Morlock MFH (Spooner’s and West Dartmoor), standing in for Mike Felton, to judge the doghounds. The first class, for the best local unentered, set the tone for the day with a ring packed with quality hounds. Taunton Vale Foreman was the eventual winner – a handsome whiskery son of the influential VWH Footpad 19. He later added the unentered championship to his laurels.
This year, special prizes for the old English were introduced, allowing several West Country packs the opportunity
