catherine.austen@futurenet.com
FOR the climax of the hound parade, Dr Olivier de la Bouillerie would dismount and swim with his hounds in full cry, up the ornamental canal to his chateau, trompe bell aloft and resounding fanfares. More than 20,000 visitors attended his Fête de la Chasse at Breil in the Loire and lined the canal banks for the pre-fireworks parade, holloaing in excitement at “le drag”, a feature of a French hound parade.
On our side of the Channel, hound parades have also been at the heart of country shows, and while some huntsmen might still recoil at the idea of including a trail-hunting demonstration in the