Bath Time

I was asked to lay a trail for the hounds today. They are a pack of bloodhounds owned by the Vale of Lune hunt and used since the hunting ban to follow a trail, they are then pursued by the riders on horseback.

Usually when I run for them they hunt a 'clean boot', they are just following my scent which makes them work hard and slow down so I can stay ahead. I am told the rough route that the huntsman wants me to take so that I take the field over prepared jumps in the hedges. We have to stop to regroup a few times around the route so that the stragglers can catch up.

The route was only about 6 miles today and I was running at 7:30 pace, not bad for rutted fields and climbing hedges and jumping ditches!

This was the scene about halfway round when the hounds were offered the opportunity to have a drink.