THE Irish Masters of Foxhounds’ Association Ring at the National Hound Show has attracted entries from 16 registered packs of foxhounds. Staged at Stradbally Hall, Co Laois, by kind permission of the Cosby family, on Sunday, July 7th, the main ring has over 520 hounds entered divided among 14 competitive classes.

Other Stradbally rings include those for Beagles and Harriers. Ireland’s own Kerry Beagles from the world famous Scarteen Hunt will also be competing in the Stradbally Harrier ring.

This year’s foxhound judging teams represent enthusiasts with a wealth of experience breeding and producing foxhounds of all types who proved hugely successful in their work on the hunting field and ‘on flags’.

Mrs Charmain Green is the senior Doghound judge. The daughter of Col. Guy Jackson, who was Master of the Exmoor Foxhounds, Charmain was Master of the Warwickshire for 35 seasons after spending many years as Huntsman of the Fox River Valley Foxhounds in Illinois, USA. She also managed to start up the Spring Creek Basset Hounds also in America. At Warwickshire, Mrs Green promoted the ‘modernised’ Old English type that has been so successful in recent years. Charmain is this year’s President of the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society.

Her assistant judge is Harry Gosling MFH. Having hunted the Modbury Harriers for a number of memorable seasons, he starts this season as Master & Huntsman of the Dartmoor Foxhounds in the South West of England.

The Bitches will attract the scrutiny of Tim Easby, currently the Director of the Masters of Foxhounds’ Association in Great Britain. He was formerly Master & Huntsman of the South Shropshire, the West of Yore and the Middleton. His wife Hebe is a Master of the Bedale in North Yorkshire.

Tim’s assistant judge is Mrs Tessa Jackson, the long serving Master and breeder of the Cattistock Foxhounds in Dorset. During her tenure she introduced much American blood into the Cattistock kennel.

Main ring judging commences at 10.15 am and all are welcome.

For further information, please contact Show Chair David Lalor MFH (087 254 2114) or Show Secretary Roddy Bailey (086 268 5895).