AS the puppy show season winds down, perhaps it was a case of keeping the best wine till last as the Scarteen Puppy Show was held at the Kennels last Friday evening.

Perhaps an ideal autumnal evening attracted a huge turnout of spectators and they weren’t to be disappointed, with nine couple of young entry. The kennels were looking pristine due to trojan preparatory work by huntsman Jamie Cross and his kennel team of Paul Collins and Mike McCarthy. Cross, who had a very successful first season carrying the Scarteen horn, comes from a harrier background having hunted his own pack on foot before doing almost 10 seasons over the unforgiving walls of Stonehall.

The puppy walkers had done well and the young entry looked a picture, with gleaming coats and every one looking like a Stradbally winner. Judges Chris Ryan MFH and former master Mrs Kate Jarvey had their judicial powers put to the test as they picked the winners. Chris, happily now restored to full health, also acted as MC and to hear him on the finer points of hound conformation could be compared to having Picasso speak on painting.

Likewise no beginner to hound judging, Kate was the inaugural judge in the very first running of the harrier ring in Stradbally. Kate is very much back with team Scarteen and takes a great interest in kennel management and breeding.

John Hourigan, chairman of Scarteen, presenting Mia Jones with The Walker Cup for the best dog hound with Judges Mrs Kate Jarvey and Chris Ryan MFH at the Puppy Show \ Catherine Power

For all that, a decision had to be reached and the home-bred Gallop by Harper out of Galaxy and walked by the Jones family at Ballyhimican Stud in Nenagh emerged the victor. The Jones’ are great hunt supporters with dad Frisk being the very able and enthusiastic amateur whipper-in. They walked no less than three couple. Another amateur whipper-in present and very much involved in the show was young Harry Clohessy from Murroe.

Meanwhile, the bitch champion went to Humour, who was a draft from Martin Hurley of the Conna Harriers. Martin is no beginner when it comes to hound breeding, as he has the distinction of being Hugh Robards very first whipper-in, when he and PP Hogan produced sport which was of Cheltenham standard almost every day hounds were out. Humour was walked by the ever-enthusiastic young Jamie Crowe of Thomastown in Tipp country. Young Jamie never voluntarily misses a day with the Tans.

The new joint master Shane Hanafin was also there on his first official day in office. Of the other joint masters, who looked after refreshments, there were Jake Murphy, Mareaid English and, of course, Bill Hanly.

Most attendees were still on hand the following morning for early morning autumn hunting in Scarteen itself, where Jamie reported being very happy with the young entry who worked very well, resulting in a good morning’s hunting. Roll on the opening meet.