DESPITE broken weather lately, the sun shone yet again for the Grallagh Harriers Puppy Show. This is an annual event that friends, followers and especially hound enthusiasts eagerly look forward to as it is an opportunity to see a more compact type of Old English Hound that is ideal for crossing the Galway stone walls.

Nothing was overlooked, ample seating for the large number of guests with the showing ring tightly cropped grass and pristine white rails and a large marquee with a buffet of home-made refreshments expertly managed by Bernie Burke and her team.

The judges were David Lalor, master for the last 40 seasons of the Laois Foxhounds and a former chairman of the Hunting Association of Ireland and The Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association and Kevin Donohoe, huntsman of the Ballymacad Foxhounds for 27 seasons. The Grallagh masters David Burke senior master, John Cantillon, Lorraine Burke and Gary Higgins were there, but Kevin Hough and the new master Nancy Choy from California were unable to be there, but will be ready to hunt over the famous Galway stone walls this hunting season.

A number of hunts were represented, the Galway Blazers Foxhounds, North Galway Foxhounds, Ormond Foxhounds, Ballymacad Foxhounds, Laois Foxhounds, Limerick Harriers, South Union Foxhounds, and the Fingal Harriers.

Master and huntsman David Burke has to be given credit as he coaches the younger generation in showing hounds. Last year, he had Kennelman Mark Cunniffe show the new entry and this year 13-year-old Reuben Freeney showed both his expertise and concentration in presenting this year’s new entry to the judges. Interestingly, there was not one shy hound in the ring which is a tribute to the many hours he has spent preparing the young hounds. He was assisted by 16-year-old David Higgins.

Due to a late litter, there was just one couple of bitches to be judged and two and a half couple of doghounds, however the quality was exceptionally high. The judges awarded Rustic as the Doghound Champion and Boogie as the Bitch Champion. In the Championship, Rustic was again put to the top of the table. Rustic, by Bouncer ’20 out of South Union Ruby ’19, was walked by the Freeney family and Boogie, also by Bouncer ’20 out of Waterfall Worry ’22, was walked by the Casey family who were all on hand to accept their prizes.

Two other star attractions were Tadpole by Kilmoganny Siron out of Louth Tasty and her four-week-old puppies and John Cantillon’s white Irish Draught mare Storm and her black foal yet to be named, but plenty were suggested.