AS the first crisp mornings of autumn roll in, there’s a special energy in the air across the countryside. The leaves turn amber, hedgerows grow heavy with berries, and the fields begin to echo with the sounds of hoof beats - or sometimes, the hum of bicycle wheels as the age-old tradition of the hunt has found a novel and family-friendly twist: joining in on two wheels.

The Fermanagh Harriers are leading the field and have embraced the idea of a “mounted hound exercise”, a playful, welcoming event where riders can swap stirrups for saddles of another kind. Far from being about speed or competition, these outings bring together communities, countryside and the fun of exercising the hounds cross-country.