BEFORE the autumn season even opened, there was news of cancellations to the original schedule so it was good to learn that two hunts have been given permission to stage extra meetings this month.

Next Saturday, the Mid-Antrims are returning to Toomebridge where they opened the campaign seven days ago. “When the Staghounds cancelled their meeting at Loughbrickland we got the opportunity to stage a second fixture and, thanks to the co-operation of the landowners, the Higgins family, we decided to go for it,” said the hunt’s point-to-point secretary Judith Hamilton.