THERE were no parking problems at the Kildare Foxhounds opening meet at Punchestown Racecourse as the hunt owns the extensive site, and the kennels are conveniently located nearby. The Racecourse celebrates its 175th anniversary and they have, under chairman David Mongey, unveiled a limited-edition print collection depicting John Sturgess’ paintings of the 1872 running of the Conyngham Cup with the proceeds going to Barrettstown and Tiglin Charities.

Just to add my own hunting research, in 1878 Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ the Empress of Austria, of whom it is said, ‘No lady could rival her appearance, and no man could surpass her as a rider’, was hunting side saddle with the Kildares at Punchestown. Trotting back to the meet, she decided to enter the racecourse and jump all the fences. This prompts me to suggest that an Annual Side Saddle Race in Punchestown could be run in honour of the occasion, particularly as we have so many fine side-saddle riders in the country with Ciara Dennigan having won such a race recently, the ‘Grande Cross International des Amazones’ in France.