Route Pre Season Mini Hunt A Great Success

Saturday 12^th October  2013  was the Route Hunt pre season mini hunt at the kennels. A total of 25 riders turned out and this included some hunting for the first time as well as visitors from Londonderry and Donegal.

Before leaving hunt treasurer Mike Alcorn gave a short talk about hunting, a cheque was presented to Mrs Smyth of Northern Ireland hospice, the charity benefiting from the route hunt charity ball and then the joint master Ian Holmes welcomed everyone before taking the first timers under his care.

The hunt left the kennels at 10.30am and hacked along the Gateside Road before turning onto the Corbally Road. This gave everyone the chance to get their horses settled before the stubble fields that were ahead. Some time was spent here

exercising around the fields and jumping the small hedges and fences that had been built into the hedges. There was then another hack along the Craigahullier Road before heading up onto the hill where all enjoyed the views over Portrush and Coleraine in the sunshine. A few more fences were jumped including an old stone bank before another hack along a lane onto the Ballylagan Road.

This led the hunt back to the stubble fields behind the kennels where a rustic fence and The York wall had been set up. Once again the hunt made use of the open stubble fields giving the horses a good workout before the final fence of the day which led into a grass field at the kennels around 12.30pm. All had enjoyed the exercise and sunshine and returned back excited and full of chat discussing the events of the day and looking forward to the first official hunt of the season at 12 noon on Saturday 19^th October. For further details on this or about  joining the Route Hunt  please contact the Hunt Master (Philip White 07732630963) or the Hunt Secretary (Julie Smyth 077932009899)

 

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Category: Hunting, News