Foxhounds at the kennels of the Ooty Hunt Club. Yes, a hunt club that has been in existence since 1835 and was established by the 74th Highland Regiment.
The thirty odd foxhounds trace their ancestry to England. Three months back Dobbler was imported from the UK to improve the bloodline.
They are a friendly lot. Two of them scent marked my leg, thank god I was wearing jeans. That was a first for me.Never seen dogs scent mark human beings, always thought it was cars and trees.
We met Pakyanathan the Huntsman who plans the hunts and trains the dogs. His father and grandfather before him were the huntsman and now he's training his son.
Read more about this unique institution
here.
What an interesting and oddly anachronistic tradition. The foxhounds look adorable.
ReplyDeleteTalking of anachronistic traditions remember the May Queen Ball? wonder if its another tradition that lives on. Must exist if the Hunt Ball does. I should have got a picture of Pakyanathan the Huntsman.
ReplyDeleteWonder if Pakyanathan has a visiting card?
ReplyDelete