Drag-Hunting with the South County Dublin 



Harriers 



I HAVE been riding horses and hunting foxes for as 

 long as I can remember, but to-day was my first experi- 

 ence of riding and, incidentally, writing about a drag- 

 hunt. 



To be perfectly honest I used to look upon drag- 

 hunting with a certain amount of scorn. I had a feeling 

 that in a countryside where it was not feasible to hunt 

 a live quarry, the drag would necessarily be laid over 

 the same course frequently. The mounted followers 

 would, therefore, become so familiar with the country 

 that they could almost ride over the fences blindfolded. 

 I had a feeling that hounds, and the real essence of 

 good sport honest hound-work counted for very little 

 if ninety per cent, of the riders knew the line of the 

 drag, and were more intent on running it themselves 

 instead of letting the hounds do it for them. Such 

 behaviour has ruined more promising fox-hunts than 

 all the wiles, authentic and imaginary, that have been 

 attributed to that prince of wily customers, Master 

 Reynard. With drag-hounds, I imagined, over-riding 

 would be more or less the rule of the day. 



All my beliefs on such matters were shattered when 

 The South County Dublin Harriers met at Lucan on 



65 



