While Tessa Waugh’s annual pre-season search for her hunting kit is more fruitful than ever before, her husband ends up going out in his shooting coat. Just don’t mention the dry-cleaner...
THE eve of the new hunting season always begins with a panic. I can never find any of the stuff – boots, coat, gloves, spurs – which I carefully put away at the end of last season.
Every year at precisely the same hour, I can be found rifling through suit bags in Adam’s wardrobe in the hope of unearthing a missing tweed coat. Look in my own cupboards? Far too obvious. It is invariably concealed somewhere completely random.
{"content":"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"}
.
You may also be interested in…
Credit: Peter Nixon
As summer ebbs away, Tessa Waugh starts getting her hunter back in gear and cherishes the memories of this year’s
Clare King and Lil Rockerfeller, grade 2 winning hurdler and 2nd in 2017 Cheltenham festival stayers hurdle, out with the Vine and Craven at Upper Herdswick Farm
With opening meets taking place across the country, we take a look back at some memorable autumn hunting moments from
Credit: Nico Morgan
It might be a month until the opening meet, but autumn hunting is well underway so here’s what you need
Autumn hunting is a gentle introduction for young hounds, new hunt staff, horses and followers to the forthcoming season. Carina
Credit: Nico Morgan
Take a look at our top tips on what to remember ahead of your first day autumn hunting in the