A - Z of the Festival of Hunting

A is for the all the ACTION which takes place from the moment the gates open at 9am on Wednesday, 19th July, through to when the show site closes at 7pm.

B is for the BEAGLES and BASSET HOUNDS which will be showing throughout the course of the day. The judging of beagles will commence at 9.30am with the basset hounds starting at 10am.

C is for the COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE which is delighted to be a key sponsor of this year’s Festival of Hunting. Members and supporters are invited to join us for drinks throughout the day. It is also for the CHESHIRE HUNT whose fabulous recipe book we will be selling on our stand throughout the day – it’s full of delicious recipes and packed with information about packs and hunting organisations across the world and is a must for every hunting-lover’s kitchen.

D is for DOG HOUNDS which are judged separately to the bitch hounds, with the dog hound judging taking place before the judging of the bitch hounds. 

E is for the EAST OF ENGLAND SHOWGROUND where the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show has been held on the current site at Alwalton since 1966, having been established in 1878. This the last show being held at this venue following a development opportunity for the East of England Agricultural Society which owns the showground. The 2024 event will be held in Milton Park, Peterborough, by kind permission of Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society (PRFSS) Chairman, Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland Bt., MFH

F is for the FELLHOUNDS on display at the Festival and also for the FOXHOUNDS which are judged in the main ring as part of the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show. This year the doghounds will be judged by Matt Ramsden MFH from the Duke of Beaufort’s and Oliver Dale MFH (North Cotswold). Top honours in 2022 when to the Heythrop Hunt which claimed both the dog hound and bitch hound championships.

G is for the GRANDSTANDS surrounding the hound show which offer the best views and provide a much-welcomed seat for the duration of the judging. It is also for the GAZEHOUNDS which will be on display alongside other sight hounds, including greyhounds, salukis, deerhounds and whippets – don’t miss their display in Ring 1 at 10:30am.

H is for HARRIERS which will be competing for the honours in their ring. The judges for the dog hound classes are Max Rumney MH and Kate Higgs MH, whilst the bitch hounds are being judged by Nigel Peel and Lizzie Pinney.

I is for the INTER-HUNT RELAY which always draws a huge crowd watching teams of riders battle it out in a ‘knock-out’ style competition, with both a senior and a junior competition taking place. 

J is for the JUDGES who are honoured with this much coveted role of presiding over the best of the best hounds, whether they be foxhounds, beagles, basset hounds or harriers. 

K is for the onsite KENNELS where hounds can be found when they are not competing in the ring. 

L is for LUNCH, with the Vice Presidents’ sell-out lunch taking place after the judging of the dog hounds and before the bitch hound judging commences. 

M is for the MASTERS of all types of hounds who turn out in force to support their own pack, catch up with friends from other hunts around the country and to study the champions, with many looking at them with a view to the future breeding plans for their own kennels.   

N is for SIR PHILIP NAYLOR-LEYLAND Bt. MFH who is the current Chairman of the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society. Sir Philip is the grandson of the 10th Earl and Countess Fitzwilliam, after whom the main grandstand ‘The Fitzwilliam Grandstand’ and the foxhound enclosure known as the ‘Fitzwilliam Hound Enclosure’ were named after.

O is for the OLD ENGLISH foxhounds which are being judged by Andrew Osborne, chairman of the Masters of Foxhounds Association and former professional huntsman of the Belvoir, John Holliday.

P is for “PETERBOROUGH” which is the name many fondly refer to the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show as. It is also for PICNICS, with the annual Hunt Picnic Competition in the foxhound lorry park hotly contested, with entrants vying to take hope the Stirrup Cup case of port. 

Q is for ALISON QUEENBOROUGH, the Chief Operating Officer for the East of England Agricultural Society who coordinates the Festival of Hunting and is the secretary of the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society.  

R is for RED ROSETTE which is the colour all those competing wish to take home, indicating they are the winners of their class, although the prestige of winning at “Peterborough” or the Festival of Hunting is far greater than any prize.

S is for the incredible amount of SHOPPING that can be done at the many excellent and varied trade stands at the Festival, including many small businesses. From the finest piece of art to a pair of vintage breeches, a bottle of gin to a new kennel coat, there is something for everyone, with no excuse not to be fully prepared for the season ahead.  

T is for the magnificent display of Sealyham TERRIERS which takes place at 9:30am in Ring 1 – they are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s faces.  

U is for UMBRELLA which is probably worth packing before you leave home just in case it’s needed come rain or shine.

V is for the VICE PRESIDENTS who support the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show through their membership. Entrance to the show and priority parking, as well as an opportunity to the opportunity to reserve a seat in the grandstand and the Vice Presidents’ lunch are just some of the benefits of being a VP. Young Vice President membership is also available for those under 25 years of age. 

W is for SIR WATKIN WILLIAMS-WYNN’S and WARWICKSHIRE Hunts which are usually represented in the Old English ring. Warwickshire Cupid was the winner of last year’s bitch hound championship with Popcorn taking reserve for Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn’s.

X is for XEROX in a nod to all the printing and photocopying required to produce the programmes and other essential paperwork for this year’s show, although every effort is made by the East of England Agricultural Society to strive for a reduced-paper environment. 

Y is for the EARL OF YARLBOROUGH MFH who is the President of this year’s Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society and for the YOUNG HANDLERS’ CLASS taking place in Ring 1 at 3pm which is generously sponsored by the Hunt Staff Benefit Society (HSBS). 

Z is for the ZETLAND HUNT which is the pack of hounds represented by their master and huntsman Gareth Watchman MFH who is judging the bitch hound classes in the modern foxhounds’ ring this year alongside Charles Frampton MFH from the Heythrop.

We look forward to meeting many of our members and supporters at this year’s event so do pop along to visit our stand if you are attending. We are positioned at the top end of the trade stands nearest to the Vice Presidents’ marquee and close to all the judging rings.

Tickets are available at £25 per person. Children under 12 can enter free of charge when accompanied by an adult and therefore do not require a ticket. Please note that all tickets must be paid for in advance and will not be available on the day. Click here for ticket sales and more information.