Entrants for Alliance national hornblowing competition revealed

The names of those taking part in the national horn-blowing competition vying to win the Countryside Alliance Challenge Cup at The Hunting Shop Horn & Hound Ball on Friday 12 July have been announced.

Entrants from packs all over the country are taking part to help raise funds for the Hunt Staff Benefit Society (HSBS), with the contestants being assessed by two judges, including the renowned hound breeder, Martin Scott, a former master and huntsman. He will be judging with a previous winner of this competition, huntsman Elliot Stokes, who moves from the Thurlow to the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray this season.

The contestants taking to the stage are Harry Beeby, huntsman of the Fernie, Dan Hammett (Duke of Beaufort’s), Charlie Dando MFH (Monmouthshire), Aidan Beaney (Quorn), Stuart Barton (Berkeley), Jack Jennings (New Forest), Mikey Bell (West Norfolk), Will Stubbs (RAC Beagles), Ross Crawford (Bedale), Gary Boon (Devon & Somerset Staghounds) and Paul Davis MFH, who will be hunting the North Shropshire hounds this season.

“We are thrilled to be supporting our hardworking hunt staff and the HSBS by sponsoring the hornblowing competition at this year’s flagship fundraising event,” said Polly Portwin, the Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance. “This is always a fabulous night out where hunting people from all over the country come together to celebrate hunting with hounds and we look forward to supporting this fantastic event.”

The winner and runner up of the hornblowing competition will receive an engraved hunting horn donated by the Countryside Alliance, as well as a bottle of Silver Fox Gin, kindly sponsored by former huntsman Tony Holdsworth.

“It was an honour to win the hornblowing competition and to be invited back to judge,” revealed Elliot Stokes, who won the competition when it was last held at Cheltenham Racecourse in 2022. “The HSBS is incredibly important to all members of hunt staff and we hope that this year’s Ball will be another hugely successful and entertaining evening.”

The Horn & Hound Ball, which moves to a new venue this year at Great Somerford in Wiltshire, will commence with a champagne reception before dinner, then revellers can dance the night away to the popular band, 29 Fingers. An auction and raffle will also take place at the event which raises important funds for the HSBS, a registered friendly society benefiting the staff, without whom hunting could not exist. The HSBS is not a charity, it offers a personal pension scheme specifically, and only, for staff employed by hunts.

Tickets are available at £130 per person. Please contact Niki for further details: fundraising@hsbs.org.uk