The First Irish Wolfhound Coursing Meeting

During the latter part of 1924 the recently formed Irish Wolfhound Association held a coursing meeting at the home of Mrs. Hayley Morris, Pippingford Park, where the programme included trailing and coursing. Mr. T. Hamilton Adams was the judge and in the coursing (or speed trials) Captain Hudson's Colleen of Brabyns and Nora of Brabyns were the fastest hounds.

l to r: Mrs. Southey with Crewkerne Germaine; Miss Morriss; Mr. Southey; Miss Joan Southey with Crewkerne Georgie; Capt. Hudson with Norah of Brabyns & Colleen of Brabyns (winner of the coursing); Mr. Wade with Kathleen na Houlhan (winner in hound trailing); Mr. Hamilton Adams (judge); Capt. Crossley Meates with Thora of Ifold; Maureen of Ifold (winner of the forest trial); Capt. Massy with Desmond of Ifold (2nd to Maureen in the forest trial); Mr. Montagu Scott, with Eogan; Capt. Cox, Miss O'Hara, with Torna of Ifold

With two fine specimens of the breed: little Miss Jean Sargent takes two giants for a run.

Hare coursing: a duel between two Irish Wolfhounds who are said to be as speedy as greyhounds

Jean Sargent with more hounds

Miss Beecham and Miss Burton slipping Captain Hudson's Colleen of Brabyns and Norah of Brabyns

Captain Hudson's Colleen of Brabyns, the winner of the coursing trial, running against Norah of Brabyns

The trail in the forest: Kathleen na Houlhan is here seen at the first turn following the trail, the rest of the hounds being at fault. Maureen and Desmond of Ifold, immediately behind Kathleen, finished first and second

The report in The Field read: "The Irish Wolfhound Association held the first of their annual field trials on November 6th, 1924, at Pippingford Park, Nutley, Sussex, on the invitation of Mr. Hayley Morriss. There was a very good attendance of members, several competitors having travelled from Bath and Suffolk. Favoured with glorious weather, an excellent day's sport was enjoyed amidst the very beautiful surroundings of the Ashdown Forest. Proceedings commenced at 11.30 am with hound trailing. The first trail had been laid from Pippingford Park out into the forest, finishing again on the boundary of the park. Mr. Hamilton Adams, who acted as starter and judge, got the hounds well away and they disappeared among the gorse and bracken. About a quarter of a mile out the first fault occurred; which was, possibly, due to the trail being laid too near to a cross-road, where several cars happened to be passing, but the hounds were able to make a recovery and were soon off again on the line down into the valley. There was a very strong wind, and this caused the hounds to scatter somewhat, and it spread the scent over rather a large area. At the bottom of the valley where the trail turned at right angles on the home run there was again a fault, and Mr. Wade's Kathleen na Houlhan, which had made excellent way up to this point and had been the first to own the line, was here passed by Mrs. Massy's Maureen of Ifold and Desmond of Ifold. The last portion of the trail was uphill. Maureen, closely followed by Desmond, appeared over the brow, with Colleen next. These three hounds finished in this order, and Maureen was declared the winner. The second trail was laid entirely within the boundary of the park in full view of the field. A bad fault was made near to the start where the trail passed through bracken. This was caused through the hounds putting up a squatting rabbit. Mr. Wade's Kathleen, however, held true to the trail, despite the circumstances which drew all other hounds off, and, following true to the finish, was adjudged the winner. She was followed home by Mrs. Massy's hounds again, which were the first to break away from the line of the rabbit.

"After luncheon, to which Mr. Morriss kindly invited the whole field, the coursing events, judged by Mr. Hamilton Adams, proved very successful. In the first course, Capt. Hudson's Colleen of Brabyns beat Capt. Crossley-Meates' Thora of Ifold. Thora went badly out of slips and soon after was unsighted. In the second course, Mrs. Massy's Desmond of Ifold beat Mrs. Southey's Crewkerne Germaine. In the next, Capt. Hudson's Nora of Brabyns was too fast for Mr. Montagu Scott's Eogan. In the fourth, Mr. Montagu Scott's Torna of Ifold beat Mr. Wade's Kathleen. This was one of the best courses of the meeting. In the fifth course, Mrs. Southey's Crewkerne Georgie, the bye hound, was not asked to run. For the second round, Capt. Hudson's Colleen again showed good speed and beat Mrs. Massy's Desmond of Ifold in the first course. In the next, Capt. Hudson's Nora beat Mrs. Southey's Georgie - this was a good working trial. Torna had a bye. In the semi-finals, Capt. Hudson's Colleen ran a good course, beating Mr. Montagu Scott's Torna, thus giving Capt. Hudson the two finalists in Nora and Colleen. The owner elected to run both, and they got away to a very even slip. A good race ensued in which Colleen led a length and a half to the turn. She then made a couple of points, when Nora got possession, but Colleen would not be denied, and took possession again. A considerable number of interchanges then took place with Colleen killing to win. This concluded the meeting, and the members of the Irish Wolfhound Association are to be congratulated upon the support and success achieved. When the rising generation of hounds have been thoroughly trained in hound trailing, there seems every prospect of it becoming a very popular form of sport with owners and breeders."

In one publication which published pictures of the meeting, it said: "The pictures of Irish wolfhounds in training for coursing recently reproduced in this journal aroused the widest interest and we give above some more interesting photographs taken at last week's Working Trials held at Pippingford Park, Nutley, Sussex. These trials, which were conducted by the Irish Wolfhound Association, were not of a very searching nature because they were the first of their kind ever to be held. As an experiment, however, they were completely successful, giving a good indication of the all-round ability of the breed."