The Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society was founded in 1878 at a meeting held at The Angel Hotel, Peterborough, under the Chairmanship of the Marquis of Huntly. The first show was held on the second day of the Peterborough Agricultural Show on the Boroughbury Showground under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales KG and the first President was the then Earl Fitzwilliam.
The importance of the Foxhound Show was recognised in 1934 when HM King George V gave permission for the name of the Society to become the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show Society.
The Agricultural Society decided to move from its Eastfield Road Showground site in the sixties to Alwalton to accommodate both their expanding Show and the growing city of Peterborough. In 1966 it was the first Peterborough Show on the new site and notable that both the Agricultural Society and the Foxhound Society had the same President, the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam.
In 1970 the East of England Agricultural Society was formed by a merger of the Cambridgeshire & Isle of Ely, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough Agricultural Societies. This was strengthened further with the Bedfordshire Agricultural Society joining the merger in 1971 and the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society in 1972.
In 2005 the Festival of Hunting was created within the East of England three-day summer show as a feature within its own right. Although the summer show ceased in 2012, the East of England Agricultural Society, a registered charity continues to organise and host the Festival incorporating the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show as a stand-alone event.
By tradition, by its achievements, and by the continuing excellence of its standards, The Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show is the major event in its field in the world. 2024 will celebrate the 136th Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show and there is no doubt that Peterborough continues to serve this great sport as a unique annual focus for all that is best in foxhound breeding.
The Festival of Hounds, as it is now known, has grown around the Foxhound Show and incorporates The Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles, The Masters of Basset Hounds Association, Fellhounds, Gazehounds, Hunt Picnic Competition and the Inter Hunt Relay.
The Agricultural Society are working with the Festival organising committee and the BHSA to re-locate the infrastructure to a new home from 2025 as the site at Alwalton is within the local development plan for housing and leisure. So not the first change of venue in our history for the event and what is still widely regarded as the flagship hound show of the summer.
What is Hound Showing
Stud book foxhounds from registered packs can be shown at a series of hound shows throughout the country during the summer months. Dogs and bitches are judged separately and there are classes for “unentered” hounds (those that will start hunting this season), “entered” hounds (already hunting), and hounds used for breeding.
The purpose of hound judging, normally undertaken by two current or former Masters, is to assess the conformation as well as the quality, movement and balance of the hound. The judges will be looking to see if the hound has generally good conformation. This is outlined by the drawings below:
Foxhound
Beagle
Hunting ability cannot be judged on conformation alone but other important attributes such as scenting ability, voice and drive can only be properly assessed out hunting.
Generally it is thought that hounds with better conformation will have more stamina and are able to stand up to a full days hunting without taking too much out of themselves.
In each class, the ‘entry’ (a single or group of hounds), is shown separately first as this allows the judges to make their assessments. Then the entries are brought in and eliminated one by one until four entries are left. These are then assessed and the top four entries are given a red rosette and often a silver cup for first place, the second a blue rosette, third yellow and fourth green.
Programmes will be available to purchase on the day and will include details of the judges and hounds being shown in each class.
What other Hounds can you see at FOH
Sight Hounds
All sighthounds have coursing in their blood. In the UK, coursing was totally banned by the 2004 UK Hunting Act; in Ireland it is still popular (and legal!) sport with many local clubs and meetings, and National Championships.
Coursing is the oldest of all field sports, with records going back to 4000 BC. It was, until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the sport of royalty and high ranking nobility, and illegal for anyone below the Duke to won a greyhound.
Queen Elizabeth I was passionate about coursing and ordered the drawing up of rules, which, amended as required, are basically the rules under which we course today.
Greyhounds
The Greyhound is the second fastest animal alive today, and coursing under National Coursing Club rules is a test of the greyhound’s speed and agility and a joy to watch
Salukis
Salukis are probably the oldest and most romantic of the gazehounds. Bred to hunt in the desert, the Bedouins used to (and still do) hunt on horseback with a hawk on the wrist and a Saluki at heel. They are varied and pretty hounds with great stamina.
Deerhounds
Deerhounds, as the name implies, originally bred to chase deer, but, before the ban, coursed the mountain hare. They have amazing strength and stamina, and to watch them ‘flowing’ across the heather in Scotland was a great sight. They are gentle giants and make wonderful companions- if you have the space!
Whippets
Whippets are loyal, feisty, determined and great hunters, also they are remarkably fast. They will chase anything and now the ban is in place they have great fun chasing a lure.
The whippet makes and outstanding pet, and are renowned as ‘pat dogs’, used to give comfort to patients in hospitals.
Fellhounds
The Blencathra Foxhounds are one of a number of fell packs associated to (but not members of) the Masters of Foxhounds Association. They are one of six Fell packs in Cumbria
Because of the terrain, mounted hunting is not feasible in the Lake District. Lakeland foxhounds are lighter and more agile than hounds bred by mounted packs and they are bred to cope with difficult terrain. During the summer closed season, hounds from all fell packs are shown in competition at annual Lakeland shows including Rydal, Lowther and the Threlkeld Puppy Show.
To find out more about the Blencathra Fellhounds visit their website here
Terriers
Festival of Hounds 