The Field

TRUE TO THE LINE

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Aged 24, the author was Master and huntsman to a pack of foxhounds. That was the start of a 30-year hunting career that would span Dartmoor, Yorkshire, High Leicesters­hire and farther afield. Hunting is in Adrian Dangar’s blood and etched into his bones.

A huntsman must have the hide of elephant, a Master even more so. Hunting politics would make the most formidable home secretarie­s weep. To combine the roles of huntsman and Master requires a confidence and manner than brooks no nonsense, can be galling to some but, most importantl­y, garners success.

Dangar’s memoirs offer an insight into that life and the huge cast of country characters that make the hunting world work.

Over 26 chapters, each introduced by a charming Daniel Crane line drawing, Dangar relives his remarkable hunting career. It takes erudition to transfer the intangible nature of a hunting day onto the page but this Field contributo­r manages it with aplomb.

For those who have ridden to hounds, this book will be a joy to read. It is a paen to hounds and venery, and one that should grace every foxhunter’s library.

 ??  ?? By Adrian Dangar Quiller, £20
By Adrian Dangar Quiller, £20

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