FOXHUNTING IN THE CAMPAGNA ROMANA

Foxhunting in Italy was established in 1835 by Lord Chesterfield who's wife had Tuberculosis and had been ordered by Doctors to spend the winter in milder climate, but although the Italian climate improved the health of her Ladyship the Roman life was very dull for Lord Chesterfield, who greatly missed hunting in Leicestershire.

One day however, riding along the Appian Way a Fox happened to cross the road in front of him and he immediately realised what perfect hunting country the Roman countryside could make. He quickly sent home for hounds, hunters, Huntsman and Whipper-in and within a few months was hunting Campagna Romana followed by a group of Italian friends.

Since then hunting in the Campagna Romana has continued without a break, with the exception of the Two World Wars. The Huntsmen from this period onward have always been English or Irish. The Kennels are on the Appia Antica and were purpose built in 1923. The Campagna Romana sadly is no longer the ideal hunting country that Lord Chesterfield once knew, with its miles and miles of open grassland. The country now has suffered greatly to European grants meaning alot of the open grassland Lord Chesterfield enjoyed is now closed to us because it is now arable, a network of major roads and railways has cut the country up severely so the hunting is now mainly carried out in large common-land valleys normally with a huge ditch known as a "Marrana" running through the bottom which are very steep and are covered by a dense mass of thorn bushes and undergrowth, pure hell for hounds to try and work through. No horses can cross a marrana except at the appointed crossing, which at times makes keeping with hounds difficult if you happen to be the opposite side to where the hounds are going away.

We still have some wonderful Opening Meet country which is very similar to the Irish countryside, reclaimed wetland which is a network of drainage ditches that the foxes seem to thrive in and around, there always a sure place for a find although its normaly quite easy to find a fox (all of which are of the red variety) to actually catch one is an entirely different ball-game. Owing to the climate the scent is usually non existent (which in England you really don't appreciate it's not untill you hunt in another country that you find out what its like to not have one drop and I mean one drop of scent ) the modern day Roman countryside has so many earths, caves and hiding places that proper stopping is impossible . We even have a fox that has, on a number of occasions, has given us the slip on the top of an ancient Roman aqueduct!!!!! The hounds we now have here have also changed since Chesterfield's times. They were once bred on classic lines from the Killkenny, Flint & Denbigh and Watkin Williams Wynn's. Through the years the hunt has tried lots of different bloodlines, from the shaggy Welsh hounds to Stud Book Harriers to try and get the right hound for the country, and now I think we might have the right cross which is modern English crossed with an Anglo-French, these hounds are not too tall, light in frame, have tremendous cry and drive and due to the Anglo-French influence retain the more traditional Belvoir tan colouring which I think gives the pack a bit more uniformity. My predecessor also bred a small litter of Saint Hubert's (which are basically a light boned bloodhound) crossed with Modern English. These puppies were entered this season and I'm very impressed with the way in which they hunt, they also have a fabulous cry and have fitted in well with the rest of the pack.