The sport of hound trailing is highly popular in the Lake district of England, and in the area bordering Scotland and England. Dating back to the 18th century, this popular pastime lead to the formation of a governing body, the Hound Trailing Association in 1906.
When traveling through the Lake District, it’s not uncommon to come across a field full of cars, people standing with binoculars in hand, others shouting and cheering names and blowing whistles. This is the spectator side of hound trailing.
The origins of the sport traces back to disputes between local farmers, each claiming to have the fastest pack of Harriers, Foxhounds or Beagles in the area. Drag hunting was formed that allowed the farmers to race their hounds over designated trails to determine who had the fastest packs (read: bragging rights). Thus, the sport of Hound Trailing was born.
From the Hound Trailing Association: “Racing takes place over moorland, fields and fells, with the hounds following a trail made of a mixture of paraffin and aniseed. Two individuals affectionately known as ‘Trailers’ are responsible for laying the trail with both carrying ‘rags’ to the halfway point and then walking away from each other, one towards the start and one towards the finish. The trail is laid!
“There are over 40 trail locations covering all areas of the Lake District National Park with both pups and senior hounds racing over 5 & 10 mile distances respectively.
“These distances can be easily completed in times around the 30 minute mark which is staggering when you consider the terrain & conditions all navigated while in the midst of hunting the scent! Special.” Read more about this sport here, the same site from which this image is shared.