Rory knight bruce

David Barker’s skills as a horseman were equalled by his proficiency when carrying the horn, Alastair Jackson explains in the latest of his series about great huntsmen he knew personally

Two views of the same country

Can you hunt hounds and race-ride? How compatible are the two sports – and can you fit both in? Tessa Waugh finds out

● In the arena of storytelling, there’s power ...

Tessa Waugh wonders whether lingering in Downton Abbey waking dreams might be more enticing than rousing two teens for autumn hunting, but finds herself pleasantly surprised

Does the abundance of rowan berries really forecast snowy days and a hard winter, muses Tessa Waugh , as a home meet draws people of all ages, stages and pre-dawn routines