As winter relinquishes its grip, Tessa Waugh enjoys a copybook meet, with convivial chat, springy turf and good sport – while the real hunting aficionados demonstrate their teleporting skills

The relentlessly positive spirit of the VWH hounds and their huntsman is infectious during a good day’s sport

It’s not easy bringing a string of horses in from the field solo at the best of times – let alone when frost lies thick and the yard resembles an ice rink. Tessa Waugh gets her lead ropes in a twist

Although she might not look completely conventional, Spotty is practically perfect in every way and “knows her job”. In fact, she’s so versatile anyone can ride her

● It had been, until that point, an ...

With 36 years in hunt service behind him, Robert McCarthy is one of the country’s most senior and most respected huntsmen. He talks to Tessa Waugh about Crufts, the current situation and life in Northumberland