on Riding : First Coursing Meet of Irish Wolfhounds

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from my collection,

captioned: The first coursing meeting in this country of Irish Wolfhounds took place on Wednesday near Amesbury (Wilts) Two of the dogs in the slips.

James and Florence Nagle were both very keen on animals being able to do the work they were bred for and he was a driving force behind the setting up of coursing meetings and the foundation of the Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club. The first coursing meeting was held near Amesbury, Wiltshire (the Nagle's home at the time) in February, 1925. .
"Mr. J. Nagle writes that he has some very interesting entries for the coursing meeting, and that several very well-known winners on the bench are to take part. Mrs. Southey is running Crewkerne Georgie (winner bitch challenge certificate at LKA) and another. Mrs. Beynon is running three or perhaps four. This is an interesting entry, as all her hounds have hunted big game in Kenya, and that good sportswoman is anxious to see how her hounds perform against the English-bred hounds. Lady Watson will probably run her hound, Sulhamstead Pedlar (the sire of Ch. F. Kilcullen). Pedlar is now in his sixth year, but kills hares regularly and will make some of the younger hounds gallop. The greatest support seems to come from the fair sex, and the entries by men are so far Mr. Nagle's Sulhamstead Thelma and the writer's Ch. Felixstowe Killcao.

"I know that Mr. Nagle has splendid and ample accommodation for the hounds that will take part, and that the air at Stourbridge is indeed very bracing, so that both owners and hounds should have an enjoyable outing. There are no fences or ditches, so that risk of injury is reduced to a minimum."

Another publication ran an article with several pictures, with the title "Irish Wolfhounds for Coursing: Some of the entrants for the forthcoming official meeting near Amesbury, Wiltshire. The idea of holding coursing meetings with Irish wolfhounds came some long time ago from Mr. James Nagle, of Amesbury in Wiltshire, and at last a meeting has been arranged to be held near Amesbury in January, under National Coursing Club rules. Support has been promised by many well-known breeders, and a good entry is expected. Mr. Nagle, who has had a very wide experience of these dogs, has found that they have plenty of speed, can outstay a greyhound over a long course and are only a little slower at killing. By reason of their great size the Irish wolfhound is probably the most powerful breed of dog in the world and Mr. James Nagle's famous Champion Felixstowe Kilcullen, a son of Lady Watson's Sulhamstead Pedlar, is of such giant proportions that he must be one of the largest dogs anywhere in the world. Although they are growing steadily in popularity here, wolfhounds are not in such great demand as in North America and such places where they are trained to combat the prairie wolves who prey upon the flocks. The projected meeting will be awaited with much interest."


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