Hunts all over the country offer hound sponsorship – and it’s probably cheaper than you think. Typically, they send you photos in a frame of the hounds you choose, a certificate and an enamel badge. Sponsoring a hound costs as little as £10 for the season and makes a great present.
The money makes a huge difference to the hunt. The Belvoir Hunt, for example, reports that hound sponsorship, over eight seasons, raised over £16,000 towards the direct upkeep of the hounds. Accoding to its website, “Hound sponsorship enables supporters, most of whom do not actually hunt on a horse, to get the enjoyment of seeing ‘their’ hound out hunting throughout the season as well as receiving regular updates on the pack’s progress and an exclusive inside look at the working of the kennels.”
The Ashford Valley Tickham Hunt estimates that it costs £600 a year to feed a hound, “plus vet bills for annual injections, worming, plus illness, accidents and there are other costs involved too on an annual basis,” it says on its website. The North Norfolk Harriers reports that its £20 sponsorship per hound is enough to pay for worming one hound alone. And hunts have a lot of hounds. For the 2020/21 seaon, the Blencathra has 55 hounds in kennels: 23 bitches and 32 dogs
Most hunts offer some form of hound sponsorship scheme. Some of them are moving their sponsorship offers online, either as part of their subscriptions or in the hunt’s online shop. Here are some of the hunts offering hound sponsorship online + the 2020/2021 season prices for sponsorship:
- Belvoir Hunt POA
- Berkeley Hunt £15
- Blencathra Foxhounds £20 (plus free entry into a draw to win a holiday)
- Cotswold Hunt £25
- Cottesmore Hunt (Non-hunting member package inclusive of hound sponsorship and an invitation to the Puppy Show and tea) £450
- Crawley & Horsham Hunt £100
- North Norfolk Harriers £20
- Old Berkeley Beagles £15 (£25 for two)
- Old Berks £10
- Quorn Hunt £20
- Ross Harriers £10
- South Shropshire Hunt £20
- Stour Valley Beagles £35
- Tedworth Hunt £15
- Warwickshire Hunt £25 a year or £75 for the whole of your hound’s life
- Wilton Hunt £20
Fieldsports Channel is sponsoring two hounds for the 2020/2021 season. Read the press release here.
