A Story To Share With You All..

[goldfinch2007 2,332]

How old would you recomend running a dog on its first hare ?

pre ban

[fieldsportsman 107]

well done again

[BIGLURKS 874]

Very good read that need more like that

[oldred58 340]

How old would you recomend running a dog on its first hare ?

pre ban

[Westy76 546]

Great read thanks for posting

[timebombs 49]

Great read thanks for posting

thanks for that mate cracking read

[Westy76 546]

It was barely a sentence mate but thanks

[2blackdogs 10]

good read mate

[flyfree86 38]

brilliant that mate

[mickey30 6]

nice read good one

[214_si 143]

Thanks for all your comments; everything I have written about is true.

 

My name is Billy Bruce, I am nearly 67 and I have had coursing dogs all of my life. Most have been good sporting dogs, not match dogs and they have run hares all over the country some of the names I have been coursing with are Andrew Young from Stonyburn near Bathgate in Scotland, Sonny Welsh from Darlington, Alfie and Wally Welsh when we stopped together near Dunstable, John Davis from Sandy in Beds, Billy and David West from Cambridge, Billy; Archie and Tommy Brown from Enfield, Mike and Orrie Gaskin, Bob Gaskin, Joe Gaskin from Doncaster, Joe Wilshire from Leighton Buzzard, Henry Smith from Upper Dicker, Old Champa near Basingstoke, Mick Harris from Slade Green, Johnny and Danny Coates from Dartford, Billy Brazil from Effingham near Guildford, Teddy Adams from Ashford in Kent, Tommy Melish from Brighton, Fat Lias from Cambridge, Young Jim Jefford; John Jefford from Cambridge, Georgie Jefford from Romford, Bill and Wally; twins from Abbeywood and a lot of others I can’t think of.

 

When I meet a few of the young boys who might still be going coursing I try to give them a few tips how to get their dogs fit. Don’t take one dog on its own across the local fields, take it with one or two other dogs and they will run and chase each other all over the place. Give them a good hour every day; make sure they’ve got a good dry and warm kennel, plenty of bedding. Start running pups at about 7 months old only with another dog that can kill its hare for them, give them as many kills that you can until they are 12 month old when I think if they are coming along they should be ready to run single handed.

 

Try breeding a litter of pups between July and September so when March and April come round, they can have a few easy kills. Keep them fit all through the summer, when the corn gets cut they should be ready to run single handed.

 

All you young men just remember one thing; look after your dogs the way you would want to be looked after yourself. Remember only brag about your dogs if it has been killing its hares in late November to late February single handed. Only bet on it if it’s been killing 3 out of 3 regularly.

 

I still live in Belvedere in Kent, born and bred here, I usually have a drink on a Friday night at The Barge Pole opposite Thistlebrook Trailer Site in Abbeywood with some men I have known all my life, we all have a sing song on the karaoke, one man who I and a lot of others think is the best singer amongst all travellers, his name is Jim Downman known as Killerman, he’s a true gentlemen, got a lovely wife and 3 boys; Jimmy, Billy and Tommy who all show me a lot of respect also Wally and Bill, twins are good old fashioned boys, good company could not wish for better men.

 

P.S; don’t keep a bad dog; it will eat just as much as a good one.

 

Signed

 

Billy Bruce

Edited January 31, 2013 by 214_si

[bill83 23]

very good read fellas sound like a good un, Hopefuly you can write aphew more of your enjoyable days out

[J Darcy 5,871]

A very good read indeed...

[Bosun11 537]

As Darcy said, a great read.. Thanks for sharing...

[Guest vin]

As the lads have already said..Thanks Billy.