9781422279281

The modern Beagle As the 20th century progressed, hunting activities started to de- cline and packs of hounds were disbanded. Today the sport is kept alive in the form of competitive field trials. There is also something of a divide between the working Beagle and those that are bred for the show ring. The show Beagle lines (from which most pet Beagles come), is likely to be heavier in build, with longer, low-set ears, and a more square-cut muzzle. However, it is important that the Beagle remains fit for the function he was bred to, as this ensures that he is built on athletic lines and remains true to his original purpose. Today, the association has registered 62 packs of Beagles that hunt in the U.K. and four packs that hunt overseas. At one time, many famous private schools and universities had a pack of hunting Beagles. Now, only Eton, Radley, and Stowe prep schools have packs; at Oxford University there’s also the Christ Church and Farley Hill Beagles. At Cambridge Uni- versity, there are the Trinity Foot and South Herts Beagles, and the Royal Agricultural College has a Beagle pack. Beagle Packs In the 17th and early 18th centuries in Britain, hunting Beagles were kept in large packs by wealthy sport hunters. But by the middle of the 18th century, hare hunting with Beagles as an aristocratic sport was replaced by fox hunting with English Foxhounds. Hare hunting with packs of Beagles continued to be popular with the farmers and small landholders of the southern counties of England, as well as Wales and Ireland, so the breed flourished. But by 1887, there were only 18 Beagle packs left in the U.K. The Beagle Club was formed in 1890, and the following year the As- sociation of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed. The association registered 107 packs of Harriers and 40 packs of Beagles. Both organiza- tions aimed to further the best interests of the breed, and both wanted to produce one standard type of Beagle.

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