What club are you with?
I'm with the pound club which is affiliated to the Kerry Beagle Association,
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| myself with my hound Glen & some silver ware |
How long have you been involved in the sport?
I started drag hunting back in 2009. I've always seen the odd drag as a kid but didn't get involved officially until 2009 when I bought my first hound,misty from Sean smith who is a trainer in the Cavan Association.
How did you get involved in drag hunting?
I was in America and when I came back there was a hound at my door , which belonged to my uncle Con Leary, he told me come to a drag hunting meeting with him, I got a great buzz watching the hounds run and was hooked after that,that's how I got involved in the sport.
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| Kerry Beagle Association members at the CCCHA international meeting Co Cork. left to right Pat O'Donoghue, Mick O'Leary ,Joseph Driscoll Myself & my uncle Con Leary |
What have been the best hounds you have trained?
The best hound I have trained is Glen a great hound with serious stamina and won a lot of big drag hunts for me.
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| Proud as punch |
What is the best hound you have seen run & why?
Airaforce is probably the fastest hound I've ever seen and was fortunate enough to have her in my kennel and train her, also a dog called Rory best nose dog I've trained and very quick when on form. The best hound I have seen run is nemo he was owned by Ciaran smith he maybe wasn't the fastest dog ever but was consistent and was a serial winner he knew how to win and when it was time to go for it a true champion.
What is you favourite course & why?
My favourite courses are kenmare and the association course in Caherciveen, because these are two of our biggest drag hunts in the calendar,they are run in the county of Kerry over the same course every year and never change.Very prestigious events in the Kerry Beagle Association.
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| Myself with my hound Glen with the county of Kerry in the background |
What are your most memorable victories?
Fortunately for me I have won a lot of drag hunts over the last few years , i won back to back puppy Kerry finals and several senior drag hunts including tough venues such as Portmagee Ballinskelligs & the Mike Neil memorial drag in the glen, but my first maiden win in kenmare 2013 with airaforce was only my second ever win, there was wild celebrations and it gave me the taste of success that drives me today and was the catalyst for all the serious senior wins and records I've broken since.My biggest accolade has to be the 2015 senior association win with glen, it's the most special as it's the European cup of drag hunting in county Kerry and no one in my family or club ever won it before in the previous 90 years, so it has to go down as my greatest win and won't ever be surpassed.
Who is your favourite drag hunting characters past & present & why?
My favourite drag hunting character of present is Vincent Murphy a true gent and a man who helped me in my early years in the sport, a great man full of wit, in the past it would have to be the late Dan O'Connor he was a saint of a man who never had a bad word about anybody & dearly loved his hounds and his sport.
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| Dan O'Connor 1976-2013 RIP X |
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