BY ANNA BOWEN No really, you should. Chances are she can use a gun, whether its for game, vermin or clays. Only issue is that she may shoot straighter than you… Big machines won’t phase her. Nor will going fast on a quad bike with limited safety considerations. After a lifetime with a horse between her legs she has thighs of steel and a remarkable … Continue reading Why You Should Marry A Farmer’s Daughter
BY ANNA BOWEN Eight and a half years and counting…! Any paperwork is highly likely to be covered in something that looks suspiciously like… actually not “suspiciously like” … it clearly is cow s**t. Getting in the Land Rover for a farm tour will involve sitting on top of a bag of feed, fitting your feet in between a bucket and a broken chainsaw and … Continue reading Things You Know If You Work With Farmers
BY ANNA BOWEN Hunts are all different, but some people are the same. These characters, from my experience, are the types of Hunt followers you’re likely to meet in the field: 1. The Ex-Racehorse Addict Carly bought Squidge for £2 from Ascot sales last month. All is going well, apart from the awkward moment at opening meet when he mistook the rolling lawns of Deadbear … Continue reading 36 Hunt Followers You’ll Meet
BY ANNA BOWEN I first went hunting ten years ago, on a grey day in late October, riding a four year old piebald mare bought from gypsies. I fell in love with the sport several weeks later, crossing the ethereal uplands of North Carmarthenshire, following the shaggy hounds of the Towy and Cothi. The obsession was inevitable, as Dire Straits sing the dice was loaded … Continue reading How to Get into Hunting
BY ANNA BOWEN Having already written about “How To Be A Country Gentleman” for Country Squire Magazine, it seems only right that I should do the same for women. Surfing the fourth (?) wave of feminism, this is a topic fraught with riptides, which is why my intention is to avoid old tropes. So here goes: A lady is nice. Not a pushover, not saccharine, … Continue reading How to Be a Country Lady
BY ANNA BOWEN Ball season is upon us so here’s a handy list… Down a shot for every one that you spot! 1 The Little Princess Allowed at the ball as a very special treat. Wears a sparkly dress and throws a tantrum because she’s not given a glass of wine on arrival. Spills profiteroles over said dress. Papa is very concerned about the years … Continue reading 10 People You Meet at Hunt Balls
BY ANNA BOWEN 1 You had no idea that the faithful Aga was the pinnacle of middle class aspiration. 2 The Aga was frequently home to both a casserole and a lamb. 3 Christmas morning was an excruciating wait for farm work to be over before you could open presents. 4 It was totally normal to have a flask of frozen semen. 5 Equally you … Continue reading 25 Things You Know If You Grew Up On A Farm
