Staff College Draghounds
Welcome to the Staff College Draghounds
If you have any questions, please contact our friendly Draghound Secretaries
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Major Sophie Gregory & Luke Shirley-Mansell secretary@staffcollegedraghounds.co.uk
Sophie 07798 588363
Luke 07515 448580
For any urgent hounds / kennels matters, please contact our Houndsman Gary Thorpe 07747 131814
Nothing chased, nothing caught!
Draghunting is a legal and transparent sport: nothing is chased and nothing is caught. Whilst it is an historic sport dating back nearly 200 years, it was fully compliant with the Hunting Act, 2004 before it was enacted. The aim of draghunting is to test the speed and ability of hounds to follow a scent laid on a pre-determined route, as well as the courage and skill of riders and horses to follow them across country.​ It has its own governing body, the Masters of Draghounds and Bloodhounds Association (MDBA).
History of the Staff College Draghounds
A long and proud military history
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For the soldier, the relatively short amount of time needed for drag hunting and the intensity of excitement had a very special appeal. A number of military drag hunt packs were founded from 1861onwards.
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The Staff College Drag was formed in 1869 by officers of the Staff College along with staff and cadets of Sandhurst. The fun was furious and the sport exhilarating. At Sandhurst, the Drag was considered to be ‘quite the most important part of the curriculum’. Rumour had it that those who did not go hard with the Drag stood little chance of a staff job. Such was the enthusiasm for drag hunting within the military that after the second-world-war some regiments stationed in Germany and Italy maintained their own packs of drag hounds.