The riders herald the afternoon with a drink on horseback. For the 26th time, Eext is dominated by the slip yacht. The dogs go first. The riders on the horse follow the dogs who go in search of a rag soaked in fox urine.
“It is a very beautiful spectacle between man and animal,” says Ilse Hendriks, chairman of the Association of Folk Entertainment Eext. “The Horses. The dogs that go in front with a lot of noise and that follow the fox scent.” The association organizes the event together with the Royal Dutch Hunting Association.
“First and foremost, it’s all about the dogs,” says rider Peter Harts. “But it’s also the fun that makes the event fun.” More than thirty riders get on the horse to participate. People are waiting along the route to encourage the participants. Often they only see the group of dogs, horses and riders for a few minutes. The dogs quickly run after the urine smell. The horses gallop behind again.
Rider Eddy Kolkman is the fieldmaster: “I determined the route yesterday. I’m going to try to be the first to cross the ditch completely. And not to end up in the hospital in Groningen.” He smiles. Kolkman arrives at the Magnus Church in Anloo unscathed. Together with the other riders they enjoy music, a drink and friends and family. “We have been doing it for years with the same club of people. Now and then some new ones and sometimes people drop out again. But we are a very nice club together,” adds Harts.
“I think it’s a special branch of sport,” says Hendriks. She herself rides a horse, but she has never participated in a drag hunt. She thinks it’s a spectacle. “It is very different from what many people know from equestrian sports such as jumping and dressage. It has a piece of nature. You go right through the farmlands and forests.”
At the end of the ride, the dogs are rewarded with the ‘kill’. A cow’s stomach is thrown into the pack, which the dogs all dive for. “The dogs love that,” said rider Kolkman. “Probably not us, if you can smell it. But come on…”