Horseback riders experience drag hunting on P.E.I.

This weekend, the hunt was on in Prince Edward Island.

Butit was a hunt in name-sake only as no animals were injured or even chased.

PEI's Emerald IslandHunt group joined up with Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley Hunt and Ontario'sWellington-WaterlooHunt to hold a 'horse and hound' event.

Instead of hunting animals, an ATV drags the scent of fox urine for the hounds to pick up. With the hounds hot on the trail, the horses follow behind.

Following the scent

Saturday's event was held atPatUptegrove's property in Victoria Cross.

About 20 riders followed the pack of hounds carefully along the roads, and then picked up a much quicker pace once safely on farmland.

Uptegrove was the ATV driver. She said it was a fantastic experience.

"You're laying the drag and then you're waiting for them to come, and you can really hear them. When they're in full cry, it's music. It's really, really beautiful. The blowing of the horn of the huntsman is just so beautiful along with the cry of the hounds, it really is just a spine-tingling feeling."

'Heaven to ride a horse on this country'

The pack of 15 dogs wasbrought from Nova Scotia.

Master of foxhounds Paul Johnston rode at the front of the group, leading the hounds and making sure they didn't stray from the path.

"Oftentimes at one of our hunts where we drag a scent, we'll provide scraps of meat or canned dog food for our hounds at the end of the day but really they just, you listen in the background, they love to get out. Horses love to be with hounds and hounds love to be with horses."

"People who aren't from P.E.I., this is heaven to ride a horse on this country. It's the best footing, it's the best country."

A small group came from Ontario for the event, making it their first visit to the Island.

Tamara Beckstead from Guelph is part of theWellington-WaterlooHunt. She said the group loves drag hunting.

"It actually preserves our ability to keep nature going and keep thewild landswild and it's atradition.Thecamaraderieis good but it has a good relationship between the city folk and the rural folk."

The group has another drag hunt scheduled for Sunday in Hunter River.