The Pau Hunt was established in 1842 by the Société d’Encouragement as a spectacule authorized by the government of

Louis Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...

to hunt predatory animals such as wolves and foxes. Internationally, the Pau Hunt, dominated by American and British Masters, was one of the most renown hunts until the breakout of World War II. Its country, between

Gardères Gardères (; oc, Gardèras) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. Together with Luquet, the commune forms an enclave of Hautes-Pyrénées within the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. A neighbouring secon ...

and the hills surrounding Pau was nicknamed “Leicestershire in France”. Innovative hunt masters and committee members organized their first recorded

drag hunt Drag hunting or draghunting is a form of equestrian sport, where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. Description Drag hunting is conducted in a similar manner to fox hunting, with a field of mounted riders foll ...

in 1847. They organized the capture of game and its later release at meets as early as the 1850s, cross country matches and point-to-point races in the 1890s. In 1947 the association reorganized as the ''"Pau Hunt Drags"''. Continuing its tradition of drag hunting, meets are held in unplanted fields with the expressed permission of amiable property owners. A plethora of private photos, articles, publications, photos and works of art during its heyday are housed in private collections, including the collection of the English Club of Pau.

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References

{{Reflist Sports clubs established in the 19th century Sports clubs established in 1842 Dog sports Equestrian sports Hunting Hunting with hounds Fox hunting Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques