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Chill Valley Hunt #1
Last Furlong
- GenresChildrens
207 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1949
About the author
Christine Pullein-Thompson
145 books26 followersThe Pullein-Thompson sisters — Josephine Pullein-Thompson MBE (3 April 1924-[1]), Diana Pullein-Thompson (born 1 October 1925) [2] and Christine Pullein-Thompson (1 October 1925–2 December 2005[2] — are British writers of several horse and pony books (mostly fictional) aimed at children and mostly popular with girls. They started at a very young age (initially writing collectively) and they were at their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but their popularity has endured. They have written a collective autobiography Fair Girls and Grey Horses.
All 3 sisters have written at least 1 book under a different name; Josephine wrote 1 under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann, Diana 3 books under her married name of Diana Farr and Christine wrote 2 books under the name of Christine Keir.
Their mother, Joanna Cannan (1898–1961), sister of the poet May Cannan, wrote similar equestrian stories, but is better known for detective mysteries.
All 3 sisters have written at least 1 book under a different name; Josephine wrote 1 under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann, Diana 3 books under her married name of Diana Farr and Christine wrote 2 books under the name of Christine Keir.
Their mother, Joanna Cannan (1898–1961), sister of the poet May Cannan, wrote similar equestrian stories, but is better known for detective mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 19, 2014
Total escapism that saw me through a rough couple of days.
July 20, 2026
A book I really enjoyed, after having loved the Flambards series. A group of teenagers decide to raise a pack of hounds and organize fox hunts. It is about friendship, initiative, responsibility, following through on commitments, the satisfaction of a job well done, and the exhilaration of sharing it with others.
I liked the role of the parents, who help, encourage, and support, making the undertaking possible.
I wasn't familiar with this author, who, together with her mother and sister, has written countless books. This is the first in a series of three books; I'll try to read the others as well.
I liked the role of the parents, who help, encourage, and support, making the undertaking possible.
I wasn't familiar with this author, who, together with her mother and sister, has written countless books. This is the first in a series of three books; I'll try to read the others as well.
July 31, 2021
Ah, sweet childhood memories. I had lots of books by this author, and her sisters. Hunting wasn't really my thing, though any book to do with horses and ponies was likely to be enjoyed. I remember liking the characters very much, and envying their rural life. I'm sure any pony-mad child would still enjoy this series
September 19, 2014
This is first in a great trilogy - I Carried The Horn and Goodbye to Hounds being the others.
Sandy and Lawrence are part-owners of a foxhound pack while still teenagers and they have an incredible amount of freedom from parental interference. The hunting may deter some readers but really there are very few animals killed in the tales, and the youngsters tend to be after foxes which have destroyed a poultry farm. Nobody smears blood on children's faces. Mainly after hounds get their quarry, there is not much left of the fox. Hounds are clearly not pets. There is a great deal of exciting cross-country riding, which is the reason why people hunt. Horse lovers will enjoy every minute.
Andrew the son of a local farmer is the young huntsman and takes his job very seriously. His sister is second whipper-in and Sandy is first whip, with Lawrence Master. There is also another sister who is Secretary and a brother who is too young to have a title.
In We Hunted Hounds the youngsters mend and paint a dilapidated kennels, buy their first foxhounds - which are chiefly the dregs of other packs - and are lucky enough to get a couple of good hounds too. They take the name Chill Valley Hunt and are delighted when the local landowners take their efforts seriously. Of course they have a lot to do to prove themselves and they spend a lot of time reading Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man and Ratcatcher to Scarlet. The hunt world has a vast etiquette which must be strictly observed and they don't want to get it wrong - everything from never saying 'the hounds' to not hunting on another pack's territory.
The pack of hounds need a lot of exercising and feeding, the financial mechanics are explained - subscriptions, cap fees, Hunt Balls, Farmers' Dinners and wire fund - and the time of year makes a difference with cub-hunting in autumn, foxhunting in winter and resting in summer while crops and baby animals are in the fields. Of course that means the youngsters are out in the worst of the weather and get cold, wet and exhausted. They don't complain and tend to their animals before anything else when they return home.
I never hunted but this series let me on in that world. They are very readable but involved and exciting enough for mature young adults. The books were updated in 1990 to get rid of old money and so on, but they are clearly not of the modern era.
Sandy and Lawrence are part-owners of a foxhound pack while still teenagers and they have an incredible amount of freedom from parental interference. The hunting may deter some readers but really there are very few animals killed in the tales, and the youngsters tend to be after foxes which have destroyed a poultry farm. Nobody smears blood on children's faces. Mainly after hounds get their quarry, there is not much left of the fox. Hounds are clearly not pets. There is a great deal of exciting cross-country riding, which is the reason why people hunt. Horse lovers will enjoy every minute.
Andrew the son of a local farmer is the young huntsman and takes his job very seriously. His sister is second whipper-in and Sandy is first whip, with Lawrence Master. There is also another sister who is Secretary and a brother who is too young to have a title.
In We Hunted Hounds the youngsters mend and paint a dilapidated kennels, buy their first foxhounds - which are chiefly the dregs of other packs - and are lucky enough to get a couple of good hounds too. They take the name Chill Valley Hunt and are delighted when the local landowners take their efforts seriously. Of course they have a lot to do to prove themselves and they spend a lot of time reading Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man and Ratcatcher to Scarlet. The hunt world has a vast etiquette which must be strictly observed and they don't want to get it wrong - everything from never saying 'the hounds' to not hunting on another pack's territory.
The pack of hounds need a lot of exercising and feeding, the financial mechanics are explained - subscriptions, cap fees, Hunt Balls, Farmers' Dinners and wire fund - and the time of year makes a difference with cub-hunting in autumn, foxhunting in winter and resting in summer while crops and baby animals are in the fields. Of course that means the youngsters are out in the worst of the weather and get cold, wet and exhausted. They don't complain and tend to their animals before anything else when they return home.
I never hunted but this series let me on in that world. They are very readable but involved and exciting enough for mature young adults. The books were updated in 1990 to get rid of old money and so on, but they are clearly not of the modern era.
February 5, 2025
We Hunted Hounds is the start of the Chill Valley Hunt trilogy, following siblings Sandy and Laurence and their friends the Days, Andrew, Valentine, Kate and Harry as they get a fox hunting pack together and start hunting hounds.
Despite a dislike of fox hunting I have to say that I do enjoy these books, the Dashwoods and the Days are an enjoyable bunch of kids to follow and I do so love reading about people being quite competent at something!
Although it does take them quite a while to get it all running smoothly and I do cringe a little at the antics the rowdy hounds get up to due to the kids lack of experience.
But all in all a very nice series, full of the cosy old pony book goodness that I love.
Despite a dislike of fox hunting I have to say that I do enjoy these books, the Dashwoods and the Days are an enjoyable bunch of kids to follow and I do so love reading about people being quite competent at something!
Although it does take them quite a while to get it all running smoothly and I do cringe a little at the antics the rowdy hounds get up to due to the kids lack of experience.
But all in all a very nice series, full of the cosy old pony book goodness that I love.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews