drag hunt

English

Noun

drag hunt (plural drag hunts)

1. A horseback chase which uses hounds and is similar to a fox hunt, except that the dogs do not pursue a live animal but, rather, follow a trail created by dragging a scent along a regular, predefined course which is designed to allow sustained riding at high speed.

   Synonym: trail hunt

   • 1916, Arthur B. Reeve, chapter 12, in The Romance of Elaine:

     At the Wilkeshire Club a large number of hunters had arrived. . . . [A] splendid pack of hounds was held by the huntsman while they debated whether to hold a paper chase or to try a drag hunt.

   • 2006 December 8, Jillian Dunham, “The Anisette Is on the Move! Release the Hounds!”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 November 2015:

     This form of pretend hunting is called a drag hunt. For its adherents . . . it is a happy medium that gives riders the opportunity to experience hunting’s highs without taking themselves too seriously or threatening area wildlife. The fact that drag hunts are much faster only adds to the appeal.

   • 2008 October 31, William Little, “Hunting booms three years after ban”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 15 November 2015:

     Unlike a drag hunt, where the scent is laid in a straight line, trailers will be trying to mirror the zigzag path of a hunted fox.

Verb

drag hunt (third-person singular simple present drag hunts, present participle drag hunting, simple past and past participle drag hunted)

1. To engage in a drag hunt.

   Synonym: trail hunt

See also

• drag hound

Further reading

• “drag hunt”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.