The familiar old turf rode superbly when confronted with unforgiving weather conditions – drought beforehand and bitter wind and rain on the day - but despite a twisty and challenging course, not a single horse slipped up and only one horsebox needed a tow.

The substantial natural hedges produced an exciting Allcomers Intermediate Team Chase, where victory deservedly went to a smooth and fast round by the Teme Valley Tigers in a time of 4 min 07 secs, 25 seconds faster than their nearest rivals. They won a day’s hunting with the Bicester with Whaddon Chase, so local team Game for a Giggle, headed by Bob Baskerville, which came in third, are looking forward to testing their mettle on the hunting field.

Organiser Alice Paine paid tribute to all the helpers without whom the day could not have run, as well as the magnificent total of 62 sponsors who supported the event, and above all the skill of course builders Laurie & Alicia Strangman, Roger Clarke and John Price - who have been tending the hedges since early May purely for this one day of competition, and justly received compliments throughout the day.

‘We’re looking forward to next year when we hope to run a Qualifier – it’s almost a waste of this beautiful course not to!’ she said.

As well as the ever-popular Cubhunter Team Chase, which featured a multitude of special prizes, several of which were scooped up by Ian McKie and family, the action-packed day included a Pairs class and two Individual hunter trials – one sponsored by Chiltern & Thames Rider Magazine as a XC qualifier for their Championships in October 2003 and the other by familiar equestrian photographer Peter Ayres.

Alice Paine