Pau Hunt

The Pau Hunt was established in 1842 by the Société d’Encouragement as a spectacle for tourists authorized by the government of Louis Philippe to hunt predatory animals such as wolves and foxes. Dominated by American and British Masters, it was one of the most renown and glamourous hunts until the breakout of World War II. Its field, between Gardères and the hills surrounding Pau was nicknamed “Leicestershire in France”.

Innovative hunt masters and committee members organized the capture of game and its later release (bagmen), and their first recorded drag hunt in 1847. Cross country and point-to-point events later called The Hunter’s Stakes and finally Pau Hunt Races were first held in the mid-1840s, closing the season for over 90 years. 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.

In 1947 the association reorganized as the "Pau Hunt Drags", and continues its tradition of drag hunting.