I approach Fitzpatrick Referrals, the headquarters of Noel Fitzpatrick, or Supervet, as he’s known to his growing following, along a golden greensand track of the classic Surrey Hills variety, dusty…
Dogs & Animals
The Italian Greyhound: Tiny, beloved of royalty and anything but fast (until they put their minds to it)
Italian Greyhounds are a conundrum: for all their speed potential they're usually infuriatingly slow, miniature-sized – and they're not even Italian. No wonder they've entranced people since the heyday of…
Shaggy sheep stories: 21 native British sheep breeds and how to recognise them
Here are just some of the breeds to consider, whether for field or table or both.
The racing-yard manager: ‘The hours sometimes get on top of you, but when you get the winners, it’s all worthwhile’
A cabinetmarker by trade, Richard Leadley followed his love of horses to his current profession. Tessa Waugh reports, portrait by Richard Cannon.
Curious questions: Do dogs like listening to music?
As a nation of dog lovers, we’ve already seen home-cooking for canines, ‘pup cakes’ and Pawsecco. Now, we’re composing music for them. Claire Jackson investigates.
The sheep-shearer: ‘If you tell people what you do, they often don’t know what it involves’
Sheep-shearers are a dying breed, but Ashley Story relishes the back-breaking work. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.
The top ten British dog breeds that need saving and quickly
French bulldog wins top spot over labrador as some of the most quintessentially British breeds are pronounced 'vulnerable' by the KC. Matthew Dennison reports.
How a horse-mad Englishman pioneered the modern circus
Roll up, roll up! The tricks, flicks and show-stopping stunts of the modern circus owe their existence to the vision of Philip Astley, who marked out a circus ring 250…
Which breed makes the best gundog? The pros and cons of labradors, spaniels, terriers and more
Whether you own labradors, springers, cockers or a mix of all three, debate over which gundog is best has raged for centuries. Katy Birchall asks which breed works for you.
Peter Phillips: ‘People go to things because they’re an “event” and that’s the point – it’s what you create around a sport that matters’
The son of HRH The Princess Royal and Capt Mark Phillips is now running the Festival of British Eventing, started by his parents almost 35 years ago. He spoke to…
Nature’s winners and losers of the long, hot summer of 2018
It’s been a funny old year: one day the Beast from the East, the next, the longest dry spell since 1976. As a result, there will be both winners and…
Swimming with your dog: ‘Like a cross between an Olympic diving final and the closing scene of Grease’
Swimming with your dog – yes, really – is here. And it can do you both a power of good, says Emma Hughes.
Jason Goodwin: The foxes are unashamedly cocky – but the badgers are even worse
Our columnist takes a look at the new breed of foxes invading the countryside, and the havoc both they and the badgers are causing.
The rare-chicken breeder: ‘Watching hens having a dust bath is a delight’
‘I’ve always thought that chickens were great fun. Watching hens having a dust bath is a delight and the noise they make is very calming,’ explains rare-breed-poultry enthusiast Andrew Bowden.…
Secrets of the glow-worm
From paralysing snails to lighting lamps, David Profumo shines a light on the life of a glow-worm, which isn’t actually a worm at all.
Royal Ascot 2018: The eye-watering numbers behind Britain’s great race meeting
3 The total length, in miles, of the bunting installed for the meeting. 4 The length in inches to which the racecourse grass is cut – it’s the regulation height…
Nine things nobody will tell you before you get a puppy
Get a puppy and your life will never be the same again – but not always in the ways you'd imagine. Country Life's Annunciata Elwes recently took the plunge, and shares…
Jason Goodwin: ‘They were more like beautiful professors of Hegelian dialectic than actual dogs’
The Germans, with the Swiss Germans, arrived as I was mowing the lawn, which gave me a chance to show off in Kate’s hearing. You can generally speak simple German…
11 things you never knew about the jackdaw, the bird that just loves people
Ian Morton takes a look at the jackdaw, a bird with a real affinity for man – despite a chequered reputation in our history and literature.
Beagles: The smart little hounds that are both furry friend and working dog
Meghan Markle isn’t alone in her love of these alert, sturdy little dogs with their melting eyes and purposeful demeanour, finds Matthew Dennison.