If you’ve ever been for a stroll in the Cambridgeshire countryside and witnessed a pair of red-faced students legging it across hedge and ditch to escape a pack of ravenous hounds, then the chances are that you’ve encountered the Cambridge University Draghounds.

For many of us this is the closest we’ll come to experiencing the thrill of a Draghound chase; most of the members actually come from outside of the University. But this is something the Masters of the hounds are aiming to change with the help of some calculated social events, including their annual ball in Lent term.

For those of you uneducated in this rural pursuit, drag-hunting is a horse-back sport which involves using hounds to chase a scent dragged across the country by a hardy runner. The sport is bloodless and has been heralded as an alternative to fox-hunting. But the Cambridge University Draghounds have no agenda other than the thrill of the chase.

Started in 1855, these days the society meets every Sunday between mid-October and April but there are difficulties – the society does not hire horses so participants must have their own. However, the price for taking part in the hunt and tea afterwards is just £15 for students.

The Masters encourage people to learn to ride at Cambridge. It would be more than possible to become proficient enough to join the Draghounds within three years. But one could also become involved in the social aspect of the club or take part in a non-riding capacity, with spectators most welcome. Of course, becoming a runner is also a possibility, though this involves traversing 10 miles of open country at speed. Surprisingly, volunteers are entirely forthcoming. The secret might be the £30 payment for the day’s work, as well as the assurance on the Draghounds website that “The hounds are not out to kill you!”

To find out more about the Cambridge University Draghounds have a look on their website at http://www.srcf.ucam.org/cudh/home.