we had anticipated to check
into our 15th-century hotel,
Philippe Le Bon, in the 
medieval part of the city. We
had missed the last walking
tour. Not a trio of women to
be deterred by something so
simple, we rented bicycles
and self-guided ourselves
until darkness persuaded us
to return to the hotel. 

Saturday, Francine Paget

picked us up at our hotel.
She is Johan Guinot’s wife,
and partner in their kennel,
Des Terres du Templier. We
went to a training park in
Franxault, Burgundy. Johan
met us there with their older
son, age 6, 19 PBs and one
Grand. I was in heaven! 

The training park, huge

fields of cut corn, sugar
beets and hay, was fenced
and surrounded by the 
expected hedge rows. Johan
was dressed in brown 
hunting clothes and carried
the large brass circular
French hunting horn over
his left shoulder. He slid
back the side door of his
van, and I was greeted by
the sight of what seemed
like a hundred noses pressed to the doors of their crates.
What beautiful PB faces. I was really here. I loved them all
immediately. Johan let the dogs out of their crates, and they
spilled out on the ground. They checked with Johan,
Francine and their son. Then suddenly, the three of us were
surrounded by PBs and a Grand! Johan blew on his horn,
and off we went, through the fields, following the pack in
search of the elusive hare. 

In the course of the morning, we put out three hare and 

I got to watch the pack run and sound after them. When it
was time for lunch, Johan brought the pack back through 
a series of toots on the horn and calling individual names. 
It was amazing to me how they fell in line behind Johan, 
no leashes, and followed him out of the field. We went 
back to an area with a pond, where the dogs waded in and
had some good cooling drinks. While they rested, we had 

a picnic lunch.

Another surprise: Francine is the 

culinary-arts teacher at the local school.
I have never had a picnic like this. 
There were four kinds of French bread,
homemade terrines, pate, several types
of local cheeses, a selection of sausages,
ham, four bottles of local wine, desserts
and cold Starbucks coffee.

After lunch, Johan explained that he

had been evaluating four young dogs
during the morning to see how they
were hunting in the pack. He told us the
French PBs have longer necks and
lighter-boned bodies for hunting than
the American PB. They must have
hunted before they can be shown. The
judges currently prefer the very dark eye
and the orange-and-white coat. Johan
never bathes with water, but uses 
powder to keep the coat coarse. Johan’s
grandfather raised    continued on page 34

51

The Des Terres du 
Templier hounds in the field.

Top right inset: Some of the awards won by the kennel of
Francine Paget and Johan Guinot. Bottom left inset: The
back door of the Des Terres du Templier van.