Taking the Kids: Trying falconry, the ancient sport of kings

We certainly do as we learn to sweep a gloved hand upward to show the falcon there's food for them. (The birds are weighed daily to make sure they aren't too heavy to be interested in what morsels you have for them.) Fomhar whizzed by my ear in search of a mouse here, a bird there.

At Gleneagles, my new hawk friend, Margo, meanwhile, caused quite a stir among the children when she flew off in pursuit of a pigeon in a tree. Suddenly a lot of feathers fell and a hush fell over the crowd. But the pigeon escaped and Margo came back to us.

They always come back because, Dixon explained, "they know they are going to get fed and it is a lot easier than hunting."

In case you are wondering, there is a North American Falconers Association devoted to encouraging the sport, and there are a handful of schools in the U.S., as well -- the Green Mountain Falconry School in Manchester, Vermont, has now returned to the Equinox Resort to offer lessons for their guests. There are falconry experiences in Hersey, Pennsylvania, in Southern California near San Diego and at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia where it's free for kids 12 and under.

It's not cheap, with experiences typically starting at over $75 per person and some require kids to be at least 12, though kids far younger can participate in Ireland and Scotland. (Ireland's School of Falconry and the British School of Falconry have special family and group packages.)

But the cost, families say, doesn't deter those who are intent on a unique vacation experience they can share.

Falconry, said Ford, likely originated in China around 2000 BC, as a way of obtaining game for the table. The pleasure of training the birds spread to Britain as early as 860 AD. The sons of gentry were taught falconry for the same reasons they learned swordsmanship -- without its mastery they weren't thought to be properly educated. The Royal Falconer was a respected post; Richard II created the Royal Mews for housing his falcons.

World War II decimated the sport in England, Ford said, as so many falconers left to fight. But it is making something of a comeback -- the British Falconers’ Club has some 2,000 members and there are a dozen falconry schools throughout the United Kingdom. In fact, James and Debbie Knight brought falconry back to Ireland after a stint at the Fords' school. With the newly renovated castle hotel at Ashford (more about that in another column) set to be open all year round, Knight believes interest will only grow, especially among American families. And there's no telling where that interest will lead them.

After all, Emma Ford first got interested as a child when new neighbors moved in next door. "I peeked across the wall and came face to face with a Falcon. ... I was mesmerized," she said.

Her parents fostered her passion when they nixed the idea of a horse, but allowed her to have a hawk instead. She trained her first eagle at age 8. "It is a passion," she said. "And we are lucky to be able to share it here."

Kids today are as fascinated as she was, some returning every day of their visit. For some reason, she said, American kids are the most curious.

Like Will Reed at Ashford Castle.

"Awesome!" he said. "I want to move here!"

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(For more on Eileen's trip to England, Scotland and Ireland, read her travel diaries at www.takingthekids.com.)