Hawks and Dogs as Icons of Culture

I found this terrific little video over at Another Falconry Blog.  

It seems UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, has officially recognized falconry as a living human heritage.

Good idea!  

A pity the British did not move to do the same for terrier work.

I tried, of a fashion, back in 2006 when the "Icons of Britain" contest was set up. Back then I took a few moments to suggest The Working Terrier as a fitting icon, noting that:

The terrier is the quintessential dog of England; the canine thread that weaves its way through the tapestry of the English countryside. It is gallant and brave, equally at home in country or city, castle or allotment, at the end of a Lord's leash or in the hedge bushing out a rabbit for a young boy. This is a no-nonsense dog with the drive to conquer the world (if not quite the physical presence). Every region of England lays claim to one type of terrier or another, each with their own characteristics. If England has a dog, it is the terrier.

And what happened as a result? Well not much. Of the 1,160 icons of England suggested, it rose to number 309.

And so what made it as an Icon of Britain?   Morris Dancing, queuing, and Chicken Tikka Masala!
 .