Hello, and welcome to my first H&H (or actually any!) blog entry. May I introduce myself — I’m Lynne Deakin and my horse is named Lucky, but is more commonly known as Cobbie (pictured top). You have found us at the start of an exciting adventure, which is to hunt with at least one pack of foxhounds, for each letter of the alphabet, in order from A to Z, around the UK in aid of the Air Ambulance.

I have spent the past six seasons as a joint master of the Warwickshire Hunt. Before that, I had worn many different ‘hats’ within the Warwickshire since moving here from the Holderness 27 years ago with my now ex-husband William Deakin and twin daughters, Stella and Bessie.

Since retiring from my career as a dentist, I’ve been lucky enough to spend most of my time following hounds in some guise or another. During the last season, I was seen more on a quad bike with Barney (Warwickshire Hunt’s falconer for the 2017-18 season) and Floki the Golden Eagle, than being on horseback.

Now to Cobbie. I bought him eight years ago from Liam Filan in Ireland. He came as part of a lorry load to be produced and sold and he was not the easiest! Even to the point where Liam told me send him back, But, there was something about this ugly, highly strung cob that I liked. Years of patience have paid off. He is now a handsome cob — his Arab sire shows and I’m now starting my eighth season hunting him. He has been the most hard-working horse I have ever had.

Cobbie drying off post-bath and ready to go

This year has also been a first for him. Instead of being turned away with the mares for his summer holiday, following a bet he has turned his hoof to competing. The original bet, took the form of “I bet you can’t jump a course of showjumps on him”. This was like waving a red rag in front of a bull! I was straight on the phone to great friend and showjumper Angie Thompson in need of some lessons. To cut the story short, I think Angie was horrified that I’d managed to hunt a horse (who would jump anything out hunting) that could not string two showjumps together. However, she has managed to turn us around so that not only have we taken part in showjumping competitions, but we even managed to complete a riding club one-day event that also included staying in the dressage arena!

Our other summer pursuits include scrumping

Now that you know who we are, back to my hunting challenge. When I came out of the mastership this summer, I felt lost. What was I going to do next season? I always like an aim. Years previously I’d had the idea of hunting the alphabet with my girls but the opportunity never arose. Could I do it now? With more thought, the seed had been sown.

I started to share my idea and as I did so, plans escalated. Why not do it to raise money for the Air Ambulance? Several friends have recently being raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance following an incident on Saunton Sands, which happened during our spring Warwickshire Hunt Riding Club camp to Exmoor.

The Warwickshire Hunt Riding Club (WHRC), was actually the result of another of my ‘light bulb’ moments off the back of taking part in inter-hunt relays and wondering how we could do more competitions as a team while still promoting the Warwickshire Hunt. I thought we could start a riding club, which wasn’t as easy as I thought! But that’s another story…

Back to the A-Z backstory. Twenty-five WHRC members went to Exmoor for a spring camp. This included rides over the moors, hunting with the Devon and Somerset Staghounds and a picnic trip to the beach with our ponies. The ride on the beach at Saunton from Crow Point was stunning and also marked the first time Cobbie had been to the beach. Non-riding members had brought a fantastic picnic, followed by ice cream. Then disaster struck. One member, Laura Negus (nee Gaydon), had a fall into the sea on the ride back. No one knows what happened, but Laura sustained life-threatening head injuries. If it hadn’t been for the quick help of friends, medical emergency teams and the Devon Air Ambulance, things might have turned out different. But she is supporting Cobbie and I on our challenge.

Laura & Murphy. Laura is recovering well thanks to all the emergency services and the Devon Air Ambulance

So there you have it, the idea and the reason behind it and I’m looking forward to keeping you updated with our progress.

Lynne

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Opinion

Hunting is at a crossroads, one of many it has encountered in its 1,000-year history. Wars, roads, railways, wire, disease, politics and urbanisation are just a few things that have been hailed by some as “the beginning of the end” for hunting.

Yet despite seemingly impossible odds, there are more hunts registered with the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) today than there were 100 years ago. To assume that this statistic paints a picture of long-term sustainability, though, is to avoid quite a large elephant in quite a small room.

Hunting is remarkably durable, but it has never witnessed the current level of complication and, let’s face it, pressure. This is not unique to hunting by the way. Lots of voluntary groups, dependent on community goodwill, are struggling with the increasing demands of 21st century life. Add to this the complex legalities around hunting, the never-ending media fascination and a bit of politics, and this pressure multiplies.

Despite all this, there remains something indefinable, fascinating, mesmerising and alluring about hunting that, if you have experienced it, has no equal. Such is its magic that it is still a subject of art, poetry, literature, hostility and debate. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t have a view about it? It’s dangerous, edgy, inclusive and exclusive, wildly exciting and, at times, crushingly dull. It attracts the most wonderful and the strangest elements of society. It is a mystery to some, a science to others. If it is in your blood, then nothing, just nothing, will get in the way — not money, children, work or religion. If it is not, then almost nothing will convince you of its merits.

The dilemma

So the dilemma is this: how can we sustain this uniquely British institution? In moments of honest self-assessment, most serious hunting people, including chairman of the MFHA Lord Mancroft, agree that there is too much hunting for the available land mass at our disposal.

At the MFHA AGM earlier this year, he made the case for reform of the infrastructure of hunting. Hunts in some areas are finding it harder and harder to provide enough “country” to lay on a day safely — there are 20 packs of foxhounds in Yorkshire and 18 in Devon. Corners get cut and accidents happen, sometimes resulting in the sort of “brand damage” that completely obscures the good that many hunts do in their own communities.

As the costs of running hunts escalate, some hunts are becoming squeezed financially, their kennels age, and staff, who used to number four to six in the old days, are pared back to two or even just one person. Frequently, staff are doing both hounds and horses as well as running the country in place of often-absent masters.

Masters are different beasts, too. These micro-businesses need leaders who can commit great lumps of time and are conversant with exempt hunting and trail hunting, the chemical requirements of artificial scent and licensing conditions of the National Trust. They need to know about hound welfare and the right number of hounds to hunt their country, just as much as the names of the children of their largest landowner. It was John King, chairman of both British Airways and the Belvoir, who said it was easier to find a good Prime Minister than it was a good master, and that was in the 1980s.

Unfolding drama

Having migrated from hunting my own hounds to the political field — the two are remarkably similar — I have a rare vantage point from which to view this unfolding drama.

Of course, I yearn for the old days, but the abolition of the railways and barbed wire are hardly on the government agenda.

Yet we can flourish with inspired leadership and a renewed vigour. Hunting’s youngsters are just as numerous, enthusiastic and engaged as their predecessors.

This is why I am right behind Lord Mancroft’s plans to electrify hunting again, but this will require change. It will mean matching today’s hunting with today’s landscape, shared kennels and overheads, resources, mergers and, yes, even the odd closure of hunts that, through no fault of their own, are simply not sustainable in the 21st century countryside.

It will mean proper regulation which helps hunting and does not unduly restrict it. It means achieving the highest welfare standards for horses, hounds and staff. And it will mean a careful review of our arguments, for that moment when a change in the law may be back on the cards.

If Lord Mancroft, the MFHA and other hunting associations can pull this off, then hunting will have the burst of adrenalin it needs. The jobs of MFH, huntsman and whipper-in will once again attract a long queue of qualified and competent applicants. Kennels will be the envy of the dog world, our arguments respected and our fortunes secured.

Achieve that, and my colleagues and I can deliver calm political seas. Miss the chance, however, and those crossroads will be coming thick and fast.

Ref Horse & Hound; 20 September 2018

Opinion

For me, the hound parade at Blenheim Palace Horse Trials signifies the beginning of the autumn. The Duke loves to see the hounds and welcomes us all with a little light refreshment, although whiskey and milk does seem stranger than normal in the blazing sunshine! All the children pile into the ring to make friends with the hounds, who adore the attention.

This year the gate-jumping competition was a real highlight of the Sunday afternoon. Five brave contestants, including our Tuesday field master Tom Gittins, took up the challenge. All five managed to get to the dizzy height of 1.50m. The eventual winner was 13-year-old Charlie Ford from the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale, who cleared 1.60m on his wonderful grey horse.

When I was fresh on to Exmoor, working for Capt Wallace on my gap year, I asked him if we were to jump the gates. He replied: “You stupid boy, gates have hinges and catches. Hurry up and open it.”

Exciting times afoot

This is an exciting time for hunt staff. For some this will be their first time hunting a pack of hounds; for others a new country. Their challenge will be a greater one than that of the seasoned huntsman as they settle into their new roles.

Meeting their farmers and walking the country will have been a priority, but at home learning all the hounds and their characters will be equally important. It will be now that they really get to know them as the season starts.

It is during these early mornings that I enjoy seeing the young hounds start to integrate with the old ones as they learn their job. Some are fast learners and some are not; patience is the key. I find that often those hounds that take the longest to get going end up being the best when the penny finally drops.

The dry conditions are not normally conducive to a good scenting time on and we will all have to wait for the rain for things to improve. Both hounds and horses will be feeling the ground after the driest time that I can remember.

Hope for a seasoned pro

For many, this will be an opportunity to get their young or new horse out into the hunting field. What fun that can be! Only this morning I saw a loose horse galloping into the distance.

Young horses normally behave really well on the first morning. I suppose they have no idea as to the fun that they are about to have. By day three they are getting the hang of it, and then it goes one of two ways. They are either so excited that the backwards, forwards or any-which-way manoeuvre takes place, followed by the bucking or rearing — or they simply relax into their new role like a seasoned pro.

Of course, these young things will be wearing a green ribbon to warn all around them of their age and that anything could happen. Please remember to turn your horse’s head towards the hounds as they pass as there’s nothing worse than a hound being kicked, let alone one on its first day out.

The opening meet is in our sights already. The early mornings will soon be a distant memory and the anticipation for a wonderful season will be in everyone’s minds.

We will have great days and not so great days, but remember all those people who work so hard to make it all as fun as they possibly can. Keep smiling and kick on.

Ref Horse & Hound; 27 September 2018

Opinion

“Wanted: Master/Huntsman for the Dartmoor Hunt” read the advertisement in a recent copy of Horse & Hound. What an opportunity for someone for the 2019/20 season.

The Dartmoor country could not be more different from the Pytchley country where I hunt hounds, although I did have a rare taste of its remote, rugged country — or more specifically that of its neighbour, the Spooner’s and West Dartmoor, when we took hounds down for a joint-meet in March.

Every country comes with its own pleasures and challenges. Their then master and huntsman, Henry Bailey, had brought their hounds up to us in January, having visited us minus hounds occasionally before. I think he enjoyed being able to be right with hounds as they draw and check, and therefore getting a really intimate view of each hound’s performance and who was doing what.

The cut and thrust of our more accessible country was also exciting, being able to gallop and jump a variety of obstacles as they came.

Contrast that to the vast, open and often inaccessible moors with the famous rocks and bogs and you require a very different set of huntsman skills indeed. The great appeal to me was the lack of, well, anything. Coming from middle England, with all the pressures of urban sprawl, busy railways and an increase in fast roads, it was a real tonic to sit back and let the hounds do their thing in the most natural and unaltered environment imaginable.

We’ve all heard the saying “horses for courses”, but it is much the same with hounds. Hounds vary according to the type of country they hunt and the needs thereof, as well as developing skills through experience and handling.

New-found freedoms

The first thing that became abundantly clear is that the Pytchley hounds are not used to drawing far and wide to pick up a scent, as their hill-country cousins are used to doing.

We have very few large coverts in the Pytchley country and many is the day when we wouldn’t draw a covert large enough for me to enter. More commonly we are drawing hedges, brook lines and bramble patches; consequently the hounds are rarely far from me. When faced with hundreds of acres of moor, they were reluctant to go too far.

Fortunately, I had anticipated this, having been told the horror story of Capt Wallace, at the edge of Langtone bog, getting frustrated with his Heythrop bitches’ lack of desire to go away and draw, that he finally got off his horse to walk in with them, only to disappear up to his armpits. I wouldn’t have wanted to be his whipper-in that day — I’m sure the air was blue, and his coat was black!

In an effort to avoid such a situation, I took the precaution of having Mr Bailey bring three or four couple of his own hounds just to “show them the way” and, with time and persistence, their confidence grew and by the end of the day they were relishing their new-found freedom.

As I hacked back across the moor in the fading light to the kennels at Sampford Spiney with my beloved Pytchley hounds all around me and not a set of car headlamps in sight, I reflected on what a privilege it is to hunt hounds in all types of country.

Variety is truly the spice of life and, when it comes to hunting in the British Isles, God has blessed us with wondrous variety.

Ref Horse & Hound; 4 October 2018

Hello,

We are back again! Cobbie and I have had an action-packed month. We have had days out hunting with the Avon Vale, the Brocklesby, the Croome & West Warwickshire, the Cury, the Dulverton West and the Eggesford (Cobbie pictured above with the Eggesford kennels in the background) — details of each day to follow in my future blogs.

One of the biggest hurdles for our challenge was sorting out a mode of transport. Over the past six years I have used an Ifor Williams trailer and an Ifor Williams container on a Ford chassis, known affectionately as Lawerence the lorry or the bread van. Lawrence had served me well for doing second horses over the past six seasons, but he wasn’t what I envisaged going around the UK in.

So the search was on. I wanted a compact 7.5 tonne horse lorry. It needed a bit of living, a tack locker into the living and enough room for Cobbie and I, plus Mollie my two-year-old huntaway/Labrador cross.

Molly with Archie Bowes

Eventually, after looking at several, Lyn Chorlton and her father Bill had just the lorry advertised. On seeing the advert online, I rang Lyn straight away and made arrangements to be there (Grantham) the next morning. So after surprising the horses with an early breakfast, Mollie and I covered the 100 miles to Grantham to look at what would become our new lorry. It was just what I was looking for, and to cap it all off, it was also painted in the Warwickshire Hunt colours of black and red — perfect!

Cadbury

After striking the deal and paying (my bank balance definitely said ouch), we had to work out the logistics of picking it up. A plan was formed which involved me catching a train from Warwick to Grantham, where Bill would pick me up and drive me to their farm. All went smoothly, even though the fuel gauge was on empty to start with, and I had an incident free trip back to Warwickshire.

One of the most important jobs with the new lorry was to come up with a name. When we looked closely at him, he had hidden places that his respray hadn’t touched. These were the same purple as a well known brand of chocolate. So ‘Cadbury’ he became. Cadbury has worked perfectly so far. He has had to undergo or two modifications and these are still ongoing!

Cadbury’s purple origins

The first job was to make a bed. There was no way I could sleep on the luton as I get claustrophobic at the best of times. My long suffering partner Kim has been roped into doing some of the modifications. He devised a framework for a bed that packs away into the bench seat. Perfect! This leaves the luton free for storage of the 101 things I think I might need.

Kim helping with the lorry modifications

Cadbury has also had his skirt adjusted with the addition of two new lockers. One to take gas bottles and the other to store Cobbie’s food in. Essential jobs still to do are the electrics, including lights and fridge. Also connecting the gas to cooker and heater. At the moment I’m managing with camping equipment which all works really well, if not a bit basic. Oh and I mustn’t miss the addition of the Porta Potti!

Continued below…

*NEW* Lynne & Cobbie’s big tour: introducing our huge challenge

Meet Lynne and Cobbie as they prepare to embark on a huge challenge, all in aid of the Devon Air…

One of the factors I hadn’t considered was Cobbie’s view on Cadbury. He has spent the past seven seasons with me travelling facing forwards. Needless to say he did not appreciate standing sideways to start with. He can be a bit of a panicker. Once on, he would just stand rigid and drip with sweat. I could see him thinking ‘bring back Lawerence’. However, after a month of hunting travelling in Cadbury, he now whinnies for him when we get back just like he did for Lawerence.

So now the mode of transport for ‘The Big Tour’ has been sorted, off we can go. Next time The Avon Vale take one.

Lynne

To support Lynne & Cobbie’s big tour in aid of the Air Ambulance, please visit our Virgin Just Giving Page.

The brand new hunting season is almost upon us, so get prepared and take a look at this selection of hunters for sale on the Horse & Hound website this week.

1. ‘Fantastic’

Height: 17.1hh

Gender: gelding

Age: 10

Selling points: “Jeremy is an absolutely honest and genuine made hunter. He has never stopped and carries his rider over fences confidently and smoothly. He is 100% in traffic and to box, clip and shoe. Jeremy goes in front or behind and hacks out happily alone or in company. He is an impressive hunter and a loving character; a real confidence giver or would make an ideal master’s horse. Jeremy has been hunted throughout the past two seasons with the North Costwold Hunt, ridden by a lightweight lady, and has also safely conveyed his 81-year-old sight- impaired owner over large hedges out hunting and on hacks through heavy traffic. He can also comfortably carry a heavyweight rider. Genuine reason for this sad sale. Fit and ready for the new season.”

View the advert

Find other horses for sale in Gloucestershire

2. ‘Awesome’

Height: 14.2hh

Gender: mare

Age: nine

Selling points: “This is an amazing hunting pony that jumps hedges, gates and ditches. She stands and crosses the biggest Blackmore Vale country in a snaffle. She is a good mover and a great jumper. She qualified for the NSEA championships at Hickstead in showjumping and arena eventing and has won a number of local showjumping competitions. She has shown and done working hunter and senior Pony Club camp. She has a leg in each corner and is as tough as old boots. She would be a great adult/child share. She is easy to load in a trailer or lorry and is safe to hack.”

View the advert

Find other horses for sale in Dorset

3. ‘Everyone’s best friend’

Height: 16hh

Gender: gelding

Age: 11

Selling points: “This horse has hunted the past four seasons with the Tynedale. He has excellent manners and goes all day. He is very bold over stone walls and post and rails. He has a wonderful temperament and is everyone’s best friend. He is easy to do in all respects and has no vices.”

View the advert

Find other horses for sale in Northumberland

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4. ‘Super’

Height: 16hh

Gender: gelding

Age: eight

Selling points: “‘Chuck’ is a Thoroughbred gelding that has hunted with the Berks & Bucks Draghounds as a five-year-old and been hunting with the Cotswold Hunt at his loan home over the past year. He has competed at BE90/100 level, but lacked in the cross-country phase as his BE records show. He is 100% to do in every way and extremely kind natured. He has showjumped clear up to 1.05m and would suit a competent rider looking to do riding club activities and/or hunting.”

View the advert

Find other horses for sale in Berkshire

5. ‘One hell of a pony’

Height: 15hh

Gender: gelding

Age: seven

Selling points: “My girl groom has hunted ‘Mickey’ for the past three seasons. He can field master, whip in and go on point. This is one hell of a pony.”

View the advert

Find other horses for sale in Merseyside

NB: Horse & Hound has not checked the accuracy of the claims made in these adverts and cannot be held liable if the information included above is inaccurate in any way

Modern life is full of “inspirational” quotes about the importance of setting goals. Irritating, but probably effective in helping you achieve more. So, what about setting some “hunting goals” this winter? Here are some to get you started.

1. Learn the names of some hounds, and what those hounds look like. This is an easy one to cheat on – listen to the huntsman talking to his hounds one day, remember a couple of names and drop them idly into conversation out hunting on a Saturday. It is highly unlikely that the person next to you will be able to correct you; they will nod fervently and agree that, indeed, Stormer does draw terribly well… But, more seriously, hounds are much the most important ingredient of a hunting day, and taking notice of what they do and when will increase your enjoyment of the day and your knowledge of what is happening.

2. Open some gates – and close them. I, like many others, am guilty of “hanging back” and not being the first person to volunteer to do a gate – mostly because my horse doesn’t make it easy and I am hopeless at getting on from the ground. But we all need to take our turn, so practice – and do the first one of the day and get it out of the way. Do this even if your hunt has a proper gate-shutting rota – one or two “official” gate-shutters can’t be everywhere, all the time.

3. Volunteer to help at a hunt event. Every hunt in the UK needs to fund-raise to keep the show on the road, and all too often it is the same small group of people, time and again, who do the work. Sign up for something – selling raffle tickets, being a fence judge at the point-to-point, parking cars at the Christmas fair, working behind the bar at the farmers’ party… It’s actually great fun, you get to know lots more people and your halo will get ever-shinier.

4. Read a new hunting book. Hunting has such a rich history and culture, and there is a wonderful, varied library to be discovered. For the uninitiated, start with Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man; the more “experienced” will love Lady of the Chase: the Life and Hunting Diaries of Daphne Moore, by Alastair Jackson. And the hardcore hunting person really ought to have read Beckford’s Thoughts on Hunting by now…

5. Make it your personal mission to smile at, wave at and thank every single person you come across on a day’s hunting who is not on a horse. They might be holding a gate open for the field, driving past you in a car or just standing by the side of the road; they might love hunting or hate it. Be friendly – show them we aren’t all the arrogant toffs they might perceive us to be. It really, really matters.

6. Fall off. If you don’t ever hit the deck out hunting, you are either Andrew Nicholson or you aren’t pushing yourself, and it’s always good to stretch the boundaries of your “comfort zone” a little. Get it out of the way early on and you can stop worrying about it. You will immediately be pounced on to pay up to the hunt tumblers’ club – not to do so with a smile is seriously bad form.

Continued below…

Expand Lost your nerve out hunting? Here’s how to get it back

Lost your nerve out hunting? Here’s how to get it back

Making a comeback to hunting after taking a…

7. Be nice to newbies. If you see someone new out hunting, go and say hello and introduce yourself. Hunting is a community and we want people to join us and enjoy themselves. The very canny master of the pack I hunt with always says loudly to visitors, “Oh, this is the Blankshire, everyone is frightfully unfriendly and no one will talk to you…” Whereupon we all desperately rush forward proffering hipflasks, chatting 10 to the dozen and probably being quite annoying in our attempts not to be unfriendly.

8. Go visiting. Everybody’s hunt country, hounds and ways of doing this are different, and it really adds to your overall knowledge of hunting to experience that. We are so lucky in the UK to have an exceptionally broad variety of hunts to suit everyone’s tastes and pocket. While a “big day” with one of the first XV might have to be your Christmas present, your local beagle pack will probably ask you for a tenner – and you’ll learn more about hounds and hunting in a day than in three seasons with many mounted packs.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Someone asked me the other day if my quest to get my flighty old mare hunting had been aborted due to her over-enthusiasm. Or perhaps she’d thrown me off and it wouldn’t have made for very salutary reading.

In fact, almost the opposite is true. After my dismal experience on hound exercise, where the intended reconnaissance with hounds lasted just seven minutes, I’ll admit I hadn’t been rushing to reassemble my Orphan Annie outfit for an autumn hunting escapade. I do realise the cap at this time of year is fantastically cheap, but paying even £15 to be demoralised, dejected and possibly decapitated in under 10 minutes wasn’t appealing to me as a bargain. Plus I live three hours away from Fizz’s current residence, and the M4-M25-A12 trajectory on a Friday night is rarely worth it.

Arriving at the meet

Wonderful Lizzie, my horse-nanny, had enlisted Wonderful Mel to keep Fizz ticking over during the week — or more accurately, to keep Fizz from boiling over during the weekend. And they’d changed her bit to a three-ring gag in an effort to curb her yawing.

My horse nanny Lizzie Brown on a point-to-pointer

And so the time had probably come to put the old girl to the test. This time, I had my own shirt, stock and jodhpurs — albeit a bit holey from a decade in the cellar and still reeking of mould despite various bicarbonate of soda treatments. Lizzie found me a jacket, still missing a button, and generously washed the pony — despite the likelihood that by the time I’d hacked over to the meet Fizz would be a lathery mess. But when we stepped out of the yard in the semi-darkness, we almost looked smart.

Fizz enthralled by hounds

I was not going to let Fizz lull me into a false sense of security this time. My previous experiences had taught me that however peaceful the ride over, however stunning the misty dawn and however happy I was to be back on a horse on a glorious autumn morning, there could still be a caged bull-creature waiting to erupt beneath my saddle.

As we turned into the meet, hounds were milling around the huntsman, Joe Tesseyman. Fizz’s little ears pricked sharply and I readied myself for the ejector seat. Heels down, shoulders back, NECKSTRAAAAAP! I cursed, as I remembered I’d broken the hunting editor’s commandment yet again. How could I have forgotten it after last time?

But as it happened, I didn’t need it. Fizz fixed her bright eyes on the hounds, and stood like a rock. I backed her into a hedge as they moved off, where her hindlegs could do no damage, and waited for a delayed reaction. None.

So far, so good!

And so it went on. We stood, we cantered, we walked, trotted and stood again. We lined up around fields, with and without other horses. Fizz was virtually angelic, watching earnestly as the hounds worked to pick up a scent on a warm October morning. She seemed genuinely fascinated by their skills.

Continued below…

Expand Eventer to hunter blog: on hound exercise looking like Orphan Annie with a Hermès tie

Eventer to hunter blog: on hound exercise looking like Orphan Annie with a Hermès tie

‘I was thinking, “mission accomplished, here endeth the…

The only testing point was as the field lined up to negotiate a small ditch, which proved quite beyond her patience levels and so I cantered away and round the field through a gateway.

Very relaxed

I wouldn’t say we’ve cracked it quite yet — we’ve yet to jump a twig, and her jumping ability is one of the motivations for taking her hunting. The un-negotiated ditch doesn’t bode particularly well. But then when I think how well she’s settled in so few outings, I’m up for the next phase of the challenge.

Martha

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Opening meets are upon us – and that means it is now hunt ball season as well. Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” to help you get through your hunt’s biggest annual party without disgracing yourself… And don’t forget to pick up the latest issue of Horse & Hound magazine (out now, dated 25 October), which features the hunting special

Do: take a table and invite as many non-hunting friends as possible – it definitely improves the chat during supper, as long as you ban any discussion of Brexit. If you surround yourself with all your normal hunting mates, hunting is all you will talk about, and don’t we get a bit bored of that?

Do: check the dress code. One or two hunt balls stipulate white tie, instead of the more normal black tie, and that pelmet-length sequinny number won’t cut it. Go long (but slinky) if you are in any doubt. Don’t wear your most expensive suede heels – they will get wrecked and you will regret it. And I’d be pretty careful about wearing Great-Aunt Edith’s full-length vintage mink – it might be wonderfully warm (and glamorous), but if it gets nicked from the coat rack, you will have a lot of explaining to do.

Do: pace yourself. You are bound to have been hunting, rushed home and done your horse and your tack, put the children to bed and briefed the babysitter. You will not have eaten since that single sausage roll at the meet, and necking a bottle of wine on an empty stomach has never yet ended well.

Don’t: try to pull a master, the huntsman, the whipper-in or any hunt official or member of staff. Everyone will know (whether you succeed or fail) and they will never, ever forget or let you live it down.

Do: have a Jagerbomb. Just the one – it will pep you up marvellously when you are flagging a bit after dinner. But, we repeat, just the one…

Don’t: buy that horse a charming young Irishman is trying to sell you unseen. Tonight is not the night for decisions like that.

Do: pre-book your taxi, tell him not to allow anyone else in it and do go when it arrives. Another half an hour of dancing with those National Hunt jockeys might seem like a brilliant idea, but when you are left outside the marquee, shivering and feeling a bit sick, you won’t be able to get another taxi for love nor vast amounts of money.

Do: head for the disco tent. Leave the ‘grown up’ dancing to the band on the over-lit dance floor to the grown ups, watched by all those still sitting at their tables and relive your Pony Club youth in a darker, sweatier atmosphere.

Don’t: bid on auction lots if you can’t afford to pay for them — even if you are under serious peer pressure. You won’t look cool when you admit you don’t have the funds to pay for it and you will have a black mark next to your name for eternity.

Continued below…

Expand 12 tell-tale signs of scarlet fever on the hunting field

12 tell-tale signs of scarlet fever on the hunting field

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Do: join the naughty smokers outside for a bit of a cool-down. That’s where all the best gossip is happening.

Do: dance with your husband/wife/partner. It’s only polite, even if the second whipper-in is way better at it.

Don’t: sleep in your car. You are not 17 (unless you actually are 17, when it is fine and perfectly normal). You will be really cold and incredibly uncomfortable. Remember to book that taxi and climb into your own lovely bed.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Opinion

Worlds collided when the lost tribes of the Amazon gazed skywards in awe, curiosity and fear as a mammoth jet roared overhead. The beagle puppies that our children walk for a local pack, now nearly six months old, looked equally shocked at the recent wet stuff coming down from the heavens, allegedly called “rain”.

Now, I know that some parts of our blessed isle have had a reasonable amount of autumn precipitation but the home counties and much of England have been arid, consistently so. Repercussions for farmers are significant with little grass and no second cut of hay and silage. Forage prices have already risen for farmers and horse owners.

The ground conditions have made autumn hunting challenging for hounds and horses, too. The cracks in our vale are large enough to trip a horse and lose a hound’s leg. Hounds are, however, remarkable creatures whose ability to adapt and persevere never ceases to amaze me. Settled conditions are infinitely preferable to a waving barometer and hounds, for the most part, have had a level, if poor-scenting, playing field to tune their senses. Ironically, confusion can arise when there is a sudden change of conditions or climate and everything smells different.

When talking to a senior professional huntsman, who was tearing out what little hair he had left, we agreed that the hounds will have worked extremely hard for their supper throughout this autumn and when the conditions improve it will be to their benefit, as their hard graft will be rewarded.

Hounds have begun the new season with gusto and I can’t fault their industry, nor that of the mounted field, whose enthusiasm and numbers are buoyant. As the opening meet approaches, hunts are becoming longer and days more expansive.

Be ready for the big day

Whatever it takes, make sure you’re ready for the opening meet. Ensure your hunt coat isn’t covered in last season’s mud in advance of the night before. In all of the excitement, do remember to load your horse and put the ramp up. If not, you wouldn’t be the first.

Many dyed-in-the-wool hunting people are superstitious about wearing new clothes, or even clothes that have never been worn on a horse before, for the first time out hunting. Last week we all sported splendid pink hunt ties for our hunt’s recent fund raiser for breast cancer, organised by the partner of a hunting farmer next to the kennels. I did hear of one person who was unable to break in her new tie before hunting. Fearing Armageddon, she sat on her horse in the stable before loading for hunting.

Of course, I think it is all codswallop, as long as I am wearing my lucky waistcoat and Grandfather’s stock pin, otherwise who knows which black hole will swallow the earth.

Your hunter may not have jumped as much as usual on the hard ground during the last month, but a schooling session or two on a more favourable surface might not go amiss for you both — all horses benefit from the change of scene.

When at the meet, take a moment to greet the masters and the huntsman. Then push your hat down and keep up with those wonderful hounds. Hopefully they’ll fly like starlings.

Ref Horse & Hound; 25 October 2018

A 20-year-old ex-racehorse proved age is just a number by taking victory in the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) racing to hunting challenge.

Kasilia was the eldest of the six horses in the final at Aintree on Sunday (28 October).

The finalists took part in a series of challenges in front of the racing crowd at Aintree’s Countryside Day.

They faced jumps and obstacles that they would come across on a day’s hunting and paraded with the Holcombe Harriers.

First place went to Kasilia, ridden by Amy Brown, who ran more than 30 times under Rules and in point-to-points winning once. He started hunting 10 years ago and still enjoys following hounds at least once a week.

Amy, who whips-in for the Berwickshire, described the gelding as “absolutely the perfect hunter”.

The combination were awarded the Meriel Tufnell Trophy, a Ri-Dry waterproof jacket and a cash prize of £3,500, which is split between Amy and the hunt.

The runner-up spot went to The Friary, ridden by Struan Wilson from the Tynedale, with Wee Bertie and Chris Thomson from the Ashford Valley Tickham in third.

The judging panel consisted of Hopper Cavendish, Tockie McKie and was chaired by Jonathan Clark.

Article continues below…

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“Congratulations are in order to all six finalists and in particular Amy and Kasilia,” said RoR chief executive Di Arbuthnot.

“Theirs is a lovely story and one of a racehorse going on to enjoy a lengthy, active and very fulfilling second career.

“All the horses were a credit to their connections and a big thank you to all involved, especially Aintree racecourse and our fantastic team of judges.”

Johnny Mullen (Becky Morby, Wilton), Kikos (Amy Morgan, Heythrop) and Nikola (Margaret Morris, South Notts) were the other three combinations to make the final.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Opinion

Common sense tells me that within a decade, many packs of foxhounds will have become integrated for all sorts of different reasons and, as a result, some of us will grow in to the 21st century by merging. The power of two, or even three in some cases, will make us stronger, and this inevitable course will ensure hunting’s survival long into the future.

The problem as I see it is that as a community, we are incredibly tribal and the thought of losing our heritage and identity frightens us. But it does make sense and we should continue to encourage sensible, profitable relationships between packs that will put us all in a stronger position going forward.

If full-on amalgamation with one’s neighbour seems just too big a hedge with ditch away right now, then what about a middle way, “twinning” with another pack in the same way villages and towns do?

Let me start the ball rolling. I will bid that we, the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent (OSB&WK), twin with the Heythrop. OK, so once a week, one of us will have a proper hack home, but is that so bad? I can see us now, having our last whisky mac at Chobham services before completing the last 20 miles back to base.

The OSB&WK have friends at the Heythrop and I am sure they would enjoy trips south to hunt in Surrey, Sussex and Kent; we still have a vast and beautiful country. Once a season, we could have a street party celebrating anything and everything, where food and drink would be consumed into the early hours while discussing anything but Brexit or Donald Trump, and both parties happy in the knowledge that they were returning back to where they came from, alone.

I am sure the good people of Chipping Norton would welcome us with open arms. Let’s face it, they might not be twinned with Magny en-Vexin (pronounced vixen) post-11pm on the 29 March the way things are going.

The Old Heythrop Surrey Burstow & West Kent Foxhounds would require a decent-size hunt button, I concede, but all things are possible.

How impressive it will sound when, at dinner on a Saturday night, Heythrop huntsman Mr Frampton tells his guests of starting the day in Gloucestershire and ending it in Sussex (a decent point, even for the maestro).

So, with cloning a thing of the past, the future is twinning. Here’s one for my friend Mr Hacking MFH (the East Sussex & Romney Marsh), what about you and the Berwickshire? Now there is a hack!

Peace, perfect peace

A tip for enlightenment. If my children lose their mobile phones or run out of battery, a nervous look on their faces is usually followed by a complete sense of humour failure and then genuine belief that the world is grinding to a complete standstill.

I believe they invoke stress most of the time (mobile phones, I mean) and suggest to anyone who is on them all day every day, like me, that you have just one day a week when you switch it off all day and all night.

A recent experiment has revealed to me that no calls, no emails, no texts, no news feeds or WhatsApps do make for a calmer and altogether happier mood, and reminded me that if you binned your phone, no one would die. So try it, and I promise you will feel better for that day.
Don’t do it longer than a day, though, because it takes forever to catch up again when you switch it on!

Ref Horse & Hound; 1 November 2018

Hello once again. We are back and this time reporting on going hunting! Cobbie and I planned our first stop on ‘The Big Tour’ to visit not once, but twice.

Out of the five hunts registered with the Master of Foxhounds Association beginning with A, I chose the Avon Vale. The Avon Vale Hunt is a well established Wiltshire Hunt centreed around the town of Melksham. It covers some 30 by 25 miles from West Kennet to Slaughterford, down to Rudge near Frome, along the edge of Salisbury Plain to Urchfont and back to West Kennet. It has a history going back to 1888 when the eighth Duke of Beaufort found his own hunting country too large and decided to loan what is the present Avon Vale Hunt country to Captain Spicer of Spye Park.

The reason behind choosing the Avon Vale came from competing in inter hunt relays. Over several years of taking part in them as a member of the Warwickshire Hunt team, we had come up against the Avon Vale team on a number of occasions — we always found them competitive and great fun

Warwickshire Hunt winning team at Windsor 2017 (Jess Wild, myself, Tonya Wood & Hugh Forsyth)

This year, the Warwickshire was drawn against the Avon Vale in the first round of the inter hunt relay at The Royal Windsor Horse Show. We had put a team together who had not ridden together before and we therefore thought we where in for a short day. But luck was on our side. An unusual mistake from the Avon Vale when they dropped the whip in the changeover gave us our ticket through to the next round and ultimately onto winning for the second year in a row. This includes a substantial cheque for the hunt which pleases the Warwickshire hunt treasurer!

It was at Windsor, where I approached the Avon Vale’s joint master Andrew Edwards about kicking off The Big Tour with them. Plans where put in motion.

Joint master Andrew Edwards & Justine Scott

Three months after Windsor, Cobbie and I set off for the Avon Vale’s evening meet at Brook Hall Farm, North Bradly. We used a trailer for this outing as Cadbury was undergoing surgery! I.e having new skirt lockers fitted. It also kept Cobbie happy.

Cobbie in the trailer

Stuart had warned me that the meet wasn’t easy to find and that sat nav directions took you into Westbury industrial estate — needless to say I now know what Westbury industrial estate looks like now! On turning around I managed to spot two lorries in convoy, so I joined in. I did start to wonder as the lanes got very narrow and we crossed a ford, but guess what, around the corner sat the hounds patiently waiting. I’d guessed right and had been following the hunt horses from Stuart’s yard.

Hounds ready to go at the meet

The meet was in a field at Brook Hall Farm on the edge of Westbury overlooked by the Westbury White Horse.

The Westbury White Horse

A field of over 40 riders was led by Mike Smith, senior master and field master for the evening. The draw for the evening involved tree lined brooks and extensive maize fields on the edge of the industrial estate. Unfortunately for hounds and followers, the trails proved tricky to find due to the continuing warm dry autumn we all experienced. Typically the light started to fade and temperatures dropped, then hounds and hunt staff (on their feet) were off!

Mike Smith

Stuart blew for home in the fading light. Cobbie was fed and wrapped up for his journey home. I, along with the remaining few, had a very welcome cup of tea and cake back in the tack room, where arrangements were made for an early morning return visit for the following week.

The meet

Continued below…

Expand Lynne and Cobbie’s big tour: when Cobbie met Cadbury

Lynne and Cobbie’s big tour: when Cobbie met Cadbury

Before undertaking her giant hunting tour, Lynne has…

Cobbie and I arrived home at 11pm, both tired and happy, none hours after leaving, 132 miles later. We had had a lovely start to our big tour with The Avon Vale hounds and hunt followers.

Supper time for Cobbie

Lynne

To support Lynne and Cobbie donations can be made at Virgin Just Giving

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Half-term might over – or nearly over – but it will be the Christmas holidays before we know it. So here are eight ways to help ensure your children enjoy going hunting as much as you do…

1. Make sure they are WARM. Thick tweed shooting coats are often warmer than children’s riding jackets – and you can fit more layers underneath them. Woolly tights under breeches (tell the boys that all the jump jockeys wear them), and thick socks – but not too many pairs, as if they can’t wiggle their toes their feet will get colder. Good, thick gloves – if they are small enough to lose them easily, put them on the ends of a long bit of elastic and thread it through their coat sleeves.

2. Go home as soon as your child announces it is cold – or bored. Patience now will pay off in the end.

3. Make sure their pony is suitable and knows all about hunting. Being scared is not fun.

4. Fill their pockets – and yours – with sweets. They are a great distraction tool if anything goes wrong.

5. Grass-reins are a good idea. Small ponies’ minds are usually on their stomach and being yanked forward and sliding off down the neck when said pony fancies a mouthful of grass is not conducive to a happy day out.

6. Neck-straps are essential – but if the child is on the leading-rein and their arms are too short to reach a neck-strap, put a ‘handle’ of some sort (a flash strap is ideal) between the D-rings on either side of the pommel. This is much easier for small hands to hold on to.

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7. Explain what is going on – show them the hounds, the huntsman, the whipper-in etc and tell your child what they are doing. It makes it much more interesting!

8. If you are planning to lead your child’s pony off your horse, make sure they like each other and that you have practised beforehand…

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Gloucestershire-based eventer Beanie Sturgis, 44, knows a thing or two about running a slick yard.

She gained her best-ever Badminton result and four-star placing in 2016 (11th with the now retired Lebowski) and in 2017 she was awarded an Armada Dish 
(the prize awarded for completing the competition at Badminton five times).

Beanie is also a field master for the Duke of Beaufort’s, 
a listed show judge and a cross-country course-designer.

Here she shares her no-nonsense tips for saving time and money on the yard:

“These [tips] might not suit everyone, but they work for us,” says Beanie.

1. A loose tail-bandage after washing off helps stop horses breaking out [in sweat].

2. A loop of string on a hoof pick is a perfect one-man twitch. Put it on and push the pick, pointing out, through the nose-buckle of a headcollar. It saves you being clonked on the head by a wooden-handled one, too.

3. For hoof oil, mix one-third Stockholm tar with two-thirds cod liver oil. Both are good for feet and it is shiny and cheap.

4. For tail conditioner, we use supermarket own-brand furniture polish.

5. Use long-nose pliers for pulling the sides of tails.

6. For saddle soap, melt four bars of glycerine saddle soap, then add three-quarters of a pint of milk and quarter of a pint of water and let set.

7. Travel saddled up with stirrups pulled down [when you’re going hunting] — it saves ruining saddles and rugs when horses lean on partitions.

8. Use a summer sheet under your rugs which can then be washed weekly to keep horses clean.

9. Use the wheelbarrow handles to hook haynets on when filling.

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10. My secret weapon is a neck strap. I ride everything with one, even when I’m judging show horses. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m terribly windy, but if they want to follow me around Badminton, they can.

11. How to save time around the yard? Don’t have coffee breaks. By the time you’ve made a cup, you could have been riding a horse.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Hello from Cobbie and I on trip number two of our big tour. We headed off back down the Fosse Way to the Avon Vale Hunt once again. This time we were not alone — Sam Austin and her horse Jake decided they would like to join us too. Sam has spent the past seven years as part of the Warwickshire Hunt inter hunt relay team and has also competed against the Avon Vale Hunt at a number of competitions over the years, so she was keen to pay them a visit.

Sam and Jake

The previous week, during tea and cake after the evening meet at Brook Hall Farm, plans were hatched for our next Avon Vale visit. They were due to meet on Thursday at The Kennels, Spye Park at 6.30am. Stuart Radbourne (huntsman and joint master) offered to stable our horses the night before hunting at his yard. This meant Sam and I were going to test sleeping in Cadbury.

Sam and Jake arrived at my yard on Wednesday afternoon after she had finished work at Spring Paddocks Equine Vets, with all their worldly possessions to stay away. Then came the mammoth task of transferring everything across to Cadbury! Once loaded up, the four of us where off. Sixty miles later, without any mishaps, we arrived at Stuart’s Abbotswood Farm, needless to say a little later than planned.

Leaving the meet

At this point, Cobbie started to have doubts on what was happening. He was having a field for the night and Jake was having a stable — not fair, he thought! He normally lives out so I thought he would be fine in a field. Cobbie had other ideas though… He would not settle — he kept threatening to jump out, until I moved Cadbury to where he could see him and then he was fine! His love affair with Cadbury perhaps was blossoming. He used to whinney for the old lorry, Lawrence, after hunting, perhaps he was going to do the same for Cadbury?

Cobbie in his field

Once the horses where settled, Sam and I made our beds, test firing the design that Kim had made for myself, and Sam was having the camp bed in the back.

Sam’s sleeping quarters

Once done, we headed off to the local pub, The Greyhound at Bromham, where landlords Danny and Tara Adams and their team provided a fantastic meal and plenty to wash it down with (Stuart also informed us that they host a lovely meet outside this traditional picturesque village pub). Fed and watered, Sam and I set our alarms for a 4.45am start. The kettle was filled and coffee mugs set for the early morning injection of caffeine.

Stuart Radbourne

After sleeping surprisingly well, we were off. Horses tacked up and loaded and following Stuart’s lorry to the kennels. Once again there were some very narrow lanes. Once onboard we set off with 33 and a ½ couple of hounds (in total they have 45 couple of hounds in kennels plus four couple of puppies). The kennel drive lead onto a lane that lead into an oasis of grass fields — woods and hedges as far as the eye could see — hunting heaven. Ollie Thompson, their new kennelman and former whipper-in at the Holderness, my home pack, let on to me that this was where he walked out every day — not a car in sight!

Grass and hedges as far as the eye can see!

The morning held promise with a dewy start and low lying mist in the air. But as many packs are finding after such a hot dry summer and early harvest, the conditions for good autumn hunting were difficult. The ever-young Mike Smith (senior master and octagenarian) was in charge of the field and did a sterling job of putting us in the right place. But despite his tactics, the poor scenting conditions meant hounds went home disappointed having not latched on to the laid trail.

Hon treasurer Kevin Smith

Continued below…

Lynne and Cobbie’s big tour: and we’re off!

Lynne and her fantastic little horse have started making their way through the alphabet

After hounds had been fed — a well-earned reward for a long morning’s work for them — Ollie and Stuart gave us a guided tour of the kennels, explaining all their plans for the future. It’s so good to see a good team coming together and looking forward to many season’s hunting.

Looking around the kennels

Our next stop on our hunting challenge is north this time and up to visit the Brockelsby in North Lincolnshire.

Bye for now,

Lynne

To support Lynne and Cobbie donations can be made at Virgin Money Just Giving

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Opinion

At last, my dancing shoes are working and the rain has arrived. It has never been a drier time for hunting, and this has made for a less-than-happy start for most of my fellow huntsmen. Both horses and hounds have suffered from the hard ground and the need to go steady has certainly been helped by a very poor scenting time.

Our opening meet coincided with Mrs Frampton’s birthday — what a treat indeed. The thought of a relaxing day was not on the agenda. Having horses, tack and kit to get ready for the big day, as well as tea at our house afterwards, was a different sort of birthday treat to the one she might have imagined.

There are, of course, some blessings in life and our twins, the “Frampettes”, managed to help their mother by getting at least some of their kit together. With any luck these two great events will not clash again for a while!

Careers in hunting

November is the time when hunt staff think about their future positions. A large hunt needing a new huntsman gets tongues wagging and it isn’t long before everyone but the hunt involved knows who their next huntsman is going to be.

The Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) runs a list of people looking for jobs as well as jobs available. This is fine, but, in order to keep standards as high as possible, checking with the powers that be that you have a suitable candidate for the job is never a bad thing and will lead to a happier time for all concerned.

For me, the bursary scheme, which was started as a response to the lack of young men and women entering hunt service, has been a great success. During the year those on it will experience all aspects of a career in hunt service. For those who complete the year, a qualification in animal care and a position in hunt service will ensue.

The national shortage of staff in all areas of the equine world will inevitably mean that the long career ladder to the top is now a short hop up and the wealth of experience that we once had is no longer as readily available. The need for proper training and regulation for the future of hunting has been recognised by our leaders and action is now being taken to help support all those making their careers in our great sport.

Staying welcome

For masters, the workload will be greatly increased from now on as more country is set for a full day’s hunting. All the  shoot dates will be in and the biggest challenge will be coordinating days in what has become a very busy countryside. In many countries, stock will still be out and electric fencing must be turned off where possible. Hounds and electricity don’t mix!

The dry time will be good for relations with farmers and landowners but as the wet weather finally arrives this will become more of a challenge. The preparation of the jumps, gates, bridges and rides is ongoing but now there will be damage to put right as it occurs.

Field masters will have been walking the country on your behalf and will know the places that they can and cannot go — no mean feat when under pressure. With all this done there is no doubt that long hunts will ensue, but remember as you head home that it will be the masters and the staff who will be ensuring that we are all welcome another day.

Ref Horse & Hound; 15 November 2018

Hunting is the most democratic of pastimes. It makes fools of all of us, and is the greatest leveller imaginable. But don’t worry, we are all in the same boat… Here are seven things that will inevitably happen to you out hunting at some point, whether you like it or not.

1. Spilling port on your breeches. You are handed a large glass of port at the meet. Gratefully, you take a sip – your horse moves, and you spill it everywhere – down your white hunting tie and all over your breeches, making it look like you have had an unfortunate encounter with a chainsaw. You are probably riding a grey horse, too, who now has ‘blood-coloured’ withers.

2. Jumping off your horse – and pulling a button off your hunting coat. In your effort to be helpful, you are the first to jump off to open a particularly tricky gate. Typically, you forget to ‘jump out’ a bit, slide down the saddle and pull off a precious hunt button on the way. You are too embarrassed to hold up proceedings by immediately searching for it, which means that you will never see it again, your coat will gape embarrassingly for the rest of the day, and you will forget to buy another one in time for your next day’s hunting so have to make do with a safety pin.

3. Not being able to get back on your horse. Talking about getting on and off – unless you are practically a world-class vaulter, you will undoubtedly struggle to get back on your very unhelpful horse after doing said gate, hopping round in circles with one foot in the iron. Said horse will also not line up next to the gate while you perch precariously. You will swear a lot and some helpful chap will kindly get off his own horse and give you a leg-up. You will miss-time the ‘1,2,3!’ and it will all get terribly embarrassing.

4. Bashing your knee on a gate. At some point, you will slam your knee into a gate-post when going through a narrow opening, or a gate will swing back on to your leg. It happens, it hurts and if you are lucky you will only have a whopping great bruise to show your partner, not a cast.

5. Getting lost. It’s 3.30pm, you are already late for the school run and you are miles from your box. You set off in the general direction of the meet, only to discover you are completely on the wrong road and in fact are going in circles. What did we used to do before the days of Google maps on your phone?

6. Losing your precious hunting whip. You put it down just for a moment beside your car or lorry while loading your horse, then drove off without it. Sadly, you have lost it forever – no one will ever admit to having picked it up, and you will have to ring your mother and tell her you have lost your christening present from your godmother (I’m talking from experience now). She will say, ‘Oh, how could you?’ and you will feel terrible.

7. Leaving your car/lorry lights on and returning to a flat battery. Really, really annoying and it will always happen when you are late and in a desperate rush to get somewhere like a parents’ evening at school. Pray for a kindly person with jump leads – in fact, we strongly recommend you keep jump leads and a bottle of whisky (as a thank you, not to drown your sorrows while you wait for assistance) in the car in preparation for this scenario.

Keep up to date with the latest hunt reports in Horse & Hound magazine every Thursday throughout the season.

The best friend of a rider who was facing a private prosecution when she died in a hunting fall has described her as a “hero”.

Jane Goring suffered fatal injuries while out with the Mid Surrey Farmers’ Draghounds on 7 November.

The 57-year-old had been told she would not face prosecution for an incident caught on film by hunt saboteurs last autumn, in which she appears to hit a masked man, who had grabbed her horse’s bridle, with her whip. But she was later told she was facing a private prosecution over the same incident, and was due to go back to court in January.

Her friend Macaylla Rutherford told H&H: “Jane was a hero.

“She had a heart of gold; I lost my mum nine months ago and Jane was my rock. She was my children’s godmother; now they say she’s their fairy godmother and she’s with their nanny.

“She was loved by everyone. Just a normal person; not upper-class, not trying to pretend she was something she wasn’t, she just fitted in everywhere and with everyone.

“It’s all trail-hunting; going out with your horse to have a brilliant day out. Hunting is a community and you all stick together.”

Macaylla said her friend had faced a huge backlash since the incident caught on film, on private land on which sabs were trespassing.

“She was a hero that day, she’d gone back to help a young boy, my nephew, who was surrounded by sabs, she went back for a child and I take my hat off to her.

“The Crown Prosecution Service told her she wouldn’t be charged, but the sabs set up a funding page and got the money together for a court case.”

Macaylla added that after the incident, Jane was subject to vile telephone calls, and had to have police protection outside her house.

And since her death, sick anti-hunt protestors have left further “vile” comments and messages online.

Continues below…

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“They’re disgusting people; who would write things like that?” Macaylla asked. “I want everyone to know she wasn’t guilty of anything; she was a legend and a hero.”

A funding page has been set up in support of the Air Ambulance Foundation UK in memory of Jane.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Opinion

By this point in the season, all hounds should be settled into their work. With autumn hunting finished and opening meets out of the way, the young entry should be hunting well.

I always compare getting a pack of hounds right to managing a good football team — not Newcastle United!

By mixing in the young hounds with the old, the pack as a whole can work most effectively as a team with differing strengths.

You need the younger hounds for their drive and speed, but it’s also essential to have the older hounds there to steady the pack and keep the job right on the more challenging days.

For the past few seasons, a lot has been said about scent, or the lack of it when hunting a trail. I think a lot of this is to do with the very unseasonal weather we get now. Generally speaking, with regard to scent, the wetter and colder the better. It’s been an unbelievably dry and warm summer and autumn, even up here in the wilds of Northumberland. To date, I haven’t even needed to wear a winter-weight hunting shirt!

Our hunting country is very well stocked. When the land up here gets wet, the ground can become very paddled-up by sheep and cattle, which means that hounds can struggle.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve driven to the meet looking for a bonfire, hoping to see the smoke coming down to the ground (another supposedly good sign).

It’s been damp and cold and the trees and hedges look black with no haze and I think, “Here we go, this is going to be a good day,” only to be proved wrong. Another day I drive to the meet on a warm, bright and hazy day but the hounds have flown all day regardless, so you just never really know.

Scent can be very frustrating from a huntsman’s point of view and is one of hunting’s great uncertainties. All I would say to any follower or subscriber who finds bad scenting days frustrating is that it’s a lot worse for the person up front carrying the horn. It is like owning a Ferrari but not having the keys to drive it.

Festive fun

Before we know it, the festive season will be upon us. I enjoy all hunting days, but those around Christmas and New Year have to be my favourites. Most people are at home for the holidays, on good form and surely by then the weather will be colder.

Here at the Percy, we try to save the best country for the meets held over the festive period to ensure some good  days — hopefully.

For hunt staff, this is one of the busiest times of the year. A lot of hunts will put in extra days and despite it being Christmas, hounds, horses, flesh rounds and valeting still need to be done.

Some hunts very kindly hold a collection for hunt staff. This is very much appreciated, as in hunt service there are no such things as bonuses or overtime. Anything put in is very kind. Please just remember that when you’re putting a fiver in, it often has to be split up to three, four or five ways.

I hope that everyone is enjoying their season so far. At the Percy, despite the very unseasonal weather, we’ve enjoyed a really promising start. Good hunting.

Ref Horse & Hound; 22 November 2018