Information posted on social media about hunting is often inaccurate, incomplete and “does not reflect the full scenario”, a police force has warned.

Cheshire Police has set out its stance on hunting in a statement, promising that it “will pursue with equal vigour those who engage in unlawful hunting, and other associated offences, and those who engage in illegal activity to prevent hunting”.

The statement comes after sabs in the county posted videos and pictures, which they claimed showed evidence of illegal actions of hunt supporters, on social media.

Cheshire Police said it hopes its statement provides “clear and unequivocal expression, to all those who participate in, and protest against, hunting, of our independent and impartial operational stance”.

“Our operational response to hunting is based on advice from the national police chief lead, which recognises that ‘hunting with hounds is an emotive subject, bringing with it support, opposition and commentary from a wide spectrum of society, amplified by social media in this modern policing world’,” the statement reads.

“We acknowledge the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004 which legitimise certain types of hunting.

“We acknowledge, in equal measure, that those who are opposed to hunting have the right to protest.”

It adds that for years, the force has “worked hard” to engage with hunt supporters and “those who seek to protest”, and that it offers consultation events for all parties before each season starts.

“Like all police forces in whose areas there are hunts, we tread a fine line between protecting these contrasting rights,” the statement says.

“We do not, and will not, take sides. We aim to maximise public safety, to facilitate lawful protest, to minimise disruption to our communities, and to provide an appropriate operational and investigative response to reports of unlawful activity.”

Police presence

Officers at organised trail hunts during the season have detailed knowledge of the Hunting Act and other laws, and can “determine whether offences have been committed”.

“We are fully committed to investigate and, where evidence exists, to bring to justice any person found breaking the law,” the force added. “This is a complex piece of legislation and many facets need to be evidenced for the complete offence to be proved. This can be extremely challenging.”

To be able to investigate and bring any criminal charges, police rely on witnesses willing to give signed statements and attend court. Anyone who films alleged wrongdoing must provide a signed statement “exhibiting that evidence in unedited form”.

Cheshire Police said it has found people are often “reluctant” to engage with investigations, and that without witness statements and evidence, it is “incredibly difficult” to take action.

“Any video footage needs to be properly accounted for by the person who filmed it for it to be admissible in court,” the statement says.

Continues below…

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“We recognise that much discussion, comment and posting of digital material around hunting takes place on social media. Many comments are based on inaccurate information that do not reflect a balanced view of the matters discussed. Frequently, video footage does not reflect the full scenario.

“We endeavour to update the public on allegations arising from hunt activities, and we will respond to concerns through social media where it is appropriate to do so.

“We are proud of our approach to hunting, and we remain committed to ensuring that we meet our duty to protect our communities and to keep the public safe throughout the season.”

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Opinion

On 21 July 1999, Labour MSP Mike Watson announced plans to put forward a member’s bill in the Scottish Parliament to ban hunting with dogs in Scotland. After months of discussions and hours of parliamentary debate, the Labour-led Scottish Parliament passed the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) bill by 83 to 36, with five abstentions.

In the months immediately after the implementation of the act in 2002, designed to ban traditional fox hunting, only one of the country’s 10 MFHA-registered hunts disbanded. The others elected to work within the new legislation, offering a pest-control service to landowners and farmers.

The Scottish hunting community should be proud of their achievements. Having come through an all-encompassing campaign, they emerged bloodied but unbeaten.

Under the 2002 act it is legal to use an undetermined number of dogs to flush a fox from covert for it to then be shot, so long as this meets one or more of the exceptions relating to pest control — the uncontested mainstay of mounted fox control for 16 seasons. Somewhat ironically, evidence suggests three times as many foxes are now being killed due to the introduction of guns than before the new laws.

However, when David Cameron proposed to bring the law in England and Wales in line with Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP), despite their previous commitment not to vote on the Hunting Act — which only affects England and Wales — voted against the amendment, forcing the government to withdraw it.

Embarrassed by its own inconsistency, the SNP government in Edinburgh committed to review the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 to “ensure that it provided the necessary level of protection for foxes and other wild mammals, while at the same time allowing effective and humane control where necessary”. In December 2015, Lord Bonomy was appointed to lead the review.

Fully committed

While questioning the need for such a review, the Scottish Countryside Alliance fully committed to working with the Scottish government and Lord Bonomy, including the facilitation of full access to mounted foxhound operations. We cautiously welcomed the publication of the review, but were particularly pleased that Lord Bonomy recognised the importance of foxhound packs in pest control.

He found: “The use of packs of hounds to flush out foxes to be shot remains a significant pest control measure, both to control the general level of foxes in an area as well as to address particular problems affecting a farm or estate.”

He also rejected calls to reduce the number of dogs: “I am persuaded by the submissions and such other evidence as there is, in particular that of the experience of those who work with packs, the scientific study paper by Naylor and Knott (taking full account of its limitations and the criticisms made of it), and the fact that in England and Wales hunts do not generally flush to guns using two dogs, not only that searching and flushing by two dogs would not be as effective as that done by a full pack of hounds, but also that imposing such a restriction could seriously compromise effective pest control in the country, particularly on rough and hilly ground and in extensive areas of dense cover such as conifer woodlands…”

Driven by purpose

The scientific study that Lord Bonomy referenced was subsequently published in a peer-reviewed journal. It proves that using a pack of dogs to flush is much more effective than two, and that the period of pursuit is significantly decreased.

We were, therefore, more than a little disappointed on 9 January when rural affairs minister Mairi Gougeon dismissed Lord Bonomy’s findings and the peer-reviewed research to announce the Scottish government’s intention to bring forward legislation to limit the number of dogs to two.

It is a policy that will “seriously compromise effective pest control in the country,” according to the their own independent review. Whatever the reasons, the Scottish government’s rejection of evidence and mainstream science undermines both evidence-based policy-making and the public interest.

The fact that we still have active foxhound packs in Scotland nearly 17 years after the original act was passed is testament to the determination of the hunting community.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance, along with its partner organisations and the many supporters in Scotland, will fight every inch of this new battle using every legal and political avenue available. Our endeavour is driven and fuelled by purpose. Giving up is not an option.

Ref Horse & Hound; 31 January 2019

Hickstead star Billy Grand is enjoying a new adventure following a top-level showjumping career.

The 17-year-old gelding, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2011 with Daniel Moseley, relished his first day on the hunting field with eventer and Surrey Union master Alice Dunsdon.

During his competition career, the Irish sport horse jumped across Europe up to CSI5*-level with William and Pippa Funnell, and was also competed by a number of other riders.

Alice told H&H Billy Grand was “absolutely brilliant”.

“He stood like a rock at the meet and was very inquisitive about the hounds,” she said.
“Straight away he wanted to be up with them and all day he was as good as gold.”

The pair jumped a “couple of rails” and Pippa came out to see how he was taking to his new vocation.

The day came about as Alice saw Pippa in their local pub and the pair were chatting about the horses when Pippa mentioned she wondered if Billy Grand would enjoy hunting in his retirement.

One thing led to another and the next morning he went for his first day with the Surrey Union.

“There’s no excuse for me not jumping five-bar gates now,” joked Alice.

“He has taken to it like a duck to water, he was so sensible and he is so beautifully schooled and well mannered — I felt very lucky to be up there on him, it is a real honour to be able to ride him.

“He is such a lovely horse and he so loved watching the hounds, I just hope I can do Pippa and William proud.”

Article continues below…

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Daniel Moseley leads the way in Queen’s Cup at Hickstead

The prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Cup at the Royal International is won by 21-year-old Daniel Moseley with Billy Grand

Pippa said she is “very grateful” to Alice for giving the horse this opportunity.

“A new life awaits for this gentle giant who William, myself and Dan Moseley had so much fun with, winning the Queen Elizabeth at Hickstead with Dan, one of the very special highlights of his career,” she said in a post on her Facebook page.

“Now 17 he will have some fun with Alice, it will be horrible in my yard without him but what a fabulous home to go to.”

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Opinion

As the end of the season approaches, a move to the Derwent is on the cards for me and my family. But what a debt of gratitude I owe to the studbook harrier. I have had the pleasure of hunting these hounds for 11 seasons.

Standing 21-22 inches tall, I class them as the Porsches of the hunting world. They’re bred half-wired, bouncy, busy, but ultimately eager to please. They work relentlessly on the most difficult of days, but suffer no fools and cheekily test the boundaries; they have little time for relaxing, but all the time in the world for fun and hard graft.

They were developed in England as far back as 1260 and were followed on foot to hunt the hare. When foxhunting became fashionable, harriers were adapted to provide faster days following on horseback, and to hunt both the hare and the fox. With the start of the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles in 1891, the studbook records 107 registered packs of harriers, far more popular then than the beagle. In contrast, in 2019 there are just nine registered packs of studbook harriers, and six West Country packs.

I could argue it’s a case of quality over quantity, but it is sad to see such a wonderful type of hound becoming a rare breed. The nine remaining packs hold an average of 25 couple per kennel, and each pack plays an important role in keeping the breed going. Fortunately, the harrier seems to have maintained its popularity in both New Zealand, with 26 mounted packs, and Ireland, with 46 harrier packs.

Oozing quality

With a pack so full of character it’s hard to have a favourite, but we puppy-walked Domino 07 and on entering that litter also noted a stand-out bitch, Diamond.

Both siblings are working hard in to their 10th season with me, and Domino won plenty of rosettes as he remained youthful to take the stallion then veteran titles at Great Yorkshire and Peterborough. Diamond proved a perfect foundation on which to breed some quality into the pack, and has had both daughter (Diva 10) and granddaughter (Disco 15) crowned supreme champions at Peterborough, among other titles.

Another hound I admired was Batman 10, a 12-week old draft from the High Peak, sired by Holcombe Badger 04 and with High Peak and Waveney blood on his dam’s side. He was a more athletic stamp and as he matured, he oozed quality — not only in stature, but also in his work. Accurate with a deep voice, he was a trusted hound in the pack for many years.

His legacy is unquestionable with his offspring following in his footsteps; Barrister 12 and Daystar 15 both picked up a “clean sweep” of doghound championships at all four shows we attend a season, both boasting a Peterborough supreme to top it off.

A hound who has played “bridesmaid” to these boys for many years is our Charger 11; both he and his sister, Cheerful, are outstanding members of the pack. They are our hardest workers, and often put the pack right on a difficult scenting day.

Drive you bonkers

To sum up the harrier, they’re not unlike my two-year-old son; pure maniac and attention-seeking comedians, who will test your patience and drive you bonkers. But when they’re good, they’re brilliant.

Ref Horse & Hound; 7 February 2019

Opinion

While standing in front of the magnificent Badminton House last week listening to Capt Farquhar’s farewells as master of the famous Beaufort hounds after a lifetime in hunting, it got me thinking — why do we go hunting? It’s pure and simple — we just love it.

What is it that we love so much about it? For a huntsman, there is nothing that he loves more than his hounds.

Huntsmen are often asked, “Which hound is your favourite?” The reply should be all of them. They are all special in their own different way. Of course, some will always stand out, but they are a team, adored by the people who look after them, and they in turn give their all.

For some, it is the sheer pleasure of riding across England’s green and pleasant land. The thrill of jumping hedge after hedge, rail after rail or standing high on a hill watching the hounds working away beneath them. There really is no other sport that gives access to our beloved countryside like hunting. The farmers who have cherished it for generations continue to open it up for us to enjoy.

No day is ever the same in the hunting field: nothing is guaranteed and no one knows what is going to happen. That’s why we love it.

When talking to a gang of former masters at Badminton, it was obvious that although they no longer hunt on a horse, their love of hunting and all it entails is as strong as ever. They recall the hunts they have had as if they happened yesterday, the hounds they have bred, the countries they have hunted, the friends they have made and, best of all, the parties they have had.

Hunting has given them all a life filled with both highs and lows. However, none of them would have swapped it for the world.

Scarlet fever

It is true that many a love affair has started on the hunting field. The sight of a dashing young huntsman dressed in scarlet has toppled even the finest of ladies.

When hunting the Bedale, I received the heads-up that a pretty young lady was coming up from Lincolnshire for the day.

Luckily for me, we met on one of our finest farms. Our host insisted that I stood on his lawn as he said it was a lawn meet and there was to be no argument. I stood gazing at my hounds and the assembled field, hoping for a glimpse of the lady from Lincolnshire. As luck would have it, we had a fantastic day. The hounds flew from start to finish; just what a huntsman needs to impress a good hunting girl. As they say, the rest is history.

The love of hunting is ingrained in so many of us and it will never leave. Things have not been easy for the hunting community over the past few years and no doubt will get tougher. But there is one thing for sure — there is a new generation that feels the love in the same way as their parents, and this will not change.

They will meet their husbands and wives on the hunting field, they will make their best friends there and they will have the fun that generations have had before them. They too will answer the question, “Why do you go hunting?” with, “Because I just love it”.

Ref Horse & Hound; 14 February 2019

Opinion

Tin hats at the ready — it’s AGM season. The mere mention is enough to turn some MFHs to stone. Once a year, anyone with a toe in the hunt’s door has the opportunity to hold their hunt hierarchy to account. It is an important and necessary ritual, even cathartic at times.

As I drove to my first AGM nearly 20 years ago, my passenger, a distinguished retired MFH, informed me that the best AGMs are attended by a couple of subscribers, a farmer and his wife who walks puppies, and a wizened earth-stopper accompanied by his favourite terrier, who might get the casting vote. My heart duly sank at the sight of a full car park and a giddy atmosphere within. I’d never attended a public execution but feared this was going to run a close second.

If the hall is full of rarely seen faces, wheeled in for the occasion, and an independent “returning officer” has been engaged, you can be sure that a contentious vote is in store. Every hunt has had an AGM that’s entered local folklore. Some have more than one.

Preparation is key

Experience has taught me to embrace the meeting. In conjunction with the chairman, go prepared and head off all avenues in your presentation; offer a review of the year, its achievements and present the challenges for the season ahead. Good news stories are important and remember to thank everyone.

If you bang on long enough then the floor will be desperate for a drink, if not asleep, as you sermonize on the benefits of yet another Welsh outcross. The desire for awkward questions will diminish. Questions can be illuminating. Others are posed by those who already know the answer. Their issue generally irritates most people.

For those still conscious, the treasurer’s report is a real highlight. Subscription receipts may be up but don’t forget the amazing fundraisers. And a gentle reminder that a shiny new kennel gate is a worthy target but it’s no use sitting on the funds if the whipper-in can’t be paid to walk through it.

The elections on offer vary from hunt to hunt. Officers, masters and committee members may be elected. If  the chairman has done his or her work properly, these should follow without recourse and cause neither controversy nor blushes.

Voting rights are particularly crucial. These should be laid out clearly in the hunt constitution, although with some issues, when the chips are down, the constitution can mean for naught and all bets are off.

Blood splatter and beers

Hopefully everything has passed well and the ladies knitting in the front row haven’t been splattered in blood; tin hats turn into beer tankards and everyone breathes an audible sigh of relief. I now believe that the best AGMs are well attended by those who want to be part of their “club” and for one night, just need to check that it’s in good hands.

It is also reassuring see so many friends, hunt supporters and farmers alike, formalising their support for the hunt and its mastership. The receivers haven’t been summoned, support is on the up and the mastership isn’t doing too bad after all; at least far better than anyone else could do.

Ref Horse & Hound; 21 February 2019

March hails the end of the hunting season for most, although some areas of the West Country continue well into the spring, as was traditionally the case in the Lakeland fells, although less so in latter years.

The end of the season comes with mixed emotions. For some it is relief, for others disappointment or a sense of loss. I know of one foot-follower who is positively bereft at the end of each season, and on more than one occasion I have been quoted, at the end of a season, asking how many days we have until the start of the next.

For me it is a combination of feelings. I am always sad that it’s over. Despite the Pytchley conducting in the region of 100 hunting days annually, I always have an appetite for more. I guess if this were not the case, then I’d be in the wrong job.

The sense of sadness is more acute if the weather is still cold and wet and the recent sport has been good. Conversely, it is replaced by one of relief if the weather has been balmy and warm and a succession of scentless days has led to frustration building.

There is also a sense of fatigue that sets in towards the end. Hunting three to four days a week in all weather, for eight months straight, is great fun but it takes a high level of stamina and motivation which outweighs any weather conditions or personal rise and fall of energy or emotions.

It is very timely that most of the best sport occurs in the latter part of the season when enthusiasm might otherwise be waning. Many people in other walks of life hate the end of winter and find it dreary, some choosing to find sunshine abroad, while others hit the ski slopes for a more adrenalin-filled change of scene.

For professional hunt staff this is clearly not an option — fortunately there is nowhere in the world I’d rather be in February then hunting in England.

We have enjoyed a very open season this year with only minimal weather disruption, in contrast to the frequent ups and down of last winter. Like many other packs, the Pytchley stopped hunting briefly because of the equine flu outbreak but resumed activities as soon as racing was back on.

Repairs and improvements

The end of the season brings a change rather then a break for hunt staff. With a busy hunting schedule there are many larger repair jobs, such as bridges and new hunting gates, that must go on the back-burner until the end of season.

There is also a long list of improvements to be made, such as covert-laying and planting, and hunt jump repairs and replacements. For those of us still offering a fallen stock collection service, March and April are our busiest months of the year with lambing and calving in full progress.

It is important too that staff have a chance to “freshen up”; be that with rest or recreation. For me this involves riding in point-to-points. I love the adrenalin and competitive nature of it, and it is a complete mental break as there is no chance of mulling over work as you rattle along at 30mph towards sizeable obstacles!

However you choose to spend your non-hunting time, I wish you all a joyful spring.

Ref Horse & Hound; 28 February 2019

Tributes have been paid to a leading figure in the pro-hunting campaign who died after a fall.

Dominic Webber, former chairman of the East Sussex branch of the Countryside Alliance, suffered fatal injuries during a fall while hunting last week.

The rider and campaigner, who lived in Heathfield with his wife Jane and their two grown-up sons, died on Friday (1 March).

Mr Webber was also a well-known and well-respected criminal barrister, and his family was at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (6 March) to hear tributes led by resident judge David Griffith-Jones QC.

He described Mr Webber’s death, at the age of 59, as “tragic, sudden and cruel”, but added that it came while enjoying his passion for riding.

“The trauma of his death and the sense of loss which it has caused is only increased by the fact he was very much one of us, a stalwart of the Kent bar mess and a regular at the bar of the crown courts at Maidstone and at Canterbury,” Judge Griffith-Jones told fellow judges, counsel and court staff.

“He was a senior, respectable and likeable practitioner. He was a gentleman, a man who appeared to have discovered a sound and happy balance to his life.

“A family man, a man of the country, passionate about the countryside and countryside pursuits and the enjoyment and preservation of them.

“In this regard most particularly he was an ardent equestrian, owning horses he stabled at his family home in East Sussex.

“While the nature of his passing is tragic beyond words there may perhaps be some little comfort to be drawn in that he died doing the very thing he loved so much.

“His passing was sudden, leaving no opportunity to say goodbye other than belatedly by an occasion such as this, inadequate as it is.

“We remember Dominic, sharing the pain of his passing. Our collective pain is nothing compared to that which his beloved family must now be suffering.”

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University-educated Mr Webber was called to the bar in 1985 and was a member of chambers at 5 King’s Bench Walk. He was said to have had a lengthy career, building a strong and thriving legal practice across the southeast and specialising in defence work.

He had also been chairman of the East Sussex Countryside Alliance branch and was a regular follower of the East Sussex and Romney Marsh.

In a letter published in January 2004 following the Boxing Day meet of the Southdown and Eridge Hunt, Mr Webber said those opposed to hunting “had difficulty keeping animal welfare in perspective”, and maintained it was not a cruel sport.

Mr Webber also submitted written evidence to the government’s hunting with dogs inquiry in 2000, and subsequently wrote published paper The Rationale of the Hunting Act 2004: Even Lord Bingham got it wrong.

Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said: “Dominic brought an analytic mind to the hunting debate and was a determined advocate of hunting as a humane method of wildlife management, which in particular benefited the fox population. He was an associate member of the Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management which provided the scientific backing for his arguments.”

Also paying tribute at Maidstone Crown Court was Mark Heywood QC, a member of the same chambers and first senior treasury counsel at the Central Criminal Court.

He described Mr Webber, a member of human rights and reform initiative Lawyers for Liberty, as “thoroughly metropolitan by birth, a philosopher by education, and a man of intellectual curiosity by nature”.

“That led him to read about and become interested in all sorts of things and would enter into debates with gusto, including online.”

Mr Heywood continued: “Mr Webber was a contemplative, slightly quirky man, fit for his age. He looked the real deal in his wig and gown. He was a proper advocate and he really could persuade, and more often than not he got a result.”

Mr Heywood also spoke of his colleague’s shared love of the countryside with his wife.

“Dominic came to love the High Weald, the Downs, and to love a rural life. It is an utter tragedy that his life has ended now and all too soon.

“The only comfort is that his injuries came without warning as he was doing what he loved doing on a fabulous, bright, winter’s day and during his best season to date, it is said.

“We have lost a fine advocate, a strong supporter of the (Bar) mess, a chambers man, and, most of all, a very good friend.”

A tribute was expected to be paid at Canterbury Crown Court today (7 March).

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A hound from the Vale of the White Horse (VWH) hunt has been enjoying some R&R at a canine hydrotherapy pool as he recuperates from an injury.

Honiton 2018 champion foxhound Folklore has been undergoing the treatment for a bad back which he developed after he “stifled” himself on a fence out hunting.

Countess Goess-Saurau, one of the masters of the VWH, said Folklore was one of several hounds they had sent to the Lechlade K9 Centre.

“We started using hydrotherapy 12 years ago with a hound called Aztec who was champion sire at Ardingly and we’re hoping it will get Folklore sounds as a pound as well,” she said. “Because of his stifle injury he’d been compensating and he’d developed a sore back, so he’s been booked in for ten sessions. He’ll have a break and then begin his fitness work with the other hounds again over the summer, when the huntsmen take them out alongside bicycles.”

She said that Folklore had been slightly “shellshocked” at first when introduced to the pool but “had adjusted well” and went on to “love it”.

“He makes everyone laugh when he rejoins the pack after a shampoo and blow dry,” she said. “He has a slightly woolly coat so he does fluff up a bit.”

Countess Goess-Saurau, who walked Folklore as a puppy, said the four-year-old is a “charming character and a very good hunting hound,” who is also a sire in his own right.

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“The hounds are athletes so we do what we can for them, and they have a good life,” she explained. “It’s not unusual to call a chiropractor out if one gets a bad back. We run a hound sponsorship scheme that pays for microchips and jabs, each hound is sponsored for £20 which all helps with vets’ bills.”

Hounds can run the risk of minor strains and injuries as they can cover up to 20 miles in a day when out hunting — often double the distance covered by the field. The VWH’s doghounds usually go out twice a week during the season.

“It’s an energetic life and they are very fit, which helps them to recover more quickly if they do have a problem,” she added.

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So it has come to this. At the hugely successful hunt ball, held in Belvoir Castle by permission of the Duke of Rutland, I was won in the raffle. There was a time when my services were auctioned off. In fact, “A day and a night with the Ledbury huntsman” (’twas I at the time) once sold for pounds numbered in thousands.

Alas, 20 years down the line, I have dwindled to a mere raffle prize. So a ticket was drawn, and somewhere between “a leg of mutton” and a “jar of Quality Street”, “a day upfront with the Belvoir huntsman” was won — by Mrs Chloe Jonason.

A flying visit

The mysterious case of the equine flu occasioned something of an overreaction in some quarters; racing was suspended, as was hunting in some areas. Never one to miss an opportunity, a couple of hours after hunting was cancelled, I was helping Mr O’Leary pay his training fees by flying Ryanair to Ireland. I disembarked at Kerry airport and within an hour of landing, was being ushered through the welcoming portals of that most famous hunting establishment, the Dunraven Arms.

The Co. Limerick met on Monday near Croom by the cemetery: if there is one thing to concentrate a chap’s mind to the job in hand, it’s the stark outline of columns of headstones and the sight of the sexton labouring away in a distant corner. Foreboding receded as hounds found quickly, and soon banks were being scaled and rivers forded.

It was a pleasure to see hounds hunting so well, always up together as a pack and without interference. This is in no small way due to their huntsman, whose youth belies his very competent and thoughtful actions in the field. Fergus Stokes is a worthy custodian of Lord Daresbury’s legacy of old English foxhounds.

The following day, Chris Ryan’s famous Scarteen pack gathered and any hunter deserving of the name could not help but feel echoes of Somerville and Ross in the atmosphere around the village of Emly. Finding straight away, the pace was furious for the first 50 minutes until a mark to ground gave respite.

The kind people of Limerick had warned I was to see some “bigger” country, and following huntsman Raymond O’Halloran was certainly an eye-opener — or should that be eye-closer? Suffice to say, I have completely reassessed of what I previously thought a horse capable.

Back in Blighty

By the feast of St Valentine, hunting in Blighty had resumed and Mrs Jonason had chosen it for her “day up front with the huntsman”. This proved to be a good choice, including as it did a six-mile point. It’s good to have someone upsides putting the pressure on when the fences are coming thick and fast; it adds a little va-va-voom.

Later when things turned a little “Irish”, I noticed Mrs Jonason had inherited her aversion to open ditches from her father (former Belvoir master Joey Newton). And the encouraging sounds that Chloe emitted — had she been at Uttoxeter, where trainer Henry Oliver was recently fined for waving his arms at a horse to encourage it to start — would surely have landed her in trouble with the stewards.

If you want excitement over open water, you don’t have to travel to Ireland, but it helps.

Ref Horse & Hound; 7 March 2019

When you see lambs out in the fields and tractors out spraying or fertilising, it normally means that the trail-hunting season is nearing its end. I smile to myself when people ask, “What will you do when hunting finishes?”

The truth is that there’s always plenty to do. No matter how well a season’s gone, we can always improve.

During the hunting season we obviously concentrate on hunting three days a week alongside keeping up with our flesh round. These two tasks combined fill the whole week.

As soon as our season ends, the tack and horse rugs need to be sorted for repairs. The stables and kennels need to be emptied, steam-cleaned and painted from top to bottom. The dreaded lawn mower and strimmer go all summer and my gardening skills have to make an appearance! We’re lucky to have such a lovely set-up at the Percy, but it takes a lot of hard work to keep on top of everything.

The most important job throughout the summer is the preparation of young hounds.

I like to start all of ours on couples as soon as possible. We get out on hound exercise every morning and walk out every afternoon. The more time you spend out with the hounds and the more they see, the easier and more effectively they will settle when the season begins.

Breeding priorities

The other big job in the summer is the breeding and rearing of the hound pups. Anyone who’s ever had a litter of any breed at home will know how much time and effort goes into it. Most hunts will rear two to eight litters a year and pups generally stay at kennels until they are around 12 weeks old, when they go out to walk.

Every country is different and I’m a great believer of breeding a range of hounds to suit your patch. Our hounds are old English, which means our options of stallion hounds are more limited. I like to keep three of the old female lines going that served the 10th Duke of Northumberland and huntsman Don Claxton so very well for so many years.

However, with this in mind, we also need to prioritise breeding a particular type of hound that suits our country — those who are athletic, light in the shoulder and have good feet and voice are ideal. They work best if not too small, but not so big that they struggle with the wire and crossing the country.

Well wishes

Northumberland loses one of its longest-serving staff this year. Sandy Wilson has consistently bred top-class hounds and shown good sport during his time at the Morpeth. Mr Tyacke from the Wynnstay, who has so often beaten us in the ring, is also moving on. We wish them both well.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 14 March 2019

Our season came to an abrupt end due to kennel cough. It was a rather sad way to end, without our normal Cheltenham Wednesday meet.

It is always a fun day with many visiting masters and hunt staff as well as people from afar all joining in with the festivities of the greatest week of racing in the calendar. The whole area comes alive as thousands gather to watch the best England has to offer against the mighty Irish.

A few years ago we were lucky enough to lead the Festival winners in. This long-standing tradition shows the bond that the racing and hunting community still holds. The feeling that you get as you ride down in front of the stands with the roar of the crowd cheering the winner in is like no other.

There were very few instructions given to us, but a little advice was handed out by one senior member of hunt staff. If you want to be on TV, go slowly so that the jockey is right behind you, and if you fall off, don’t get up!

Different strokes

A couple of weeks ago we hosted the Wynnstay hounds. Richard Tyacke, who is retiring as master and huntsman, has done a wonderful job in keeping the country open, providing top-class sport and breeding a fine pack of hounds. These hounds are old English-based with a touch of modern blood every few generations.

It was a pleasure to see a different pack operating in an alien country to their own. Every huntsman has a particular type of hound that they favour, based on what suits their country best.

When breeding a pack of hounds you are always striving to improve them, so it is important not to be blinkered in your approach.

We were lucky enough to have two Wynnstay doghounds for the season who performed well in the hunting field and nicked in with our hounds despite being a totally different type.

Taking your hounds to a different country shows their strengths and weaknesses and gives an opportunity to go back home and address your future breeding plans. A good pack of hounds should be able to hunt in any country but taking a lowland pack of hounds to a hill country is the ultimate test.

A hill pack has to draw far and wide and have the ability to hunt without much aid from their huntsman. A lowland pack will inevitably struggle with this to begin with but gain confidence as the day goes on.

A trip to another hunt country is also an opportunity to meet other hunting people. Everyone wants to make their guests feel as welcome as possible; teas, dinners and parties will ensue and firm new friendships made.

Blown away

The week was tinged with sadness as we said our goodbyes to two proper foxhunters.

As we stood in church hearing about the lives that they had led and the fun that they had had, I could only think, “I hope I get it right.”

It is truly a great honour to be asked to blow the traditional “gone away” at the end of the service.

The moment comes and you just hope that the note comes out right and you have enough air in your lungs to give them the send-off that they deserve.

Ref Horse & Hound; 21 March 2019

The end of another hunting season brings with it feelings of sadness – what on earth are we going to do for the next few months? – and a little bit of relief to have made it in one piece. But before you turn your mind to less important pastimes, there are a few things you need to think about.

1. Take your tack to pieces properly, give it a thorough clean, check the stitching and make sure you get anything repaired that needs it.

2. Make sure your own kit is clean, mended and put away. It’s oh-so easy to forget that your boots need re-soling, you’ve lost a button from your hunting coat and that you didn’t clean your hunting whip – and discover all that at 10pm on the night before your first morning’s autumn hunting.

3. Write thank you letters to your masters and hunt staff. They work incredibly hard in difficult circumstances to provide you with your fun; the least you can do is show your appreciation.

4. If your hunter is having a holiday, give him an MOT first – if his back needs doing, get it looked at now, because it won’t magically correct itself in the field.

5. Have a lie-in.

6. Do all those things you’ve been planning to do all winter, but haven’t had time because hunting is more fun. DIY, paperwork, going to IKEA. You have no more excuses.

Continued below…

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Robert McCarthy reveals what he gets up to when the season ends

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7. See what help you can give your hunt this summer – is your hunt getting involved with the Countryside Alliance-supported Great British Spring Clean (6-7 April)? Do they need someone to help in the burger van at the pony show? Do they need a working party to help build and repair hunt jumps, or paint the kennels?

8. Go to a hound show, even if your own hounds aren’t showing. The Lycetts Festival of Hunting takes place on the East of England Showground at Peterborough on 17 July, and the Irish National Hound Show is at Stradbally Hall, Co Laois on 7 July.

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

With the season now over, our thoughts turned to our first point-to-point and then quickly to a date that is fast becoming not only an important fundraiser, but also the best fun.

The hunt scurry is a joint venture between the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent (OSB&WK) and the Crawley and Horsham, held at Stone Hall, West Sussex, courtesy of the Greenwood and Martin families. The event, while in its infancy, has a unique atmosphere and everyone involved is there to have fun, celebrate the end of the season and, in some cases, have one last jolly before their horses are put out to grass.

The importance of teamwork

The component that makes this event so special is teamwork. Andrew Coveney is a retired master (OSB&WK) and, for as long as I can remember, he has been clerk of the course for both our point-to-points. He excelled himself this year by building a terrific course — fair, with very inviting fences.

Andrew’s wife Fiona was in charge of entries and admin, and on the day knew the 60-odd entries by name. Just as on a day’s hunting, the field was from a diverse cross-section of society — adults, children, old jockeys, young jockeys, subscribers, local equestrians, enthusiasts and a brace of Ladies.

Fiona finished fifth in the novice class before making sure the open went without a hitch — it did and was won by 16-year-old Michael Roberts. What a ride he gave his willing companion; we will all be hearing of him again.

My daughter Issy rode my hunter Murphy and, as any parent knows, watching one’s children compete is never relaxing. In fact it is a pastime that should only be taken with copious amounts of gin and tonic surrounded by friends reassuring you that all is well. Issy finished 10th in the novice and all was indeed well.

Arty Martin is secretary of the Crawley and Horsham and sets the day up with Andrew. Our relentless fundraising arm, the Jorrocks Hunt Club, caters for the day with a stocked bar and delicious burgers and hot dogs, which were enjoyed by the massive crowd all day.

The commentator, Jamie Hawksfield, is a retired master of the Crawley and Horsham and he gave an excellent and very funny commentary for a man who is usually so shy and reserved. He was supported by Phil Hall, master of the Mid Surrey Farmers’ Draghounds.

I will have missed someone out and I’m afraid I didn’t take down a note of all the winners, but it wasn’t about that so much. It was about a great team effort, sharing a super-successful event with our neighbouring pack and creating an atmosphere that said to me, “We are in a good place and the future looks bright.”

Judging commitments

Puppy shows are not far away and I am looking forward to judging at two; it was huge honour to be asked to judge at Honiton this year with Andrew Osborne from the Cottesmore. Thankfully he is my senior, so I will take his lead.

Having said I would do it, I am now spending far too much time worrying about it. If you see me this summer, please do not hesitate to come over and offer me suggestions on how I may raise my game by August.

Ref Horse & Hound; 4 April 2019

During February the Cattistock paid us a visit. They had an extremely successful day despite testing conditions and their hounds hunted superbly and never stopped trying.

George Pierce, their kennel-huntsman, is a fine example of the merits of the Hunt Staff Bursary Scheme. He began at the Ludlow and has steadily moved up through the ranks, gaining experience with different hunts and under several mentors. Now, after four seasons as kennel-huntsman to the Cattistock, he is the finished article and promotion surely beckons.

Accentuate the positives

The meet at Belvoir Castle brought the season to an end and the sound of clattering hooves had scarcely subsided before I was heading hot-foot to the Cheltenham Festival.

During my 14 years of leading in the winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase when I hunted the Ledbury, I became a devoted follower of National Hunt racing. It has its foundations in the hunting field and still shares a close affinity. This year’s sport was of particularly high quality with many thrilling close finishes.

I am pleased that racing has retained high-profile television coverage for the major meetings and I have to say that ITV have developed their coverage into something that is close to very good.

The one thing they could yet improve, apart from slipping a couple of ACP tablets into Matt Chapman’s tea in the morning, is their reporting of injuries and fatalities. It sounds like a direct appeal to racing’s critics, who for the most part are “animal rights” campaigners.

I am not suggesting for one moment “covering up” or not reporting such moments, but the hand-wringing, heart-on-your sleeve method is surely a mistake. Fatalities are sad for all connections, but reporting should be just that, not an attempt to signal virtue.

The same applies to the British Horseracing Authority. I speak from bitter experience gained during the years spent on the hunting debate — you must be confident and proactive, accentuating the positives of a great sport.

Like all sports at the highest level, an element of danger exists. I think that this is something that reasonable people understand perfectly well. You will never appease narrow-minded, single-issue opponents who are animal rights extremists and whose only ambition is the eventual banning of all horse sports.

Top-quality racing

Continuing on a theme, the Belvoir point-to-point at Garthorpe recently enjoyed a vintage meeting with top-quality racing and a great attendance.

So many people, in fact, that race cards sold out, like at a funeral when the deceased turned out to be more popular than the family imagined. Not only that, but the bar ran dry of beer before the third race, which caused consternation to some.

This column could not help but note that the director of operations was none other than Toby Greenall, descendant of the mighty brewing dynasty of that name, whose forebears kept the tambourine a rollin’ at the Belvoir kennel for many years. Oh! The irony!

Ref Horse & Hound; 11 April 2019

It was bag-packing time for some last week as they headed to their new positions in hunting. By now, the new staff will have met their hounds and started the huge task of getting to know the new country and people. Both the hunts and the new staff will need time to settle in.

Too many people try and change things too quickly. Everyone wants to make his or her own mark on a hunt country, but just remember that the hunt has been there long before you. Your job is to maintain it as best you can and hand it over in as good a position — or hopefully better — than you found it.

Masters and staff need to establish a good working relationship and help each other to solve the problems ahead. This takes communication from both sides. These are not easy times for hunting; a lack of young people coming through has led to staffing issues for some hunts. This means that we all need to take responsibility for looking after and nurturing those who wish to dedicate their lives to hunting.

‘He will be missed’

Recently Heythropia was rocked by the death of long-term master and field master Richard Sumner. Richard had devoted his life to hunting and the Heythrop. He provided a top-class ride for those brave enough to follow him across the country and bred a fine pack of hounds, both in the hunting field and on the flags.

There was not an inch of the country that he didn’t know. He knew who owned it, who used to own it and, of course, how good it had been in the past. He would often ring saying, ‘I’ve just driven past… and the gate needs cutting out,’ or, ‘The rail needs replacing.’

He loved to come and see the young hounds in the summer and never missed an opportunity to view as many as he could before all the shows started. Judges were analysed as much as the hounds at the hound shows. Richard was a good judge of a hound and, of course, a horse; balance and movement were what he was looking for.

Richard will be hugely missed, not only in the Heythrop country but in the hunting world as a whole.

Buying and selling

Changing the hunt vehicles is not always an easy task. Much as they may have been looked after, they are not always in showroom condition after a life removing fallen stock from farms or bouncing across fields fixing fences. As a result, they are often hard to value.

Well, as I have discovered, the solution is easy — a company called WeBuyAnyCar. Do they really buy any car, regardless of mileage and condition? The answer is yes. You heard it here first.

Hounds on show

The first hound and puppy shows are not far away and the young hounds will be on parade for masters and hunt staff to cast their expert eyes over. They will grow and develop fast with hound exercise. The ugly duckling will turn into a swan and the swan can often turn into the ugly duckling!

With the beauty parades of the summer to look forward to, it won’t be long before the real test starts and hunting commences once again.

Ref Horse & Hound; 2 May 2019

Members of the Beaufort Hunt branch of the Pony Club had a “dream come true” last week when they were invited to gallop round the main arena at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in front of the packed stands.

The four 13-year-old riders, who are all hunting enthusiasts, were asked to join the Duke of Beaufort to parade the hounds on the final day of the five-star event (Sunday 5 May).

Rosie Bush, Jack Gibb, Orlo Clark and Beatrice Montgomerie said they were “honoured” when their DC Jane Humphries asked them to take part in the parade and had spent “a busy few months” getting the ponies prepared.

Rosie had a particularly committed build up as her pony Minstrel slipped a tendon off his hock at Christmas and has been through months of rehab.

“My hunting friend Belle Edwards kindly offered to lend me her pony for the parade, however I was hopeful that I could take Minstrel if he was ready in time,” Rosie said. “He had been on on box rest for a month and then on paddock rest, which progressed to me walking him out in hand each night after school.

“The vet said he was happy for me to start with riding and slow fitness work. I made sure I rode him every night after school, come rain or shine, to give him the best chance of recovery and to get back up to fitness.”

In April, Minstrel went to B&W Equine Hospital for a final check up, where he was given the all clear to take part in the parade.

“Excited is an understatement!” Rosie said.

Before their turn in the main arena, the Pony Club riders were given a pep-talk by huntsman Matt Ramsden, which included “what to do if we fell off”.

“As you can imagine none of our ponies have experienced cantering round the main arena at the Badminton Horse Trials so anything could happen,” Rosie said.

After settling the hounds and horses with a quick hack around the park, where they took in the Luckington Lane crossing and Vicarage V, the pack gathered in the warm up arena.

“The gates opened to the main arena and the hounds entered to a fantastic cheer. It was like we had won Badminton and were going in for a lap of honour – it was such a buzz,” Rosie said. “Nick Hopkins’ (the kennel huntsman) horse was quite strong and the Berkeley Master’s horse was very lively but our four ponies took it all in their stride and looked like pros.

“It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that myself, Beatrice, Jack and Orlo will treasure for the rest of our lives. Having hunted since I was three years old I have some wonderful memories and this is one which is definitely going in my hunting diary in red ink.”

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The media frenzy with Brexit has done little to solve anything surrounding it.

But what it has done once again is identify people on both sides who are incapable of a “clean fight” when debating the subject, and incapable of working in the best interest of the country and its citizens. It has highlighted what some of us in the hunting world have known for a long time: there are certain topics of debate that are not and never have been carried out in a reasoned or evidence-driven way.

Being a master of foxhounds, there is one area in which I find myself sympathising with MPs from all sides, and that is the online bullying and targeting they experience. When one removes one’s self from the relative safety of Westminster, or in my case the hunting bubble, we encounter two different attitudes from those we meet. There are those who say, “Stop talking about it and just get on with it,” and there is another, more sinister, group who relentlessly attack our way of lives and who hold a self-righteous belief that they are correct in everything they think.

Alarmingly, the latter group seem to be on the increase online within our usually tolerant society. Because someone says something online, it does not make it true, but done in a clever way the maximum damage can be achieved, and who cares what the truth is. What has happened to us?

Only when you have been on the receiving end can you fully understand the damage it can do to you, your family and friends. Something must be done to allow us all to stand up for what we believe in without fear of an online targeted campaign against us, or the argument being won by those who simply shout loudest.

I have grown up believing that we live in a democracy in which free speech is a given for all those who have something to say. Sadly, in recent times it seems to me that the more extreme your views, the more airtime you receive.

The online abuse must stop

Much as I don’t agree with most of what Chris Packham says, the BBC could address the imbalance he creates by employing his opposite number to counter his points of view. It is right he is able to share his metropolitan views of the countryside and our wildlife, but where is the balance? It is not about silencing Mr Packham, it is about having a fair and equal debate on subjects that are close to people’s hearts.

That is why our community feels so unrepresented on so many issues.

The recent online poll asking the BBC to sack Mr Packham missed an opportunity. Perhaps they should have asked the BBC to employ someone who can debate an alternative view in an informed way that would deliver balance, and give equal airtime to both. That would be a good start.

I would ask Mr Packham to join me in putting a stop to the online abuse of people who hold passionate views either way, and start a new way of debating countryside issues and include country sports on a forum where people can put their points across without fear of being targeted or attacked online. Safe, regulated and independently monitored online forums are surely the future in a country that is split on so many important issues.

Ref Horse & Hound; 9 May 2019

A vote on whether trail-hunting should be banned on a local authority’s land is set to be held this week.

Councillor Lee Scordis, of Essex County Council, is proposing the motion at the full council meeting tomorrow (14 May).

The Countryside Alliance (CA) is urging people in Essex to contact their ward councillors and ask them to oppose the “draconian” motion.

Trail-hunting, where hounds follow a laid scent, is legal under the Hunting Act (2004).

But Cllr Scordis, seconded by Cllr Allan Davies, is calling for a ban on “any future trail hunting and exercising of packs of foxhounds on Essex County Council land”.

Cllr Scordis told H&H he is concerned trail-hunting is being used as a cover for illegal hunting and that he has received a “significant amount of abuse” from pro-hunting supporters since proposing the motion.

“We are concerned that trail hunting is being used as a guise by a minority to hunt foxes and hares,” he said.

“We have no issue with drag hunting. This is only a ban on county council land and will hopefully send a strong message that the rules need tightening up.”

Polly Portwin, head of hunting at the CA, told H&H there is “no justification for this motion other than pure prejudice”.

“There have been no prosecutions of hunts for illegal hunting in Essex since the Hunting Act was enforced, nor is there any evidence to suggest that Essex hunts break the law,” she said.

“It is ironic that it was the Labour Party, during the passage of the Hunting Act, that argued trail-hunting was a viable alternative to traditional forms of hunting, yet this Labour councillor is proposing to ban a perfectly legal activity that is enjoyed by thousands of Essex residents.”

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In a message to CA members, Tim Bonner stressed the importance of people lobbying their councillors after a recent vote to ban trail hunting on Nottinghamshire County Council land was won by one vote.

“We want to ensure that Essex county councillors fully understand the strength of feeling and support for these legal activities in order for them to vote against it, and therefore we urge you to contact your local councillor immediately asking them to oppose this motion,” he said.

He added suggested wording could include pointing out that the motion is “entirely illogical”.

“Trail-hunting and hound exercising are no different to any other legal activity like dog walking or drag hunting,” he said.

“To seek to ban lawful recreational activities on council land is draconian and unnecessary.

“No one, including the council, can give permission for an unlawful activity, without themselves committing an offence, and no council should be banning lawful activities, without very serious reasons and the motion provides no justification for the action being proposed.

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Essex county councillors have voted against a motion calling for trail-hunting to be banned on council-owned land, after a “pointless and divisive” debate.

At a full council meeting yesterday (14 May) councillors voted down Lee Scordis’s motion to ban trail-hunting and exercising hounds on the public land.

As he proposed the motion, “This council notes that the hunting of wild animals with dogs is illegal under the terms of the Hunting Act 2004, except where an exemption applies. This council therefore calls upon the cabinet not to allow any future trail-hunting and exercising of packs of foxhounds on Essex County Council land”, Cllr Scordis told colleagues trail-hunting is often used as a “guise to flout the law”.

The Labour councillor said in the most recent season, the League Against Cruel Sports had “had 282 reports of illegal hunting”, and that hunting of foxes had “rightly been banned”.

He also claimed 85% of the UK and 81% of people in rural areas are against foxhunting, although he did not cite the sources of these figures, and said he had been the victim of online abuse since he posted his motion on his Facebook page.

“I’ve been trolled by people from all over the UK, who have told others to complain about me to the council for ridiculous reasons,” he said. “I’ve been accused of being prejudiced and a bigot, by people who don’t know me. I’ve been called a ‘lefty whinger’ and: ‘keep your geeky snout out of business that doesn’t concern you’.

“Can I ask you to stand with the majority in the UK and support me in tightening the law?”

But in the debate, although Labour group leader Ivan Henderson backed Cllr Scordis, other speakers did not. Independent councillor Kerry Smith said the motion was “legally unsound”, as it “seeks to indirectly remove the right of the common man to use public rights of way”, while independent Jo Beavis pointed out that no huntsman in Essex has ever been questioned by police over illegal hunting issues, and that huntsmen were confused by the bringing of the “entirely illogical motion”, which was brought “without any serious reasons”.

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Hunt hound enjoys R&R at canine hydrotherapy pool

‘He makes everyone laugh when he rejoins the pack after a shampoo and blow dry,’

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Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said: “We are very pleased the council voted against a motion to ban the legal activities of trail-hunting and hound exercise. It is a great shame that councillors had to waste time on such a pointless and divisive debate, but we are very grateful that they rejected the proposal.

“Hunts in Essex have been hunting an artificial scent perfectly legally since the Hunting Act came into force in 2005. There are at least eight packs of hounds operating in the county yet none has ever been charged with a hunting offence, let alone convicted of one, so the suggestion that they are not hunting lawfully is completely unfounded.

“Hunting continues to attract support across Essex as people continue to enjoy following and watching hounds working in the countryside.”

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