Hunt staff work hard for little financial reward, but the Hunt Staff Benefit Society and the Hunt Servants’ Fund are there to help, Rebecca Jordan explains
AS you get older, one of the delights at Christmas is receiving a card which makes you pause to appreciate and engage in both the scene depicted and the festive season.
Last year, the Hunt Staff Benefit Society (HSBS) ticked all the boxes with prints from artists Daniel Crane and Cecil Aldin. Sales resulted in a profit just short of £4,000 – a much-needed boost to the coffers which suffered, en masse, due to Covid.
The Hunt Servants’ Benefit Society was set up in 1872 by, among others, Lady Theodora Guest, wife of Merthyr Guest, master of the Blackmore Vale (1884–1900). Three of its staunchest supporters, Lord Portsmouth, the Hon F Scott and Mr Anstruther Thomson, drew up a code of rules which still apply.
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"}
You can also read this feature in the 13 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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Credit: Lisa Wood Photography
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