Michael Scott retired from hunt service after 26 seasons with the Old Berks on 1 May. Marcus Armytage – a former Old Berks MFH – talks to him about a life in hunting
Huntsmen Michael Scott with the Old Berkshire Hunt hounds. IT may not quite have panned out as anyone would have wanted for a swansong with a few intermittent days between lockdowns but, after 26 years with the Old Berks, its understated, highly respected and popular huntsman Michael Scott hung up his horn on 1 May.
James Andrews, master of the South and West Wilts, once reflected when he returned to judge at an Old Berks puppy show that the best thing he ever did as master of that hunt was to bring Michael, now 57, to Faringdon as his kennel-huntsman in 1995.
The son of a watchmaker in the Scottish Borders, Michael’s first brush with hunting was when he, aged 13, saw the Berwickshire hounds meeting in the square at Coldstream. He followed them on his bike and he was hooked.
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"}
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