From Tom Fulton
Hunting Roundup
Elizabeth Oakes with some of the side saddle riders at Brittas, Co Meath.
AROUND THE MEETS Iveagh Foxhounds A dry, clear, even bright day greeted a twenty-one strong mounted field at the Iveagh Foxhounds’ meet hosted by joint master Bob Wilson at his home near Hillsborough, Co Down. Kennel huntsman Neil Keery brought forward a 13½ couple mixed pack for joint master and huntsman John Porter and I saw that this once Scarteen type pack has changed by about 100% with Modern English, Old English and some Welsh blood on view. Hounds put a brace afoot from the first draw on Wallace Clarke’s land and they settled on one pilot who took them right across Clarke’s, then Alistair McClory’s before coming onto our host’s lands. They then pushed across the land of the late Millar Bell, a noted general surgeon and very keen hunting enthusiast, picking up speed as they did so. This hunt continued into Roly Cunningham’s who, like his late father, was a joint master of the Co Down Staghounds. Roly’s sister, Anna McIlveen, also a former joint master of
the Staghounds, who lives locally and knows every blade of grass here, was among the car followers and was well able to keep everyone else among the car followers informed of our fox’s likely progress. From Roly Cunningham’s matters moved through Eric Hall’s and into Ronnie Abbott’s from where our fox went across Anna McIlveen’s and back towards the meet. Here hounds lost him in increasingly patchy scent allowing
everyone to return to the meet and further enjoy Bob Wilson’s generous hospitality.
Tara Harriers The now annual side-saddle meet in Co Meath was this year hosted by the Tara Harriers and took place at Brittas House, Nobber. Host Oinri Jackson welcomed some sixty side-saddle and the same number of “astride” riders with people from France, Sweden, Italy, the UK and beyond riding.
Imelda O’Donnell, MH Tara Harriers (centre) who was to the fore all day at the side saddle meet at Brittas. Countrysports and Country Life Spring 2014
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