the ooty today

The Ootacamund (Ooty) Hunt was founded in 1835. After the Second World War it continued under civilian management but when the then commandant of Indian Defence Services Staff College, Major General

Lentaigne, realised it might not continue it was adopted by the college.

As a result of Roddy Sale (Captain Welsh Guards, Rtd) hunting with the Ooty he realised that they had had no draft hounds since 1970 and thus consulted the late Captain Ronnie Wallace MFH, who recommended a draft from the Hurworth. Shepherd was imported in May 2004. Sale and Alice Helme then had a day in 2010 and Mirabel Helme, MFH, kindly donated a draft from the Tedworth in June 2011.

The bureaucracy of hound import steadily mounted. The Hunt operates as a drag hunt over its traditional country in the rolling hills outside Ooty. The kennels have 26 hounds, which are looked after by Pakianathan, a thirdgeneration kennelman.