The new hunting year A round-up of who’s going where
The new hunting year started on 1 May. Catherine Austen rounds up the mastership changes and hunt staff moves for the 2018-2019 season
FOXHOUNDS
NORTH
JILL MORPHET becomes a jointmaster of the Badsworth and
Bramham Moor, and
Joanne Riley joins the team at the Barlow.
Mikey Francis takes over from Tim Coulson as joint-master and huntsman of the Bedale, having been kennel-huntsman since 2015. Aidan Beaney becomes kennel-huntsman to the Bedale and the West of
Yore — the two packs are kennelled together.
At the Cumberland Farmers,
David Robinson becomes master. Miles Seston becomes a
Middleton master, while Simon Hand, huntsman of the Cotswold until 2017, is the Middleton’s new kennel-huntsman.
Meanwhile, Julia Bucknall joins the Percy mastership.
The Saltersgate Farmers welcome Gill Smith as a master. Lynn Little joins the North
Tyne mastership.
The York and Ainsty South have two new masters — James Hudson and Andrew Stainforth.
Gordon Bottomley becomes huntsman of the Staintondale.
James Finney has moved from the Hurworth to the
Zetland as huntsman.
MIDLANDS
FREDDY MORBY, who spent last season at the West Norfolk, moves to the Albrighton and
Woodland as huntsman. Mary Crawford joins the
Atherstone mastership, and Bill Bishop becomes huntsman; Mike Lane, who hunted the hounds last season, stays in the mastership.
Event rider Daisy Berkeley,
who was part of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the 2007 European Championships, the silver medal-winning team at the 2006 World Equestrian Games and the squad that won bronze at the 2008 Olympics, joins the Berkeley mastership.
The Bicester with Whaddon
Chase mastership loses
Nicola Taylor and gains John Aprahamian. Meanwhile, Rupert Higgin becomes a Cheshire master, and Richard Darch and Sam Degregory become masters of the Flint and Denbigh.
The North Herefordshire and the North Ledbury have formed a partnership, and Jeff Bishop and Roger Price are the new joint-masters, while Luke Chatfield leaves the Sandhurst
Draghounds to hunt the hounds. Jackie Howard Jones joins the Kimblewick mastership, replacing Helen Jackson. Henry Bailey is the new joint-master and huntsman of the Ludlow. Steve Horton joins the mastership of the
Moorlands, while Chris Lamin becomes a South Notts master. Then there are three new
Pytchley masters — Sophie Cripps, who featured in H&H’s “top 25 under 25” in January for her work with the Westerby
Bassets, and Nick and Bo Wilson. Neil Holloway has stepped down.
The Hon Amanda Eastwood becomes a Quorn master.
And George Renwick takes over from Otis Ferry as master and huntsman of the South
Shropshire.
John Jeffries and Lizzie Colegrave join the Warwickshire mastership team after the retirement of Charmian Green. Lucy Jones joins the
Wheatland. And following Nigel and Sophia Peel’s move to the Thurlow, Oliver Dale becomes joint-master and huntsman of the
North Cotswold.
Julian Barnfield has retired
from the North Shropshire, and Peter McColgan takes over as joint-master and huntsman. Nigel O’Donnell also becomes a master.
EASTERN
THE Essex and the Essex Farmers and Union have merged, and the new team will now consist of Andrew Smith, Christopher Padfield and Bird Collins.
Charles Saffell moves from the
Dunston Harriers to take over as joint-master and huntsman at the West Norfolk. James Bradley will be his kennel-huntsman. Charles’ father Nick retires from the West Norfolk mastership after 19 seasons — and Charles’ sister Hannah joins the Oakley mastership, alongside Simon and Jo Paynter.
Meanwhile, Elliott Stokes becomes Nigel Peel’s kennelhuntsman at the Thurlow.
SOUTH
OLI THOMPSON, formerly
whipper-in at the Old Berks, goes to the Avon Vale as kennelhuntsman, replacing Josh Clarke,
who moves to the Portman.
Lucy Tucker joins her husband Mike in the mastership of the
Blackmore and Sparkford Vale,
Ralph Richardson takes over from his father Kim as amateur huntsman of the Crawley and
Horsham, and Luke Newton becomes kennel-huntsman.
Phil Heard becomes a master of the Mid Devon. And
Dulverton Farmers huntsman Anthony “Bones” Allibone joins the mastership.
At the Grafton, Henry Chapman joins the mastership team. Ben Dyer becomes an HH joint-master. And Sarah Attwood and Louise Furnival become East
Kent with West Street masters. Pippa Grob joins the Hursley
Hambledon mastership.
Carol Lovell, previously secretary of the New Forest, now
joins the mastership instead.
Warren Marshall joins the Old Surrey Burstow and West
Kent mastership. Wayne O’Brien, formerly kennel-huntsman of the
Eton Beagles, becomes kennelhuntsman at the OSBWK.
Tom Leeke, once a Ledbury joint-master, takes the role of master and huntsman at the West Somerset Vale. And at the West Somerset, Angela Nation joins the mastership. Andrew Smith moves from the
South Notts to become master and huntsman of the Spooners’
and West Dartmoor, following Henry Bailey’s relocation to the
Ludlow. Stuart Barton replaces Andrew at the South Notts.
The Spectator journalist Camilla Swift joins the Surrey
Union mastership and Daron Beaney will be kennel-huntsman.
James Cameron joins the Tedworth mastership. Meanwhile, Tom Phillips, former huntsman of the Britannia
Beagles, takes on the Tetcott as master and huntsman.
The South Tetcott will be hunted by Ben Lowe and Rosie
Till joins the mastership.
Annabel Brooks-Ward and Sara Kittow become masters of the Tiverton. While William Hudson, huntsman of the Wilton since 2017, becomes a master as well this season.
Dominic Jones has retired from the South Dorset, and
Toby Coles becomes master and huntsman in his place.
Simon Cann, previously master and huntsman of the Tetcott, moves to the Vine and Craven as huntsman.
SCOTLAND
COLIN TAIT becomes a
Berwickshire master. And Garry Kempsall joins the Dumfriesshire
and Stewartry team.
WALES
IAN McGHEE is the new huntsman of the Banwen Miners.
Emyr Davies joins the Vale
of Clettwr mastership team and Martin Richards will hunt the hounds. And Jamie Parish moves from the South Tetcott to hunt the Curre and Llangibby.
Edward Winnington, formerly kennel-huntsman of the Middleton, goes to the
Glamorgan as kennel-huntsman to Jacky Thomas.
Wyn Davies becomes master of the Llandeilo Farmers.
HARRIERS
LUCINDA BARRETT and Dick Shand become masters of the
Waveney, and Robin Bramley, John Ibbott and Becky Baker have stepped down. Paul Conway joins the Holcombe team.
Miles Easton becomes a
Dunston joint-master and, after Charles Saffell’s departure to the West Norfolk, Ben Hood, formerly Charles’ kennelhuntsman, will hunt the hounds. At the other end of the county, Remy Powell joins the North
Norfolk mastership.
Ricky Dolphin is returning to British hunting — he is becoming master and huntsman of the Ross, and his wife Jane joins him in the mastership.
BEAGLES
HENRY REYNOLDS will hunt the Pipewell Foot this season.
Guy Thomas will hunt the Blean. He previously hunted the Royal
Agricultural College — and, handily, has represented Britain at race-walking.
The RAC have three new jointmasters — Thomas Ind, William Deague and Edward Barlow.
And Neil Hargreaves will hunt the Britannia.
Kelvin Loader replaces Julian Osmond as an Ilminster jointmaster, and Charlie Durman will hunt the hounds.
The Purbeck and Bovington have three new masters — Clare Marsh, Jessica Mouland and Rodney Wild.
Martin Weatherhead, who has been at the helm at the
Warwickshire Beagles since 1989, has retired alongside Patric Thomas. John Bishop is returning to the mastership and is joined by Elle Simpson and Di Brian.
Jane Crease becomes a master of the Hunsley Beacon.
Robert Boutflower rejoins the
Shropshire mastership, while joint-master Tom Glenister will hunt the Old Berkeley.
Joanne Smith joins the team at the Pimpernel (Royal Signals) and Gail Greenhouse becomes a joint-master of the Dummer.
Martin Bluck will hunt the
Park. Meanwhile, Martin Milburn has retired from the Stoke Hill and North Dartmoor.
Jack Doherty is moving from the Holme and Colne Valley to the Glyn Celyn as huntsman. And the new Trinity Foot and South
Herts masters are James Bird and Wright Williams. H&H