The Suffolk Scribe The quarterly newsletter of The Suffolk Hunt Welcome to our Summer newsletter Although horses and hounds are enjoying a well-earned rest after a season of Summer 2013 Contents: incredibly deep going, the cogs of the Suffolk Hunt have continued turning The team at the kennels, the Supporters Association and many other helpers have all been busy with various events and shows to prepare for and attend. These have all been very well received and you can read more about them under the Kennels update section. As ever, the aim of this newsletter is to keep you up to date with what has happened and what is happening in the future. On that note, Euan Nicolson has Introduction 1 The life of a puppy walker 2 Events update 2 The Hot Seat E. Nicolson 3 Farmer s Corner C. Brown 4 Kennels update 4 Brown has put pen to paper for the Farmer s Corner. Hound Sponsorship 4 There are still many more events coming up in the calendar over the next few Classifieds 5 Forrard on 6 now joined Richard Ames MFH and Lesley, Lady Henniker-Major MFH in the Mastership, and we wish him every success for the future. For those of you who may not yet have met Euan, there is an introduction to him in this newsletter. There are also some anecdotes on the joys of puppy walking and Christopher months (see Forthcoming events ), and we hope you are able to support them in whatever way you can as they are vital to the continued success of the Suffolk Hunt. Please do feel free to invite any friends, family or colleagues everyone is invited! Likewise if you would like to either help at, or host, an event then of course you are very welcome. We hope you are all enjoying the break from the routine of the season, and that we all get a bit of sun on our backs before returning in the Autumn feeling suitably refreshed to see some old faces, meet some new and hopeful for continued good sport.
The life of a puppy walker I tell you now, that the whole future success of your breeding hounds rests on being able to get good walks. A farmhouse is an ideal home for a puppy, and you must make friends with the farmers or, better still, their wives if you wish your pack to prosper. So wrote the Leicestershire hunting correspondent J. Ortho Paget over a century ago, and the fact that nothing has changed is one of the enduring signs of how hunting still forms part of the fabric of the British countryside. The Suffolk Foxhounds go out to their walkers around eight weeks old, one of whom is Roxy Dudley, who has given us an overview of her recent experiences here: From cuddling tiny pups to being forcibly dragged around the puppy show ring, the life of a puppy walker is never boring. From the day they arrive one of them is always doing something it shouldn't, be it hightailing it across the farmers fields or destroying anything they find. Despite being trouble the majority of the time Molly and Modish (this year s pups) were a joy to look after, as were all my pups. We had endless fun, even more so since Corsey (my first ever hound pup) was Molly and Modish's mum. I think one of the best parts about puppy walking is the bond you develop with the pups. There is nothing better than seeing your pup all grown up out in the hunting field! One of my fondest memories of Molly and Modish is of walking them in the paddock. They were around 2 months old and getting quite tall. We were about halfway round the field when all of a sudden Molly charges into me from behind, buckling my knees and pouncing all over me! Next thing I know Modish has the bag of treats (a handy little trick to get the pups back into their pen) and has shot off down the field! 10 minutes and plenty of curses later and I finally get the bag back minus a few treats! It must have been a sight to see! Despite all the fun and games puppy walking is a lot of responsibility. Molly and Modish had 2 walks a day most days plus feeding according to how much meat they have and clearing up their pen. The pups are always up for a run and its lovely when they hear my car come down the drive and trot out to meet me! All in all puppy walking is a lot of hard work but the pups are a joy to have and you get a great feeling of accomplishment when you walk your pups round the ring! I'm looking forward to seeing all my hounds and all of you next season!!! Roxy Dudley The Suffolk Hunt Point to Point Following the postponement of the Point to Point due to the bad weather, the day was rescheduled for the 14 th April. Fortunately this time round the sun was shining, the official going was good, good to soft at the bottom of the course and a great day of racing ensued with a large crowd in attendance. Gina Andrews scored a treble, with James Owen winning the Hunt race, Rupert Stearn winning the East Anglian Area Club Race and Joe Hill winning the Men s Open on Ravethebrave. Hunt Supporters Terrier Show The Suffolk Hunt Supporters held their Terrier, Lurcher and Family Dog Show on the 19 May at the Hunt Kennels. There were large entries in all rings and the show was well organised by Lillian Clarke. The Terrier ring was judged by Mr Graham Voyce from Essex. Best in Show was the Red Lakeland Teal with Ms McPhearson from Nottingham. Best Puppy in Show was the Patterdale Boots with Mr Gifillin from Essex. Best under 12.5 inch Jack Russell was Sizzle with Mrs L Clarke from Suffolk. Best in the Children's Handling class was Hayden Hutchinson with Bramble and Reserve Charlotte Arnold with Sizzle. In the Lurcher ring Judged by Mr P Newsome from Lincolnshire Best in Show and Best Large Lurcher went to Mrs Deery of Suffolk with. Best Puppy was Miss A Perry from Suffolk with Hal. Best in the Children's Handling was Ellie Fudge from Suffolk with Muffin. Winners in the Family Dog classes were Hayden Hutchinson with Bramble and Reserve Dora with Debbie. A big thank you to the following sponsors: A & C Plants Long Melford (Food for prizes), Mrs C Clements (Rosettes) Mrs S Aldous and Mrs L Clarke (Advertising and printing).
In the hot seat Euan Nicolson MFH I started hunting as a child in West Sussex with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray with my first two ponies, Henry and Merlin, and I have strong recollections of frequent sharp reminders to keep well behind the Field Master and my rather feeble and regular response. I was trying to! I was later very fortunate to have a lovely Cleveland Bay Thoroughbred cross, called 'Mr B'. He was a brilliant horse with an abundance of character, and although a reasonable eventer, he had a strong preference for hunting. I was fortunate to be asked by our MFH at that time, Nigel Peel, to occasionally accompany our whip out in the country and this gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding of the traditions and the art of hunting. I moved up to Suffolk at the start of the 1989 / 1990 season to point to point in East Anglia. I had tremendous fun point to pointing and have also had many wonderful days hunting where I am very much aware that my enjoyment has come about from the hard work and support of many others within the hunt, in particular Sean and the team at the Kennels. I am very conscious of what it takes to ensure the success of both hunting and point to pointing and I am passionate that both should continue and flourish. If through accepting the Suffolk Hunt Committee s kind invitation to become a Joint Master I can contribute to this, I will be very happy. My three great loves of hunting can be summarised as follows: the fantastic sight of hounds working under the control of a skilled huntsman and his team; the access to our incredibly beautiful English countryside that farmers and landowners kindly open up for the hunt; the magical bond that can be created between horse and rider in the hunting field, something I call the 'golden thread'...although this may occasionally break as evidenced in my recent fall from 'Buzz' at Walsham Le Willows! I am very much looking forward to the forthcoming season. Euan. Resting time The gold is on the gorses, The leaf is on the plane There s rest for all good horses Till cubbing comes again. The beaches throw new shadow, Wild flowers the pasture fill, There s clover in the meadow And round the sheltered hill. And shoeless feet go lightly, As slow our favourites pass, And forehead stars gleam whitely Among the cool wet grass, The bright spurs languish idle Through many a sunlit day, The saddle and the bridle, Are cleaned and laid away. Yet who but will remember The rides that went between The red leaves of November And April s early green? W.H. Ogilvie.
Farmer s Corner Christopher Brown With my son Rupert in charge these days we are lucky to farm land south of Bury in a ring fence with the Church Farm buildings being in the geographical centre. We grow crops of wheat, sugar beet and oil seed rape which are the normal crops for this area. We are also very keen on the conservation side of our land ownership and have some considerable areas of water, woodland and reedbeds which provide varied habitats for wildlife, especially in South Norfolk where we run a soil based business involving digging holes in wet areas! Part of this multi use occupation of our farmland involves entertaining the hunt on a fairly regular basis, we probably see hounds as many as half a dozen times each season! There is also a shoot managed by Andrew my brother, the Hunt Chairman, and despite some preconceptions the two field sports really can coexist. As a family we have farmed in Suffolk Hunt country for six generations so far and as my great, great grandfather only made a move of some fifteen miles 150 years ago we, as a family, could claim a very long connection with Suffolk soil. I started hunting in about 1990 having 'learnt ' to mansit on a horse that same year, nothing too much has changed easy when you are in your forties, less easy now! It has to be said that I have always regarded farming as my favourite fieldsport and whether hunting or shooting comes next I am not sure but I do enjoy which ever I am doing on the day. Kennels update Since the hunting season has finished the kennels have been preparing for the various events that happen over the summertime. These include new puppies being whelped and looked after, various parades and shows to attend and of course the Puppy Show at kennels. This year we have had three litters of puppies, which are now out to walk with our dedicated team of puppy walkers. We started our show season with the Schools Fair at Trinity Showground in Ipswich, which was very well attended from local schools in Suffolk. We paraded hounds at South Suffolk show (see picture), Suffolk County Show and recently Euston Country Fair. There have also been visits from Gt Whelnetham School and Cygnets Pre School to see kennels and our new puppies. The Terrier show was hosted at the kennels in May, which was organised by the Supporters Association and was well attended. Work is now underway to tidy up the kennels and preparing to hold Puppy Show, when hopefully the sun will shine! In the coming few weeks there are Hound Shows at Peterborough and Blaston (see Forthcoming Events ) where we always appreciate the strong support we get. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Puppy Show on Sunday 23rd June. Hound sponsorship Once again there is the opportunity to sponsor a hound from the kennels. This has proven to be very popular in recent years as it allows you to lay claim to one of the hounds, and Sean or William will be more than happy to give you an update on its characteristics, performances and development both in kennels and in the field. Ashley Holmes (07852 302158) is organising this and you will be able to purchase a picture of your hound from him at the Puppy Show for 20. There will be opportunities after this to sponsor a hound if you are unable to make it to the Puppy Show.
Classifieds Rodent & Insect Specialists: Cluster flys, Loft area, Wasps, Ants, Fleas, Rats, Mice, Moles, Rabbits & Deer Management. Agricultural & domestic. 6 & 12 month contracts available. Nick Leonard 07979648857 www.pestcontrolserviceshaverhill.co.uk HUNT GROOM REQUIRED To work with hunt horses. Must be capable to turn out to high standards, clipping, plaiting etc Accommodation available on site, if required. Opportunity to hunt Apply to: 01284 386292 Sean or Tina For all types of fencing commercial, domestic and equestrian. Tel: 01284 728428 Mob: 07831 191475 Email: Griffin.fencing@btinternet.com Quality meadow & seed hay for sale, conventional or large bales, can arrange local delivery Paul Cornwell 07771 528862 www.cornwellcontracting.com LUCY S SNACKS Bacon rolls, burgers, sausages, sandwiches, hot & cold drinks, homemade cakes. Orders taken. Available for private functions. Also cold finger buffets for any occasion. 07580 848989 / 07799120081 lucypettitt@live.co.uk Long Melford Saddlery & Clothing Long Melford Saddlery supplies a complete range of equestrian goods. There is a massive selection of equipment for the Horse Owner, Rider and Trainer in the saddlery and many leading brands in the Country Clothing shop. www.longmelfordsaddlery.co.uk 01787 378734 or info@longmelfordsaddlery.co.uk
A.C.H FARRIERY Reduce your organisation s energy bills Generate revenue from Government incentives Minimise your carbon footprint Solar PV Solar Thermal Biomass boilers Voltage Optmisation Green energy funding and finance brokerage. www.evo-green.co.uk Contact Ryan O Connell. 01638 555010 BACK 2 TRACK Benny Stenderup BSc (hons) PG Dip AMM, EBW, Adv Dip-NAVP Veterinary Physiotherapist, Mctimoney Animal Practitioner and Equine Sports Massage Therapist. Mobile: 07774910099 Email: bennystende rup@hotmail.com All types of shoeing and trimming undertaken, in a friendly professional manner. Please call Ashley Holmes on 07852 302158 or email shoeyou@hotmail.co.uk CHARWOOD EQUESTRIAN Offering Part, Full,Hunting, Schooling and Sales livery also Backing/Breaking youngsters all tailored to individual requirements. Indoor loddon boxes, Individual tack lockers in a secure tack room. Lunge/Turnout arena. 60x40 Floodlit arena. Post and rail/ wooden posts and lovely off-road hacking. For more details please contact Gemma on 07793 610810 or gemma.white@btinternet.com Birds Farm, Blacksmiths Lane, Thorpe Morieux. Dates for the diary (Please do come and show your support) 28th July - Kennels Open Day Free entry gates open at 1pm, lots to see for all the family. Meet the hounds, tour the kennels, fly casting, birds of prey, ferrets, welly throwing, target shooting, games for the children, stands, stalls and much much more. 18th August Supporter s Association Horse Show, Thorne Court, Cockfield. Classes for everyone. Schedules (SAE please) available from Mrs R Griffin, Meadow View, Fen Road, Pakenham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 2NE. By kind permission of Mr T Walrond. Hound Shows: Blaston Hound Show - Sunday 30th June & Peterborough Hound Show Peterborough Showground - Wednesday 17th July. There is also the chance to compete in the Inter Hunt Relay at Peterborough. Please contact Emma Clements - 07967 270262. The Start of Season Party will be held at Ampton Hall, Ampton - by permission of Rose Turner and family - date to be arranged. Suffolk Hunt Supporter s Association Membership Forrard on Became due on 1st May 2013 for the coming 2013/14 season. Please make your cheque for 10 payable to SHSA and send to Membership Secretary Mrs L Clarke, Torwan House, Mill Road, Pakenham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 2NE. The Hunt Ball Will be held at Ickworth Park again on the 9 th November. Full details in the next newsletter. 2014 Calendar Will be produced again by Chris Minter and will be ready towards the November time. We hope you have enjoyed our Hunt Newsletter. If you would like anything included in our Autumn edition, please do not hesitate to get in touch with either Ryan O Connell (07740344862 ryan@evo-green.co.uk) or Tina Hutchinson (07810030560 christinahutchinson@live.co.uk). Please submit your content by the 15 th September.