Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

HUNTING
BEDALE
13 January
Kennel-huntsman Mikey Francis, who
will take over as huntsman next season,
walking out hounds before hunting
‘If you worry about the future of
hunting, a visit to this part
of North Yorkshire should allay
your fears’
The next generation: a litter of hound puppies at the kennels
that the “thruster” gene is present
in the next generation.
We piled on due east through
Ian Carlisle’s farm towards
Thornton Lodge and caught
up with Tim. The hounds had
checked and he was casting them
in Ruswick Gill on the farm
belonging to Thomas and Angie
Fall, who was out with their
daughter Kate. I chatted to the
new hunt chairman and retired
headmaster, Robert McKenzie
Johnson, and we discovered
we have a friend in common,
Miranda Osborne. Minutes later,
we saw Miranda standing outside
her house waving as we trotted
past. Susie Penrose, wife of
joint-master Matthew Penrose,
came up to introduce herself —
she works at the family sawmill
and has taken up hunting since
meeting Matthew.
Meanwhile, Tim had gathered
his hounds and was taking them
back through the farm buildings
to hold them on to a nice grass
farm called Thornton Lodge,
where they hit the line off again
and took us back across the lane,
jumping off it this time, towards
Marriforth where the trail had
started. The roads in this area are
not busy, but there were masses
of car followers, most of whom
seemed to be women in Frimble
bobble hats.
There had been a sense of
anticipation all day about going
back to Rookwith, where a
steeplechase of several hedges
were beckoning. Fortunately,
when we got there, hounds found
a couple of trails at the Pages’ Wild
Duck Carr and they took one that
headed south towards the River
Ure, providing the opportunity
everyone wanted for a bit more
jumping. Johnnie Furness and his
wife Grania were talking about
going home, but when they saw
everyone gathering in front of the
first hedge, they thought better of
it and headed over to join them.
I’m afraid I had spotted an open
gate, plus a couple of people down
on the road, so I headed in that
direction with a view of the field
as they sailed over the hedges in
Ed’s wake. There were still plenty
of people out.
Down on the road, I was
greeted by Cherry booming, “Why
aren’t you up there? Phoenix
would have loved those hedges.”
Master and farmer Matt
Penrose appeared.
Steven Tweddle looks neat over a decent set of rails
“They’ve got to come back
because we’re drawing this next,”
he explained, “and we can’t go
where they are heading.”
Matt joined the mastership
last season and is enjoying it,
he says, but he couldn’t do it
without his joint-master and
landowner Robert Ropner (a
cheerful character in a red coat
out today) who does so much to
keep the show on the road. Matt
also reiterated the big part the
Page family play in the success of
the hunt.
Nicky Morrison, former
master of the Zetland, had also
joined us when Tim and his
hounds reappeared, having
changed horses.
“Come with me if you like,
Tessa,” said Tim, as he hacked
past, so I joined a gang that
included kennel-huntsman
Pictures by Peter Nixon
44 Horse & Hound 8 February 2018