Louise Hoadley

The East Essex hunt secretary is the first person to offer a helping hand, and has passed her love of hunting on to her “mad keen” daughter

- Frank Houghton Brown

“SHE’S just one of those ‘go-to’ people,” is how the highly regarded huntsman of the East Essex, Gary Thorpe, describes hunt secretary Louise Hoadley. “If it involves the hunt, there is nothing she wouldn’t do.”

Louise’s grandfather followed the East Essex on foot and she says, “When I was two weeks old and wouldn’t stop crying, the only thing that would keep me quiet was taking me hunting.”

As soon as she could drive Louise would follow the hounds in every spare minute she had. She was exclusively a car- and footfollower until she learnt to ride at the age of 24.