A farewell to hounds

The role of huntsman or Master is a huge commitment for small remuneration. But handing back the horn isn’t easy, as several former incumbents explai

- ADRIAN DANGAR

NO ONE ’cept a huntsman knows a huntsman’s cares,” said Jorrocks of hunting hounds in the good old days. Surtees’ famous character would no doubt choke on his substantial hunting breakfast if told of the additional challenges facing huntsmen some 160 years later, which include hunting within the law, dealing with saboteurs, and simply finding enough space in a crowded countryside to arrange a day. Yet hunting continues to thrive and there is no shortage of practitioners prepared to step up to the mark and discharge the amateur huntsman’s role – and when it all goes well, most would agree there is still nothing to match the joy and fulfillment of handling a pack of hounds in good form. With a handful of notable exceptions, most amateur huntsmen have shorter careers than their professional counterparts, and, when it’s all over, many choose to give up hunting altogether rather than return as a member of the field. It’s often said that the pleasure of following someone else’s hounds is small beer compared to the heady draught of carrying the horn.

That was certainly the case for Hugo Busby, who hunted the RAC beagles before showing fine sport in Dorset as Master and huntsman of the Portman in the 1990s. “After nine seasons I reached a stage where I wanted to be able to put my hand in my pocket and buy a round of drinks, but I didn’t have the financial wherewithal to do so; I had lived off the generosity and favours of others for too long,” he remembers.