June 18, 2023

 Meath Foxhounds huntsman John Henry and whipper-in Barry Finnegan with the hosts of the meet, Charlie Noell owner of Ardbraccan, and Serina Williams Ellis at Ardbraccan House . Photo by Noel Mullins.

Noel Mullins gives a hunt report from last November about a meet of the Meath Foxhounds at Ardbraccan House in County Meath, Ireland.

Gavin Shorten, huntsman on the Tipperary Foxhounds, and James ODonnell meet at the Rock of Cashel. Photo Catherine Power. 

Here is a wonderful hunt report of the Tipp’s this past February.

There are many special days on the sporting calendar, but this meet of the Tipp’s at the foot of the Rock of Cashel promised to be all of the above and more besides. In addition, it was going to be their hunt ball night, the first ever to be held in the newly refurbished 5-star Cashel Palace. The ball was a sell-out with all 220 tickets sold and several on the reserves hoping they might get balloted in before they went to post.

According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated from the Devil's Bit, when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock's landing in Cashel. Not since 1647 during the confederate wars when the rock was besieged by troops under Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin, was there so much mounted activity on this day at the foot of the famed Rock of Cashel.

 Dude and Bre Kruger hacking the hounds back to the meet. Photo by Traci Duckworth.

A great huntsman impacts not only their hunt but members of other hunts. Sometimes this is through breeding their hounds, inviting guests to hunt, or attending hound shows and performance trials. In the case of Dave “Dude” Kruger, it was the Burwell.

North Hills Hunt has hosted an invitational hunt in Burwell, Nebraska, for something like 50 years. Little more than a slightly larger dot on a map, Burwell is known for three things: Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, the Calamus Reservoir, and foxhunting. It’s centrally located and easy to get to (if you don’t mind section roads through farmland), so the invitational weekends attract members from many hunts across the West. The country is only hunted 3-4 weekends a year so the coyotes are fresh and it’s always a good time. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the weather is guaranteed to be interesting no matter the time of year.