Heather Player carried the horn and Norfolk huntsman John Elliott whipped-in to her at the All New England Hunt hosted by Myopia in 2010. / Mary Marks photo
Myopia Hunt whipper-in Heather Player will move inland from Boston’s North Shore to become huntsman for the nearby Norfolk Hunt next season. Founded in the late 1800s, both hunts are among North America’s most venerable hunting institutions, and both have been hunting the drag since that time.
Heather grew up hunting with Myopia under the tutelage of well-known North Shore trainers Patrick and Barbara Keough.
“When I was around seven years old I started riding with Patrick and Barbara at the Myopia Hunt Club Stables,” said Heather. “Patrick started me hunting at eleven, and from
then on that’s all I wanted to do. I would do the local horse shows but never enjoyed it as much as hunting. I earned my Junior Colors at fourteen. My first paying job was at the Myopia Hunt Club at sixteen, riding and hunting horses.
“I owe a lot to the Keough’s. Patrick has been my one and only riding instructor since day one. He showed me how to get a good natural feel for the way a horse should go in the hunting field. He put me on a lot of different types of horses early on which helped me find my own style.”
Heather is a graduate of the MFHA’s Professional Development Program, a structured training course for aspiring huntsmen. She also credits former Myopia huntsmen McKay and Emmott for developing her feel for hounds.
“I owe a lot to Eugene McKay and Richard Emmott—Eugene for his sense of work ethic and Richard for taking the time to teach me about hounds and hunting. Richard handed me the horn more than a few times, especially after being accepted into the Professional Development Program. Because of his support, I was able to step in and hunt hounds while he was laid up during the 2010 formal season.”
John Elliott, Norfolk huntsman for the past eleven years, will step down at the end of this season and move, with his partner and current whipper-in Mary Marks, back to Virginia near Charlottesville. John will board retired horses, and Mary will run a dog day care business and boarding kennel at their new property.
Posted December 23, 2013