People

Sean Cully (center) hunts his hounds at a joint meet in Geneseo, New York, hosted by Marion Thorne, MFH and huntsman of the Genesee Valley Hounds (at left). /   Noel Mullins photo

The first time I met Sean Cully he was Master and huntsman of the Blue Mountain Hounds (PA), and he was hunting an up-to-weight Irish Draught hunter. Blue Mountain, established by Cully in 1999 as a private foot pack, had been recently Registered by the MFHA.

On the occasion of our meeting, Cully was visiting Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds in Pennsylvania, celebrating their centennial year in 2013. Between then and now, this former Master and huntsman of a small foot pack has stabilized the foxhunting countries of two additional hunts in Pennsylvania under his Mastership and added winter fixtures near Aiken, South Carolina.

Jeep Cochran and her Calf Pasture Bassets

As dedicated, passionate—some might even say fanatical—members of the global sporting community of those who hunt with hounds, we all feel the loss of our treasured activities as the COVID pandemic rages across our countries. During this time of suffering it seems insensitive to mourn the departure of a single individual from our sporting scene, but in this case a large group of people has lost the opportunity to celebrate the career, times, and exemplary hunting life of the retiring Master of the Calf Pasture Bassets, Evelyn "Jeep" Cochran.

What? Is she dead? Emphatically not! But the pandemic has robbed all her friends of the chance to celebrate her life, her hounds, her triumphs too numerous to tally...at hound shows, at field trials, and over the course of a sporting life lived over an impressive span of years.

Shane Breen wins at the Christmas Masters CSI 5-Star at London International Horse Show.

We hadn’t seen Shane Breen since the end of last hunting season, and what a change since then. There is rejoicing in Scarteen country with the news that Shane has joined the hunt Mastership. During our many chats (mostly on Zoom) leading up this article, I asked him which gave him the most satisfaction, a top class win in showjumping or a really cracking day’s hunting. Without hesitation the answer came in favour of the latter. However, with a little prompting from wife Chloe he agreed that perhaps winning the Grand Prix in Dublin (with a purse of €330,000) might just shade it.

Michael Dempsey, Master and huntsman of the Galway Blazers parading 22-1/2 couple of hounds at the Dublin Horse Show, 1983 / Noel Mullins photo

Former Master and huntsman of the Galway Blazers for forty seasons, Michael Dempsey celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday last week. And there are still some who remember him hunting Lady Molly Cusack-Smith’s Bermingham and North Galway Hounds even before that!

In fact, your FHL editor was in the field near Bermingham House one hunting day that would have cancelled any prognostication of this man ever achieving ninety-five years topside.

Huntsman Ivan Dowling is an asset to his community. Public goodwill, we believe, is the key to the future of foxhunting.

Cheshire huntsman Ivan Dowling, hounds, and field on their way to the next draw   /   Jim Graham photo

Foxhunting Life has argued in past articles that the future of foxhunting depends simply on telling the truth about our sport and being good neighbors in our communities. Take Irish-born Ivan Dowling for example.

Performance Trial huntsman Chad Wilkes in North Carolina   /   Lucy Kelsey photo

The Aiken Hounds (SC) needed a huntsman, and Chad Wilkes was available. Sounds simple enough, but it really wasn’t. The story is in the hows and whys of it: the perfect timing, the perfect match, and how it all meshes so perfectly.

In 1914 many of the most adventurous men and women of American sporting legend organized the Aiken Drag—wealthy northerners Louise Eustis Hitchcock, MFH and huntsman; her husband Thomas Hitchcock, known today as the father of steeplechase racing in America; son Tommy Hitchcock Jr., who ranks with his father as one of the greatest American polo players of all time; plus the Belmonts, Vanderbilts, and Whitneys.

One day some years ago while recuperating from whatever had me grounded at the moment, I decided to follow my home pack, the Blue Ridge foxhounds, by vehicle. Fortunately, Chris Howells had an open seat, so I climbed into his blue pickup truck.

I knew that whatever would be seen of the action that day from any vehicle would be seen from Chris’s truck first. Every road follower wants to ride with Chris. If there’s no room, they do their best to follow him. Chris knows the country and how the foxes run.

Chris hunted the Blue Ridge foxhounds from 1973 to 2001 during the Mastership of Judy Greenhalgh. Since his retirement from the saddle, Chris has been following hounds on the roads for another almost twenty years. He serves as the principal road whip and remains a valued and knowledgeable member of the staff.

The following article was first published in the November 1983 edition of "Horseplay" magazine. –Ed.

The early morning light shows a solitary figure on his way to the kennels, a terrier at his heels and a can of Pepsi in his hand. Christopher P. Howells, huntsman for the Blue Ridge Hunt in Boyce, Virginia, is about to start another busy day. Hounds greet him with an enthusiastic din, but turn quiet as he speaks to them in his soft English accent and sees to the feeding.

Meet Val O'Connell, Field Master, Scarteen Black and Tans. / Catherine Power photo

Val O’Connell's is possibly one of the best known faces in organised Irish racing through his role in the Turf Club (now the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board). Val serves as chief inspector of courses and clerk of the course for half a dozen southern meetings. Perhaps what is less well known is that Val is one the keenest hunting men in these islands.

He has been Field Master of the famed Scarteen Hounds in Co Limerick for almost twenty seasons. I am among those who have attempted to follow him across the country on his grey, and know what a formidable horseman he is. As Field Master, Val is following in the footsteps of the legendary PP Hogan who held the role for many years when Thady Ryan carried the horn. Longtime Scarteen whipper-in Tommy O’Dwyer became young Val’s mentor. “Give the hounds a chance, and never jump into a field until hounds have left it,” was Tommy’s advice, and Val follows it to the letter in his role as Field Master.

Charlie Lewis whipped-in at Belle Meade for fifty years. /  Bella Vita Photogaphie 

Charlie Lewis announced his retirement as Master at the Annual Meeting of the Belle Meade Hunt (GA) after twenty-one years of service. Charlie has whipped-in to Belle Meade huntsmen for fifty years―to Master and huntsman Epp Wilson and before that to Epp’s late father, James, the hunt’s founder, Master, and first huntsman.

Over the years, Charlie has mentored several Belle Meade youngsters in the art of whipping-in, crossing the country, and growing into responsible adults. He served on the Belle Meade Hunt Committee as well.

“Charlie has been the go-to guy for fifty years,” said Epp Wilson. “He will tackle any problem for the Hunt. Whatever the problem or challenge, anyone in the Hunt could go to him and get wise counsel and advice. From landowner challenges, to friction between certain members, to building new hunt barns after fires.

The Ryans and Scarteen are fabled names to every foxhunter in the world. In addition to the many visitors to Ireland who have experienced the magic of following their pack of Kerry beagles—bred for more than 300 years by succeeding generations of the Ryan Family—both Chris Ryan and his late father, Thady, are well known in North America where they have visited over the years to judge hound shows, hunter trials, participate in panel discussions, lead clinics, and promote Irish tourism.

Chris Ryan, MFH and huntsman, Scarteen, takes his hard-hunting pack of Kerry Beagles to the draw.  / Catherine Power photo

The name of Chris Ryan is synonymous with all that is good about foxhunting and the famed Scarteen Black and Tan hounds. He is the eighth generation of the family to carry the horn, a tradition that goes back all the way to the late sixteen hundreds.