John Halligan stretches for a big double at Lattin. / Catherine Power photo
Spoiled for choice with three top-class Scarteen meets back-to-back, it appeared only logical to cover all three. With Christmas comes a choice of great hunting, and with scent (that essential but illusive ingredient) improving daily, the omens were good. And so it proved.
The little village of Lattin is so called because it was a seat of learning in the middle ages. The story goes that a weary traveller asked the way to Emly Cathedral of three roadside workers. The first answered in Gaelic while the second disagreed in Lattin, but the definitive directions were given in Greek. Gone are the classics, and the little village on the Tipperary/Limerick border would hardly warrant a backward glance from motorists today, but on a Scarteen hunting day it becomes a mecca. Keen enthusiasts arrange days off, marriages are postponed, and births delayed so that they might be there because it is a special place. Horses had been rested or galloped with the point-to-pointers in preparation for the day.
Scarteen Ladies: (l-r) Joint-Master Kate Jarvey, Mary Jane Kearney, Mel Purcell, Mairead English, Triona Fitzpatrick, and Jo Turvey. / Catherine Power photo
The Scarteen has just entered a purple patch of brilliant hunting, after what even their most fervent admirers would admit was a slow start. However, even one good day is enough to dispel all recent middling memories. Such was the day at Lattin.
Field Master Val O’Connell gives a strong lead. / Catherine Power photo
The line-up outside the Top House was impressive. Val O’Connell—turf club course inspector and general racing supremo—was Field Master, riding his third-season grey. Val didn’t earn his spurs just by turning up, but by being a leading National Hunt jockey going on to be placed in the Grand National before the course was dumbed down. He then went on to become one the great cross country riders and Field Master. He is surely tested when the Ryan brothers, Olympian Michael and brothers Hughie and Pat, are out. When available, they fill the role of whippers-in. Kate Jarvey up from Kanturk was the only Joint-Master out. Kate fills the dual mandate of being senior Master to Duhallow as well. Now in his second season back home, huntsman Raymond O’Halloran who previously hunted the South Nott’s in Nottinghamshire was in close confab with his whipper-in Frisk Jones. Scarteen have broken with tradition in having an amateur whipper-in in, Frisk, who brings a skilful enthusiasm to the role. First draw was right beside the village in Joe Breen’s farm where he and brother James were on hand to see hounds through. The Breen’s are a family steeped in horses and hunting with nephew Shane currently show jumping in Dubai. The first big bank claimed more than a few, but the Breen’s nephew, young John Breen on his good bay, had no problem and, as always, gave a great display.
John Breen and John Gleeson (Willie Gleeson’s son). In Ireland, a bloody face and a shredded coat show who is often the first to break the way through the thorny bushes atop the banks. / Catherine Power photo
The morning proved quiet, with even the great Mooresfort being blank. However, just as they jumped into John Finnan’s farm a fine dog fox was spotted slipping away by Hughie Ryan. They were in the cream of Scarteen country with every bank a challenge. A really sharp twenty minutes resulted before our pilot was marked to ground in Corby’s.
Cullen was to follow where an excellent day was enjoyed again over smashing country. Sadly space does not allow for a proper account so we will kick on to Knockcarron.
Huntsman Raymond O’Halloran is back home from England and in his second season hunting the Black and Tans at Scarteen. / Catherine Power photo
Knockcarron
The feast of St. Steven is celebrated in Scarteen from time immemorial with hounds meeting in Knockcarron, which straddles the Tipperary-Limerick border and is just a stone’s throw from the kennels. As always it was a gala occasion with a large mounted field and a Thomond park-size crowd on foot.
Among the onlookers were James Hanly of the all-conquering Ballyhimicin Stud accompanied by his brother-in-law, Lord Gardiner. A former chairman of the conservative party he is director of political affairs for the Countryside Alliance and chairman of his local hunt, the Kimblewick, in Buckinghamshire. After a short address from senior Master Chris Ryan, hounds moved off to their first draw nearby in Matt Gleeson’s horse farm which has a disused quarry right behind the stables. With car followers and onlookers having a bird’s eye view of proceedings, hounds spoke almost immediately and a dashing dog fox was spotted by the eagle-eyed Frisk as he slipped away towards Lackelly. Hounds were briefly at fault, but second-season hounds Total and Lifeguard soon had the pack on line, possibly the only check all day. The check was probably the only time that day that Field Master Eamonn Gleeson had any difficulty in controlling the field. He was on his second-season grey that he thinks the world of, despite having been bucked off last season and confined in a body cast for a couple of months. With a large well-mounted field, the excitement was palpable, but once hounds properly recovered the line, Eamonn later admitted he was almost redundant as the speed was such the field were strung out over most of East Limerick and West Tipperary.
…and those who paid the toll. / Catherine Power photo
They ran towards Monemore and former hunt secretary James Purcell’s farm. They met and jumped a high single bank, guarded fore and aft by wide trenches. This bank (Purcell’s single) serves as the second-last obstacle in the Scarteen cross country race, and is frequently decisive in determining the winner. Raymond O’Halloran led the way on his new horse’s first day. This horse had been found by Dermot O’Halloran (Raymie’s brother) on a day with the Limerick Harriers. This chestnut had showjumped at a high level before returning to hunting, and had been produced by Dessie and Danielle Lenihan who produce some outstanding hunters. Hot on Raymond’s heels were his three whippers-in, then gate openers and general assistants Johnny Halligan and Mark Clery had to ready to jump off their horses in a split second to keep the action going. Purcell’s single resulted in at least half a dozen jockeys taking up foot hunting, but happily all were re-united with their horses and continued.
Hounds then crossed the Monemore/Emly road and appeared to be making for Mooresfort but not before crossing Mairead English’s farm. At this stage Mairead was showing the way with every bank of Beecher’s proportions. Before reaching Mooresfort our pilot, knowing just where he was going, swung right-handed again through John Finnan’s before they jumped into Johnny Halligan’s farm near Ballywire. Here, the field met probably the biggest bank of the day, a monumental double guarded by a lesser tributary of the Shannon. While it has been jumped before, it is usually from the other direction with the benefit of gravity. At this stage Johnny Halligan (on home ground) and veteran John Gleeson were showing the way. With or without his trademark cigar, Gleeson is an outstanding cross country rider, having been schooled by the great PP Hogan.
Nor were the fair sex found wanting, with Jo Turvey who came back with huntsman Raymie from the South Nott’s showing how much she has learned about bank jumping since she arrived. Hounds at this stage were several fields ahead but their voice was so good the field was able to stay in touch by sound. Hounds crossed the Galbally/Tipperary road into Russell’s farm. Well up on the pace was young Dave Russell on his good grey that was brought on by his Kilkenny cousins, the McHenry’s. He follows the principles of the great Mark Twain who famously remarked that school should never be allowed to interfere with a good education!
All good things come to an end, and just when horses were reaching the end of their tether our fox was marked to ground near Gallbally Coursing field and quite rightly left and given best. After a decent breather which allowed stragglers, of which there were many, to catch up, hounds returned to John Taylor’s farm to draw on. This great hunting family was well represented on the day by Elaine Taylor and her brother, James. The Taylor family have been the backbone of the hunt. Their dad, John, only recently surrendered his jumping license. Hounds found on the famed beech ditch before swinging left-handed towards John O’Brien’s, Johnny Purcell’s, and Hennessey’s. It was around here that Joe Kearns went for a swim (mostly under his horse) and ended up in the Emergency Room with Florence Nightingale (Mairead English) to see him through. As hounds were approaching Ballywire, scent petered out just as light was failing.
What yet remained of an exhilarated but bedraggled field hacked back to Knockcarron and the hospitality of the Foxe’s Den, where the day was re-lived and banks re-jumped.
Posted March 17, 2019
This article previously appeared in The Irish Field and is republished with permission.