This article was first published in 2013. With an archive of thousands of articles available on our website, we hope you will agree that at least a few are worth republishing!
Booli Selmayr, professional whipper-in, Millbrook Hunt (NY): “A good day whipping-in is not having to be told, but instead, allowing natural instinct to guide me: listening to the horn and hounds, reading the terrain, and quickly distinguishing whether fox or coyote.” / Kirsten Edlund-Tunkel photoTo the uninitiated, the term whipper-in might conjure images of a callous fellow laying his whip across the backs of hounds for every infraction. In fact, the whip is used primarily for its loud crack as an attention-getter. The explosive noise breaks the concentration of hounds from whatever they are doing that the whipper-in wants to stop.
Hounds might have split from the main pack following the line of another fox, and the whipper-in wants to stop them and bring them back to the main pack. They may be young, inexperienced hounds hunting the line of a deer or rabbit. Or they may be hounds approaching a road with heavy traffic and need to be stopped for their own safety.
Hounds with their noses to the ground, doing what they were bred to do, can be pretty single-minded, but like all dogs, they are sensitive to a sudden loud noise. If the whipper-in’s voice won’t stop them, the crack of the popper at the lash’s end is the best use of the whip.
Professional or Honorary
The world of whipping-in is split into two camps—professional and honorary. The professional whipper-in often fills the position to gain experience and recognition on his or her quest to become a huntsman. As the title suggests, it is a paid position.
The honorary whipper-in is not paid, is generally recruited from the ranks of the hunt membership, and generally does not aspire to become a huntsman. He or she may be a riding member or one of the Masters.
Professional hunt staff in England go through a structured period of apprenticeship. Years are spent just doing kennel work before even being allowed to walk hounds out on exercise and before even being allowed on a horse. If all goes well, they will finally be taken on as second whipper-in to that or another hunt. After a few moves, they may be recommended to fill an opening for a first whipper-in somewhere else. Under the system, they purposely move every few years from one hunt to another, gaining experience and exposure to different huntsmen and different methods before finally being offered a huntsman’s post. Clearly, a strong foundation is laid through such a rigorous system.
Dr. Scott Dove, MFH and honorary whipper-in, Old Dominion Hounds (VA): “The huntsman is my employee, but while we’re hunting he’s my boss. I support him in the field, and any differences of opinion are discussed later.” / Karen L. Myers photo
Most huntsmen expect their honorary whippers-in to perform the same duties as their professionals. Indeed, huntsman John Gilbert of the Essex Foxhounds (NJ) claims to have seen some amateurs do a better job than some professionals. Whether member or Master, the honorary whipper-in introduces a complication into the dynamics of any hunt that employs a professional huntsman. One would be hard-pressed to think of another employment situation in which the employee (the professional huntsman) is in charge of and gives orders to the employer (honorary whipper-in). It can be a recipe for institutional disaster unless and until all parties accept and understand their respective places during the hunt. Each must exercise restraint of a different nature. The honorary whipper-in, though he may be Master and employer, must submit to the role of assistant to the huntsman during the hunt. And the huntsman must have the self-confidence to tell the honorary whipper-in what he needs to be done, as well as the restraint to keep emotions at bay in the heat of the moment.
At the Casanova Hunt (VA), if a strong rider in the field shows interest in whipping-in, professional huntsman Tommy Lee Jones will have him/her ride up with another whipper-in for a day. There’s no commitment on either side, and the candidate goes back to the field the next time out. But after further discussion, that rider may be invited to ride up again and, if all parties agree, the new honorary whipper-in will ride first with one then other whippers-in during that first season before going solo. A level of dedication is required on the part of the whipper-in. Jones expects all his whippers-in to spend time at the kennel, help with exercising, and learn the names of hounds.
Posted January 17, 2022