OLIVIA Anne 5th Baroness Hemphill (nee Ruttledge), known to her friends as Lady Anne, was one of the finest field-masters of the Galway Blazers, a role she filled for 15 seasons.

She was a difficult lady to keep up with, particularly when she was on her favourite hunter Rockmount, purchased from top Co Clare racehorse producer Tom Costello. Lady Hemphill was an exceptionally elegant and friendly lady in every respect, with time for everybody, always encouraging younger riders, great company to be with, and well travelled with a wide range of interests.

Hunting

I remember hunting in Oranmore when Michael Dempsey was huntsman, and as he drew the last covert at the Rifle Range in near darkness as was his way, hounds found immediately and we were away. Lady Anne, leading the field, came down in a narrow lane when her horse slipped on take-off. We decided to stop and help when we got a glimpse of her hand, barely visible over the wall, waving us on as she was trying to extricate herself from under her horse, saying, “Go, on, go on, don’t mind me, enjoy yourselves”!

She often recalled the fun she had hunting with the County Limerick Foxhounds over the double banks, and particularly the hospitality they received when her husband, Peter Patrick, and herself hunted in America with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Hounds in Pennsylvania.

Lady Hemphill was born in India where her father Robin, a noted ornithologist and author, was attached to the Indian Cavalry as Commander of the Governor’s Bodyguard in Madras.

Her mother, Rose Burke from Ballydugan, was a cousin of George St John Burke, one of the oldest amateur jockeys to ride in the Grand National at Aintree on his horses, Irish Coffee and Uncle Whiskers.

It was in India that she first hunted, initially with the Peshawar Hounds, and later with the Ootacamund Hounds in the Ooty Valley.

Connemara calling

Aged six, her family returned to Ireland to live at her mother Rose Burke’s home at Cloonee in Co Mayo. It did not take long for her father to buy a Connemara pony from Paddy Daly near Lough Mask, named Peggy. Paddy Moran, who worked on the farm, took her hunting regularly to the North Mayo Harriers, hunted that time by Percy Dickenson who had hunted with former Blazers’ master and huntsman Major Bowes Daly.

The foundation stallion at the late Lady Hemphill's stud at Tulira, Tulira Mairtin \ Ruth Rogers

Meets were in Castlebar, North Shore, Lough Carra and Roundfort. Other days they would transport the pony and horses by train from Ballyglunan to hunt with the Blazers, then hunted by Paddy Pickersgill. Although she attended school in Mount Anville in Dublin, the young girl’s mind was far from study and more on hunting.

After leaving school, she and her equally glamorous sister Veronica worked in London, hunting with the Heythrop, enjoying the social circle but coming back for the Galway Races. She met her husband, Lord Peter Patrick Hemphill, when he was studying in Oxford and they were married in 1950 in St James’s Church by the Abbott of Downside School. In 1952, they moved into Tulira Castle, outside Ardrahan, which they restored.

Here they raised a family of two daughters, Angela and Mary-Anne, and son Charles. Peter Patrick went on to be one of the longest serving masters of the Galway Blazers and Lady Anne led the followers, but also served as joint-master with Major Philip Profumo. His brother John was the British War Minister who was involved in the Christine Keeler Affair, resulting in his and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s resignation. Lady Anne and Peter Patrick also enjoyed their days hunting with the Scarteen, County Limericks and the Westmeath Foxhounds. However, she always said that it was easy to hunt often six days a week when you had a cook, domestic staff, grooms and gardening staff!

Connemara Pony Stud

Over dinner with film director John Huston, who was joint-master of the Galway Blazers at the time and living at nearby St Cleran’s, Lady Hemphill purchased two of his Connemara ponies, Glen Nelly and Star of Fahy. They were to be the foundation stock of the Tulira Connemara Pony Stud which, at its height, had a herd of 50 ponies. She put the mares to Tooreen Ross which produced Tulira Mairtin and Tulira Mavourneen, later a champion over three years at Dublin Horse Show. Her stud produced many international champions, too numerous to list in detail.

However, just to mention a sample, Tulira Robuck, who stood with Pakie Whelan, won many championships in Ireland and during his spell with Robin Avery and Chris Patrick in Lancashire, he won 16 championships, three Supremes and one In-Hand Championship as well as 14 Mountain and Mooreland Championships. He also qualified for the Horse of the Year Show and won the Open Riding Class Olympia Qualifier and Championship. Some of his progeny went to owners around the world and to racehorse trainers Henrietta Knight and Jim Bolger.

Tulira Katie Daly competed in the show ring and was Connemara Performance Champion in Ballinasloe, and All Ireland Ridden Champion and Supreme Champion, and was evented successfully by Sorcha North. Others like Cregmore Colm and Tulira Bobby were champions in Australia while Napoleon was champion in Libya. Lady Anne was in demand as a judge, both nationally and internationally of Connemara ponies, and was delighted when her granddaughter, Serena, started hunting with the Blazers, and with her interest in taking over the Tulira Connemara Pony Stud which continues to maintain the high standards that Lady Anne set down.

Lady Hemphill received many awards over the years, including the Connemara Pony Society Hall of Fame Award as owner and breeder of the performance mare Tulira Katie Daly.

In 2012, Lady Hemphill received the RDS Award for her Distinguished Services to Equestrianism in Ireland by then then president of the RDS, Fonsie Mealy, in the Main Arena during Horse Show Week.

Co Galway Hunt Pony Club

Lady Hemphill founded the County Galway Pony Club in 1963, whose colours are the maroon and white of Galway GAA teams, and brought out the best in every young person. She was fortunate to have the assistance of Colonel Dick Lovett, a former cavalry officer in India, author Anita King, and Helen Dennison. Pony rallies were held on the Galway Racecourse at Ballybritt and at her home at Tulia Castle. Lady Anne’s horse lorry would travel to all the homes of children that did not have transport and get them safely to the rallies. They won a number of Irish championships, including the Pony Club Championship in 1969, ’72 and ’73 as well as being placed at Stoneleigh.

She produced many fine riders, including international junior eventers like her daughter Angela, who was on the first junior international team that Pam Gillispie took to Germany. Maxie Scully went on to create a new world record in the World High Jump Bareback Competition in the RDS while former master of the Blazers, Dr Rose Dempsey and her cousin Tom who hunted the Blazers, were also junior international eventers. And her graduates included the occasional celebrity as well, particularly actress Angelica Huston and her brother and film producer Tony, always accompanied by their stud groom and mentor Paddy Lynch.

Lady Hemphill and her husband Peter Patrick, who was chairman of the Galway Race Committee, and a Senior Stewart of the Turf Club, were avid racegoers, never missing Cheltenham.

He was responsible for many innovations in Irish racing, particularly corporate sponsorship, mobile starting stalls, and facilities. With him, she was able to follow her passion for horse racing. Sailing was also another great interest in the summer months, particularly to the Aran Islands with many of John Huston’s Hollywood film stars.

Legacy

Lady Hemphill greeted everybody with a welcoming smile, usually followed by, “Now tell me where you have been and what you’ve been doing since we last met.” She made such a huge contribution to hunting, pony club and her Connemara Pony Stud which is known all over the world. Her pony back breeding lines, that she so carefully planned, will last the test of time in Connemara Pony pedigrees for generations to come.