Name of huntsman: Richard Bonham.

From: Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath.

Name of Pack:

Lakeland Foot Beagles.

Kennels based at?

Castlepollard Co. Westmeath.

Describe your huntsman experience?

I whipped in to Kieran Lambert at the Balgarrett Beagles for several years and then spent two seasons hunting them myself before college and work commitments meant I couldn’t commit to the job. During my time with Kieran, I took charge of the care of the hounds in the kennels alongside other people.

Where did your interest in hunting stem from and did you ever hunt on horseback?

My parents both hunt with foxhound packs and have done so all their live. However, I never got on with horses so I ended up hunting with and then whipping-in to the Balgarrett Beagles who previously hunted the Mullingar area. I may have hunted at a few children’s meets on horseback when I was very young but I haven’t been hunting on horseback properly!

I followed the Ballymacad Foxhounds with my father when I was younger and that would be where my original interest came from. For as long as I can remember, we have walked hound pups for several packs every summer so I always loved hounds.

Who or what’s been your biggest influence to date?My biggest influence to date has been my Grandpa. He was a great hunting man but he also imparted to me a love and a respect of nature that brings an extra depth to a day’s hunting.

He was a gentleman and I always try to live up to his memory.

Describe the daily role of a huntsman (on non-hunting days)?

As we are an amateur pack, I don’t get any remuneration for the job so I work full time as well as looking after the beagles. This means that I rely on other people to help me care for the beagles.

On a normal weekday, the hounds are checked every morning and while I’m at work, I am very lucky to have my mum who checks the beagles and brings the unentered pups for a walk. When I get back from work, I get a chance to exercise the rest of the beagles, wash them out and feed them.

On weekends I get more time to do things like work with the pups for next year and bring the beagles on longer walks to build up their fitness and the relationship with you as a huntsman.

If I’m late home from work, my dad or one of the other members of the hunt can cover for me to make sure the beagles get the time they need every day.

What days do you hunt and when does your season start/end?

We hunt every Sunday and some bye-days during the season from September 28th until the end of February.

As you are a new pack, where do you source your hounds from? Have you bred any of your own beagles?

We have been very fortunate to get beagles from many packs in England and Ireland. Packs have been very generous and supportive of our new pack.

We also got hounds from the Woodrock and Blackwater Valley Beagles, Maryboro Farmers Beagles, Cavanapole Beagles, Sunnyland Beagles, Park Beagles and the Britannia Beagles.

We have five and half couple of pups that will start hunting next season whom were bred by us last summer.

Importance of good relations with landowners?

Hunting simply couldn’t continue without the support of landowners who allow us to hunt over their land. We have a great relationship with our landowners and we keep a good relationship with our three local foxhound packs the Ballymacads, the Meaths and the Westmeaths to make sure we aren’t hunting the same country too often.

How do you choose the various meets?

There are several factors I considered when I’m looking at opening new country; amount of hares in residence, any dangers nearby (ie. busy road or train-tracks), accessibility for followers and lastly the views!

What in your opinion is the importance of local network of puppy walkers?

We were lucky this summer to get the majority of our pups out to walk with our puppy walkers.

This makes a massive difference to pups in developing them and introducing them to as many different experiences as possible.

It is also a great way for people to feel connected to a pack as the beagles they walk will always remember them and come up to them at meets!

What is your funniest hunting memory?

When I was whipping-in to the Balgarretts, one of the other whips managed to drop his walkie talkie into a bog drain and arrived back to the meet black from head to toe after he decided he could dive in and get it!

What in your view is the best thing about hunting and being a huntsman?

I think particularly as an amateur huntsman, it is important that you enjoy the everyday care of your hounds.

It’s a relatively short hunting season so as much as that is what your year is built around the best thing for me is seeing the beagles every day and getting to know them and watching them develop and improve week on week and year on year.