IT is generally recognised that only a very special horse will suffice for a huntsman of a premier pack.

Many of these horses acquire fame in their own right and often become even better known than their riders. No horse should ever be considered too good or too valuable for a huntsman on a big day.

Capt Harry Freeman-Jackson regularly hunted the Duhallow off St Finbarr whom he rode when representing Ireland in the Rome Olympics. Many of the greats are a one-off and often un-ridable unless they are up front.

Researching this article, I was privileged to speak to Michael Dempsey who is now in his nineties but whose feats in the Blazer country became the stuff of legend.

Special Horses? “Definitely two stand out. Gavaroche who I bought in my brother Patt’s dispersal sale, not a big horse about 16hh,” Dempsey said.

Legend has it that Michael and Gavaroce jumped the railway gates in Craughwell with the Dublin train imminent. He landed on the tracks and had barely a stride before meeting the exit gate. This feat is still spoken of in hushed tones anywhere west of the Shannon where hunting people foregather.

Another special horse was the aptly named Superman (by Middle Temple) who had such a turn of foot that he would act as lead horse for local trainers. Michael’s son Tom who went on to hunt the legendary pack whipped hounds off Ringleader who went on to win the European Junior Championship in Rome ridden by the owner.

Ringleader never made the return trip to Galway but a small lorry load of lire returned in his stead.

Tom speaks fondly of Frosty (Black Frost), a jet black horse with a white star who was produced by Jim Derwin. What made him special: “Bravery, he never refused and he was thinking all the time, you could depend your life on him,” Michael recalls.

Thady Ryan had Jacko, who was destined for greater things with David Broome but remained in Scarteen. His son Chris had several horses who became legends in their lifetime. He started with Keelo who might have passed off as a non-de-script bay but he had the engine of a Ferrari and the courage of a lion coupled with the brain of a mathematician.

He had been bought by Scarteen Master Semon Wolf from the Coleman’s in Duhallow but soon realised that Keelo required a very special jockey and was not for him.

Like many of these special horses they can only be ridden in front and Chris’ last horse Sprite produced by Fergus O’Shea of Nenagh was sold on the basis that.

“He had to be upfront or nowhere. He was a natural leader and couldn’t bear to be headed. Towards the end of the day if his tank was running dry, he had only to be passed by another horse to be re-invigorated and full of running for another hour.”

Sprite had been sold to England for really decent money but after attempting to hunt him he was returned for a fraction of his original price and so on the Scarteen. Rumour has it that the English rider is still receiving counselling!

Outstanding horses

Kevin O’Donohue now hunting with the Ballymacads for 23 seasons says: “Above all, the huntsman needs to be the best mounted in the field and needs a very special horse.”

He has had several outstanding horses during his reign but two stand out, Carousoe who came as a five-year-old from Joe Moore in Edenderry.

“He had a bit of a buck in him but loads of scope and forward thinking. He hunted 37 days in his first season,” O’Donohue said.

Then there was Allenwood, a 17hh grey by Dunkerrin Grey Mist who had “endless scope, was forward thinking and had a big stride.”

Ger Withers has produced marvellous sport in the demanding and three-day week country that is Duhallow. They specialise in long days over the unruly banks and trenches that make up that very special part of North Cork and is certainly not for the faint hearted.

They have produced sportsmen such as Vincent O’Brien, John Magnier, Jonjo O’Neill, Norman Williamson and not forgetting Capt Becher who lent his name to the famed Grand National fence. The bar is high!

Galloping horse

Ger talks lovingly of some of the great horses that have carried him over the barony of Duhallow. There was the big bay Davy by Yascham who stood at Denis Vaughan’s Clongeel Stud. He had been produced by James Fleming son of long-time hunt chairman Pat Fleming.

“As good as you will ever get, he galloped for fun and never turned away. A huntsman who has reason to question the ability or bravery of his hunter is beaten before he starts.”

Ger goes on: “Then there was the chestnut white-faced Ruler by Home Rule. He was bred by Alex Ott. A horse of unlimited ability he had been produced and schooled by Patrick Coleman. When the Colemans had him they would tack him up before hunting and give him an hour in the horse walker before leaving.”

This reduced but didn’t eliminate the risk of being bucked off and he has often dropped Ger even before leaving the meet. His ability in the field more than made up for early misdemeanours.

Ger takes up the story “He loved the hounds and wanted to stay with them above all when you jumped into a strange field he would start looking for a place to jump out and he was rarely wrong.”

On an average day a huntsman’s horse will probably cover 50% more mileage than the average hunter. While followers are chatting as hounds draw, the huntsman’s horse is rarely out of a canter.

Added to that he is generally jumping without a lead, often over a fence which may never have been jumped before. Whether it’s a yawner of a bank or a canal style trench or a five-bar gate, the proper huntsman’s horse has to take them in his stride.

These horses are born and not made!