THE Bray Harriers meet at Michael and Siobhan Herbst’s Wicklow Polo Grounds, on the outskirts of Wicklow Town, signifies the ever close relationship between mounted hunting and polo. Michael Herbst hunted with the Brays in the past, and it was not until he retired from hunting, did he develop the impressive polo grounds on his farm. It is a unique establishment where multiple businesses operate in parallel. It is a working farm, agricultural contractor, and a software business which serves the agri-industry.

The other piece of the jigsaw is the polo grounds which has stabling for 160 polo ponies, Ireland’s only all-weather polo ground, a full size grass polo ground and training arenas. You don’t need to have ever played polo to try it, just phone Siobhan, who is the highest rated lady high goal player in Ireland, for a lesson and you can hire or lease a pony to play either one chukka or a complete game. And you can relax in the comfort of a luxurious clubhouse and even have a sauna after a game!

Polo goes well with hunting as a sport. Play polo in the summer on their grass arena, or if you become very dedicated, play on the all-weather in the winter with games every weekend throughout the year. Players from the hunting fraternity that come to mind are followers from the Wicklow Hunt, Ward Union, Kildare, North Galway, South Tyrone and the Laois.

The Brays enjoy beautiful countryside - it’s not known as the Garden of Ireland for nothing - with rolling hills and spectacular sea views. The farms are mainly in grass with sheep farming and tillage, that often includes corn and oilseed rape.

There is a healthy membership, with fields of 50 to 80 riders out, and over 100 during the festive season. Many of the members and foot followers are landowners, so there were a number of families following by car, and a good percentage of good young riders in the field. They are a very well organised hunt, with the country divided up between the masters who organise about 12 meets each for the season, hunting both Wednesdays and Saturdays.

In addition the huntsman walks the land for hunting during the week, and also meets farmers, getting familiar with the areas to avoid. Aside from inviting landowners to specific events that the hunt organises each year, they also have a draw for fallen stock vouchers for Larry Earls Knackery in Camolin which shows an understanding of what impact losing an animal means to a farmer. They also run a raffle for their farmers for holiday vouchers. The honorary secretary is David Power, a key member of the team who also organises the hunter trials, while Bob Hamilton is the honorary treasurer.

Joint-master John Wilding, who runs Rosanna Cross-Country Course, said he bought his horse Eamonn in Cork and it took the horse a while to understand the commands in a Wicklow accent! The other joint-masters are Dan Magee, and new to the mastership this year is Riceal Dunne, who has hunted with the pack for a number of seasons but also likes a few days out with the Island in Wexford. Her husband, Larry Dunne, runs a busy practice, Ballyorney Veterinary Clinic in Enniskerry, specialising also in embryo transplant and AI. Their daughter Beth is currently studying veterinary in Hungary.

Dan Magee hunts the pack, succeeding his father Norrie who was huntsman for 14 seasons, and a well-respected farmer and huntsman. Dan’s sister Jacki whips in, but she was temporarily side-lined having had a fall on the road, so Sean Phealan was hunting her horse. Those mounted early for the off were Ray Doyle, David Powers, Bob Hamilton, Mark Connaughton, Mark Vickers, Sean Phelan, Max Merren (15), Peter Vickers (11). Also following were Sharon Small and Matthew Dickenson.

After moving off from the comfort of the luxurious Wicklow Polo Clubhouse, the drag lines were laid by the pathfinders who make the country, on this occasion Robbie O’Gara and Shauna Waters, who was out on Salty, a horse she had never ridden before, brave girl! The hunting is well organised with three field-masters Paul Woods, Lynn Clements and Mairead Waters. One rides at the front, one midfield and one with the riders at the end to make sure followers close gates, keep up, and do not ride over land that permission has not been sought.

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

The first line was in Herbst’s off the Brittas Bay road over grassland with some stubble finishing beside oilseed rape where there was a formidable ditch that the drag layers made look easy, but a horse needed to be at full stretch to make the top of the bank. Joint -master Riceal Dunne took it in style on her traditional and sensible type of ladies hunter, out of a cob by a blood horse with quality that are really hard to find these days. Karle Sophia Byrne (10) on her pony, Dolly, nearly made the top of the bank the first time, but slipped back into the ditch. But she is a brave girl and immediately turned her pony, put her leg on, and made it the second time.

The next line off the Silver Strand road was a long run over David Delahunt’s extensive farm, whose family are life-long supporters of Rathnew GAA Club. They farm sheep, stores, and take a lot of conacre for tillage, and run a busy agricultural contracting business. The family always make the followers welcome and there were plenty of big trappy ditches to catch the riders out. They had left a convenient fallow strip along the edge down by the river to avoid any damage to sown ground. This run ended in Arthur Bingham’s. After each line, the huntsman held up hounds to allow the backmarker riders to catch up.

There was more action in Tommy Delahunt’s where two lines took them high over Wicklow Town before heading back over the Brittas Bay road crossing the Wicklow Hills where you could say ‘The Hills were Alive with the Sound of Music’, on this occasion, real music, by the hounds of the Bray Harriers.

This is a pack of well managed hounds, friendly followers, and spectacular hunting country, and it is only less than an hour from Dublin.

So if you or anybody you know ever had a yearning to hunt or play polo, both the Bray Harriers Hunt Club and Wicklow Polo are open for new members, or if you just want to get out for a day to try it out.

Chairman: Michael Tyrell

Masters: Riceal Dunne, John Wilding and Dan Magee

Huntsman: Dan Magee

Whippers-in: Norman Magee, Patrick Phelan and Jacki Magee

Field-masters: Paul Woods, Lynn Clements and Shauna Waters

Honorary secretary: David Power

HISTORY

The Bray Harriers are one of the oldest packs in Ireland, dating back to 1780, and hunt North Wicklow and South East County Dublin. At one time, the pack had a hunt meet near the RDS showgrounds before the development of houses.