Pride cometh before the fall!

Lattin, which would hardly earn a backward glance from travellers between Tipperary and Charleville, once a year becomes the centre of the hunting world. It holds a special place in my diary and it would have to be a very pressing engagement indeed for me to miss it. This has followed on from some excellent Scarteen days notably Cullen and more latterly Boher where sadly young Hazel Hourigan suffered a nasty fall. She is making a good recovery from surgery resulting from the fall and hopefully will be back in the saddle shortly.

I am not alone in my attachment to the small Tipperary village and despite being midweek, the day was oversubscribed, including a good bevy of English girls for whom it was a new experience. Sadly on foot was our joint-master Daniel Crane and his wife Allie. Daniel, the pre-eminent sporting artist of his generation, is looked on as the natural successor to Lionel Edwards. For all that, he is recovering from a difficult fall with the Belvoir which ended with him getting a kick in the face with predictable results. Happily he is making a good recovery and expects to be back hunting shortly.

The three other joint-masters, senior master Chris Ryan on the grey Sprite with Kate Jarvey on a new bay and Roger Dungworth making his first trip this season were all out and going well.

Huntsman Mark Ollard has recovered from a nasty ankle injury he picked up on opening meet when he was cannoned into at a gateway. Unusually for Scarteen, he was hunting an all-bitch pack of 12 and a half couple. He was assisted on the day by amateur whips Shane Furlong, Frisk Jones and Michael Ryan, the Olympic three-day eventer and brother of field-master Hughie. The Ryan team were further represented by brothers Pat and Conor, all outstanding cross-country jockeys.

The order of draw was reversed with Mooresfort being first only the briefest of hacks from the meet. It would be hard to find an estate to better Mooresfort as a huntsman’s paradise. All grass with seven coverts dotted strategically throughout and divided by some of the biggest banks, every one of them as honest as a country parish priest. As if all that wasn’t enough, it is the home of hunt chairman Charlie Moore so normal speed limits did not apply.

Hounds had barely touched down in the back screen when the second season Twinkle threw her tongue with her litter sisters Tyrand, Tigress, Tickle and Tidy in close support. Within seconds, the Scarteen orchestra had struck up. Our pilot wisely didn’t linger and we were away. Our new field-master Hughie Ryan had to use all his diplomacy to keep the over anxious field in order. Hughie has a hard act to follow as he replaces James Riordan who has hung up his boots. A day with James was always a joy. He brought good humour tempered with dash and fine horsemanship. As if that wasn’t enough, he had an unparalleled knowledge of the country.

Our fox must have been in the employ of the Mooresfort Tourist Association as he took us on a sightseeing tour around the estate. Unfortunately the pace was such that most of us had little opportunity to enjoy the scenery. The jumping in Mooresfort never fails to impress and Tuesday was no exception. Our English girls had a crash course in bank jumping with varying results. I saw young Lal Hay, who hunts with the Belvoir, putting in some practice for her local beagle pack. She trotted on gallantly between fences as her companions were catching her horse. Their guide was Eve Jones from the Bicester who admitted to being at least one step off. She is hunting correspondent for The English Tatler. Each in their own time hit the deck but were back up in a flash and have booked their return trip for the new year already.

My day in East Clare a couple of days previously must have done my horse the world of good and he was raring for road. So much so I was able to show the way to Gillian Moran over a Mooresfort double. The recently married Gillian was making a return trip to Scarteen from Co Clare where she is first whip to her better half Declan.

Long time visitors to Scarteen were a group of Germans who have had an unbroken record of 33 consecutive seasons. The group are led by Fitz Pape, who runs an upmarket riding establishment near Stuttgart. His claim to fame is that Michael Jung was his pupil. Michael holds the record as the first and only rider ever to consecutively hold Olympic, World and European championship titles.

All good things have to come to an end and eventually our pilot made for Casey’s plantation where he was marked to ground. Our next draw was Finnan’s and Mairead English’s. Mairead was absolutely flying on her good chesnut who is no ride for a novice. En route we jumped into Halloran’s, who were well represented in the field with Dermot and Camilla as usual bringing on two stars of the future. Dermot’s brother Raymond has made a real name for himself as huntsman of the South Nott’s in the UK. Were there to be a promotional brochure for hunting, this bank would certainly not feature. It involved jumping out between two ancient beeches - the gap being barely wide enough to squeeze through - only to have an absolute yawner to the rear. Here both youth and experience were called for in equal measure so I tucked in behind Ken Purcell who gave a copybook performance. The family were further represented by his better half Mel and sister Sonya, who is general secretary of the Masters of Foxhounds Association.

In this special part of South Tipperary, the double banks can also be mini fox coverts and one such in Mairead’s produced a fine dox fox and we were away. This farm and its adjacents are so hunt-friendly that there is no queuing with many banks being jumped five abreast. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Helen Jones’ better half of Frisk on her good grey sampling the old turf of Kilross. The pair work with James Hanley of Ballyhimickin Stud in Nenagh. The stud has just finished a most successful sales season in the elite bloodstock world having achieved a price of 600,000gns for a Galileo half-brother to Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Lilbourne Lad.

SMASHING

With hounds flying, we met a really decent conifer-topped bank. As the field were jumping to our left and brimmed by overconfidence, young Bill Hanly and I picked our own spot. It appeared to be my turn to lead and Handsome gave a copybook jump on but unfortunately I hadn’t spotted (and neither had he) a sneaky electric fence to the rear. It must have been live as my grey suddenly exploded on landing and dropped me on my shoulder at speed. I’m sure that Paul (Carberry) or Ruby (Walsh) would have bounced but sadly I didn’t. A group of first responders led by Timmy O’Connell (farrier to the stars), assisted by Gillian and others, came to my aid while Conor Ryan arrived back with my horse. Assured that I was fine and with hounds rapidly disappearing, I got a quick leg up but my day was over. Gillian and Bill sportingly volunteered to get me back to the road where I was picked up by our photographer.

All the while hounds hunted on and after a good left-handed circle, our pilot returned to where he came and found refuge.

Mark then took hounds across the main road where they drew the merchants’ bog. This held and they ran through Hickey’s into Jack Ryan’s and onto Quinn’s, Leahy’s over some great country before finishing in Maria Mulcahy’s.

It was a smashing day which finished with tea and more appropriate refreshments at Maraid’s where generous hunting hospitality is assured.

As I write one-handed, I have an arm in a sling with its close relation in a cast. So for the next couple of weeks, my hunting coverage will have to be on foot, but I hope to back well before the end of the season. Catherine and I would like to wish all a very Happy Christmas and a great hunting new year.

SCARTEEN HUNT

The Black and Tans

Kennels: Scarteen, Knocklong, Co. Limerick.

Chairman: Charlie Moore

Joint-masters: Christopher Ryan, Kate Jarvey, Daniel Crane, Roger Dungworth

Field-master: Hughie Ryan

Secretary: Triona Fitzpatrick

Huntsman: Mark Ollard

HISTORY

The earliest records of the Scarteen Black and Tan hounds and the Ryan family goes back to 1640 shortly after the flight of the Earls. Around 1820, Daniel O’Connell (The Liberator) disbanded his pack of Kerry Beagles and his hounds were sent to Scarteen to augment the Scarteen Pack. The Ryans of Scarteen were closely related to the O’Connells of Caherdaniel. Present master Chris Ryan, now in his 30th season, is the eight generation of his family to have carried the horn.