Noel Mullins

WHAT a meet; mulled wine, then an engagement, champagne to celebrate, followed by a rip-roaring day across the best hedge country in Ireland. There were plenty fallers, a short break after the meet to drop the horses home and enjoy a bowl of Irish stew in the pub for the long night ahead.

Next, a party bus arrived in the shape of the hunt horsebox decked out in Christmas fairy lights and holly, with straw bales for seating in the back and a designated driver. There followed a tour around all the local pubs where the hunt meets with their own resident Ceili Band, The Rambling Pitchforks on board. There are no ordinary hunting days in South Tyrone!

The day began with romance in the air at the Brackaville Meet when horse trainer and recently appointed joint-master Andy Oliver addressed followers, asking them to keep to headlands, before announcing that he had one more proposal to make.

Getting down on one knee in The Four Corners Pub with a touch of old-fashioned chivalry that tugged at the heartstrings of even the most hardened followers, he produced a huge clustered diamond ring and asked Saffron Hutchinson to marry him. A hush descended on the pub in anticipation of how she would respond, not least Andy himself! Would she say yes? Would she say, I’ll think about it?

When she put her arms around him, that gesture alone answered the question. Cameras flashed and the champagne was cracked open and liberally dispensed.

Economies appear to be already in place to finance the big day as Saffron’s father Stephen Hutchinson normally sports a large Cuban cigar, but is now on small cheroots so the Montecristos have been replaced by Café Cremes!

Travelling up from Kildare were honorary whipper-in Paul Kinane and Amy Fitzgerald, who lectures in equine science in the University of Limerick. Kinane has been selling thoroughbred racehorses to central Europe, as well as hunters to the home and overseas market. He had the Czech Republic jockey Joseph Vanya, winner of two San Merano Grand Steeplechases, as his guest hunting the previous week. Vanya’s father Joseph rode eight Pardubice Steeplechase winners.

Visiting were Alex Fagan, editor of The Polo Magazine, Charley Larcombe, Nick Brittan-Long, and Toby Clowes. The huntsman’s parents, Raymond and Mary Carvill, were following, as were Sean Hamill, Sean Farrell and Paddy Laverty, whose son Nicholas was hunting.

After more refreshment at Paddy and Yvonne McEvoy’s Roughan Castle, built in 1618, the final refuge of Phelim O’Neill, the leader of the 1641 Irish rebellion, the huntsman drew the woods at Roughan Lough. Here, a ditch out of the woods caused a few problems, as did the post and rails by the lake shore. It was a help that former master Dr Cathal Cassidy was hunting, as he was the only sensible one out. He advised caution, but nobody listened as they trusted his medical skills should they run into trouble. It appeared that his psychiatric speciality was too late for most followers!

LAZARUS

A gate in Mullaghmoyle was bypassed as the huntsman took 17 ½ couple of hounds, including Irish National Hound Show Champions Beauty and Belfast, over an enormous hedge off the road instead, suffering the consequences.

As the good Dr Cassidy was reaching for his emergency medical kit, the huntsman suddenly stood upright, but some followers decided to have a go, fortunately successfully! There are no easy medical nixers in the South Tyrones, as fallers just suddenly rise like Lazarus. Meanwhile, hounds marked a fox to ground in cover.

The huntsman next drew the glen at the back of Coleisland and found what appeared to be an urban fox who, after giving hounds a circular run, decided to go back home to the town. Hounds were stopped in order to prevent any inconvenience to Christmas shoppers.

O’Neill’s Valley was blank but a series of Warwickshire-type hedges took some riding with ditches and drops on landing. Masters Stephen Hutchinson, Andy Oliver and Martin Lavery had smiles on their faces as they led the field, always in expectation of a few sampling the turf.

Georgy Heneage, who hunts with the Burton Foxhounds in Lincolnshire, said she received the ultimate compliment from a seasoned South Tyrone hunt follower, not known for complimenting visitors, that she will take home and treasure. As she sailed over a huge hedge letting the reins slip through her hands, and the perfect seat, he uttered: “That b**ch can ride!”

Olivia Hutchinson and her sister Saffron were flying, but Tony Weir and Olivia Hutchinson were casualties, with Amy Fitzgerald on the floor as well.

The followers were glued to their saddles as they took on more big hedges in Fred Love’s.

Hounds opened and had a good time but the followers, focusing on their survival, went tone deaf. Taking the country at their ease were Austin Weir, Ian Wilson, Mark English, Jacki Conn, Caroline Dennison and Ian Moore.

There were more challenges off Thumpher Road and serious hedges off Shanliss Road, where Dr Cassidy again advised caution but nobody listened, particularly jockey Johnny Cresswell who came down and then went back to show that he could jump it properly.

Hounds spoke briefly along the old Coalisland to Cookstown railway line, so the huntsman blew for home.

Back at the pub, the Rambling Pitchforks were tuning up for the South Tyrone Evening of Music, with the decorated hunt horsebox ready for the followers’ tour of the hunt pubs. There is no report of how many casualties Dr Cassidy treated but I hope it did not spoil his enjoyment of the night!