THE hunting history books are being rewritten annually by Tara Harriers joint-master George Briscoe, who is now entering his 94th year. He took over as master and huntsman in 1942 at the age of 21 and this season he celebrates his 72nd season as joint master. He has hosted the opening meet for the same period both at Asigh Stud and his home at Craystown.

He is a man with all the attributes of a country gentleman, with an engaging manner, a great storyteller, and a man who maintains all that is best in hunting traditions. Many aspects of his extraordinary life are recorded in two books that are a cracking read, available in Michael Slavin’s book shop on the Hill of Tara.

The other masters are Imelda O’Donnell, who has recently been appointed secretary of the Hunting Association of Ireland, Henry Corbally, and Harry Kellett, whose father Maurice was a cousin of the late show jumper Iris Kellett. Harry has been hunting now for 37 seasons but claims to have been a less than stylish rider when he started. Iris, when asked what she thought of Harry’s riding abilities, just remarked: “He has a real hunting seat”!

Henry Smith has been joint-master and huntsman for 32 seasons, and has an impeccable hunting pedigree as his father Lancelot, who farmed extensively in Donabate, Co Dublin, hunted a number of packs, including The Island, Galway Blazers, Fingal Harriers and Westmeath Foxhounds. His mother Stella turned hounds to him for a number of those packs and she was at the meet.

Smith was anxious to pay special thanks to kennel huntsman Sabine Dowdall, who kept the show on the road hunting the hounds when he was hospitalised last December for a procedure that had him laid up since, so this was his first day back hunting hounds. He also thanked whipper-in Peter King and joint-master Harry Kellett, who whipped in supporting Sabine.

There were some legends of hunting and racing at the meet, including event horse breeder Mrs Patricia Nicholson, who supplied double world eventing champion Bruce Davidson with some terrific horses which he rode to success at Badminton, Burghley and the Pan American Games. One of the best known was the 1995 Badminton winner Eagle Lion (out of Stream Lion), who was bought out of the Dublin Horse Show by George Strawbridge. Eagle Lion made Davidson the first American rider to win Badminton with no time or penalty faults. A life-size statue of Eagle Lion sculpted by Jean Clagett is in Kentucky Horse Park.

Also at the meet were Mary Shirley, honorary secretary of the Louth Foxhounds for 54 seasons, and Beres Laidlaw, who hacked to meets of the Meaths, Tara and Ward Union in the 1950s, and rode in point-to-points against all the top amateurs, as well as notable lady riders of the time, Miss Marshall Barnes, and Mrs St John Nolan. Following were Judy MacMahon, Dr Carlos McDowell and Gervaise Maher, who won the 1993 Cheltenham Hurdle with Shawyia, trained by Michael O’Brien and ridden by Charlie Swan.

Jockey Andrew Thornton, who rides for Pat Martin and had a winner recently on Footprint at Sligo, looks after the hunt horses. He was on a smashing six-year-old 17.3hh grey hunter that he says is on the market.

James Langrishe was mounted on his black cob Bob who was shown at the Dublin Horse Show, while others mounted were Ben McAteer, Ross and Sabina Geraghty, Mary Gaskin, and Sarah Meehan on her smashing coloured cob Rocky. She and her husband Mark are members of the Ballymacad Foxhounds. Fingal Harriers joint-masters Brian Beggan and Michael McGrath were visiting, as were David and Lorraine Burke and Kevin Hough from the Grallagh Harriers. Other visitors were Ian Wilson from the East Antrim, Britt Megahey, joint-master with the County Down Staghounds, and Harry Rogers from the Dumfriesshire Hunt in Scotland. They were hunting with the North Down recently and delighted to announce that Wilson Dennison was back in the saddle.

Ready for the off were Tracy and Sean Phealan from Glendalough House Equestrian Centre, Heather Gillman, Larry Cunningham, Attlanta Pollock from Mountainstown whose ancestors were founders of the Meath Foxhounds, James Walsh, Willie Smith, Lar Sheeran, joint-master of the North Galway Foxhounds, and a former master of the French wild boar pack, the Voutrie de Venoy Hounds. Craystown Wood was the first draw, where the followers jumped over stacked poles both in and out of the wood where Ross Geraghty, Gerry Tully, Robert Guihan and David Madden made an impression. There was no fox at home and hounds remained steady despite two hind leaving the far side of the wood, which is a tribute to the great work that kennel huntsman Sabine Dowdall has done with them. Brian Harlin’s quarry was next on the list but it was also blank.

Hacking on over the Skeine Bridge into John Curtis’ also proved blank, fortunately enough, as cattle were still out. Moving on to the Curragh Lane, hounds found a fox as they crossed Francis Stein’s but scent was poor and although it was difficult to hold the line, they persevered and hunted on to Dunsany, along the ditches to Mark McAuleys of Arlington and into Paul and Noel Wright’s but they lost him in Swainstown Quarry.

The huntsman drew Punch and former Westmeath Foxhounds joint-master Caroline Preston’s farm. They carried on through the woods into Judy MacMahon’s, wife of the late Lt. Col Ronnie MacMahon, at one time officer in command of the Army Equitation School, who also evented for Ireland on Sir John Galvin’s horse San Carlos.

The next draw was in Ned Horan’s where the followers enjoyed jumping the cross country fences and from there over Charlie Keenas, into Brenda Martin’s stubble fields and on to David and Tony Donnelly’s, finishing at Ennistown Stud and then home.

FACTFILE

Chairman: Henry Smith

Masters: George Briscoe, Henry Smith, Lorraine McDowell, Imelda O’Donnell, Harry Kellett & Henry Corbally

Huntsman: Henry Smith

Whippers-in: Sabine Dowdall (kennel huntsman) & Peter King

HISTORY

The hunt was formed by Lord Tara and originally known as the Bellinter Harriers. When the last of the Tara family, John Preston, died in about 1870 he left the pack to G.V. Briscoe, the grandfather of the present joint-master George Briscoe. They became known then as the Tara Harriers.