THERE were no parking problems at the Kildare Foxhounds opening meet at Punchestown Racecourse as the hunt owns the extensive site, and the kennels are conveniently located nearby. The Racecourse celebrates its 175th anniversary and they have, under chairman David Mongey, unveiled a limited-edition print collection depicting John Sturgess’ paintings of the 1872 running of the Conyngham Cup with the proceeds going to Barrettstown and Tiglin Charities.

Just to add my own hunting research, in 1878 Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ the Empress of Austria, of whom it is said, ‘No lady could rival her appearance, and no man could surpass her as a rider’, was hunting side saddle with the Kildares at Punchestown. Trotting back to the meet, she decided to enter the racecourse and jump all the fences. This prompts me to suggest that an Annual Side Saddle Race in Punchestown could be run in honour of the occasion, particularly as we have so many fine side-saddle riders in the country with Ciara Dennigan having won such a race recently, the ‘Grande Cross International des Amazones’ in France.

The day got started with followers arriving with enough food to feed an army. John Dillon, the honorary secretary, is the linchpin who combines organisation with courtesy and good humour, setting a real convivial atmosphere to the occasion.

The hunt is run by committee, chaired by former master Charles O’Reilly, whose father Frank was also a former chairman and, with no masters, it seems to really work. A nice touch I discovered was the hunt newsletter in the form of a full colour professionally-designed booklet. It includes an extract from Muriel Bowen’s book Irish Hunting, published in 1954, as well as welcoming hunt staff, autumn hunting, the successes at the National Hound Show at Stradbally and the Gosford Northern Ireland Hound Show, Puppy Show, Kildare Hunt Pony Club, The Kildare Irish Draught Show and the Irish Draught Breeders’ National Show held in Punchestown and even highlights of racing at Punchestown.

But also in lights are all the members who participated and won rosettes at the Dublin Horse Show, of whom there are many including huntsman Padhraic Moynihan, Michelle Lucey, Emma Wilson, Colin Barrett and Zoe Brownlee, Hazel Valentine, Fionnuala Lennon, Ali Keating and Linda Gillespie. I met Del Cash with Yvonne Connolly and Ali Keating whose horse Hogan Byrne was hunting. Del and Rory Cleary’s horse Masterplan was also third in the Heavyweight Class at this year’s Dublin Horse Show.

I am grateful to Rory Cummins for getting me to all the right places and fast as he is a former racing driver and now a tour guide in Dublin and other country historic sites. He also had a variety of chocolate and wine gums, and he knows his hunting and could easily add hunting guide to his repertoire.

Meticulous

The Kildare huntsman Padhraic Moynihan keeps high standards as the turnout is meticulous, horses looking a picture, hunt staff looking impeccably dressed and hounds with lovely muscled backs and above all happy. Padhraic, who worked with some UK packs to expand his hunting knowledge, hunted the Carlow Farmers and the South Union and is a noted hound breeder.

Matt Dempsey on his hunter Charles jumping a drop at the Kildare Foxhounds opening meet at Punchestown Racecourse \ Noel Mullins

This year at the National Hound Show at Stradbally, he took home an armful of silver and red rosettes, winning the Unentered Doghound and Unentered Doghound Couple Class, the Champion Unentered Doghound, and the Reserve Champion Entered Doghound Class. In the bitch classes, he won the Unentered Bitch and also the Unentered Bitch Championship and was second in the Best Two Couple and Overall Bitch Champion. Nikita Kane was hunting Padhraic’s Middleweight Kilcrow Diamond Surprise that did so well at the Dublin Horse Show when he was prepared by Deirdre Rafter and he showed he can cross country as well.

Mounted were David Mongey, Punchestown Racecourse chairman, field master David Valentine, Matt Dempsey, former editor and CEO of the Irish Farmers Journal and former President of RDS, who told me his hunter Charles is 20 years old.

Also hunting were Andrew Perrin, Michelle Lucey, Fergal O’Neill, Sarah O’Connell, Sinead O’Connor, Holly Brown, who was second in the Pony Club combined training at the RDS, Aidan Cuddy, John Cahill, Diarmuid Doyle, Richard Wixted, Gaye Brabason, Alec Lalor, Sarah O’Reilly, Tara Hayes, Emma Wilson and Alan Jordan.

Following also were Charles O’Reilly and his sister Olivia, Lt Col Gerry O’Gorman, former OC at the Army Equitation School, Jane Foley of Castlewarden Pony and Country Club, Michael Dore who used to ride out in Tony Martin’s and who was out with the Goldburn Beagles the day before, and George Barrett, whose son George is hunting the Iveagh Foxhounds.

Overseas visitor

Following also were Olivia Dextley from Middleburg in the USA whose local hunt was the renamed Louden Fairfax and the Snickersville Hunt. I recall meeting Bay Cockburn, who was a former master and huntsman of the Goshen Hunt and the Louden Hunt, at the Louden Point-to-Point a few years ago when he had horse running.

Confined to a wheelchair as a result of a riding accident, he continued to train horses. But what is less known was that Bay, in an earlier career, also whipped-in to Neil Parker when he was master and huntsman of the Kildares, ran a breaking yard in Naas and was stable jockey to trainer Arthur Moore. His son Sam now trains horses. Noel Ryan, who hunted a couple of packs in the USA, was following with his camera, and also Joe Clifford, Rachel Lyons and Una Holohan were following by car, as her husband Simon and daughter Evie were hunting.

Hunting

It was a busy day for an opening meet, with the first draw in the valley where Padhraic’s 17 ½ couple of a mixed pack were on song almost at once hunting down the valley with an awkward log fence with a steep drop on the far side that caught a few out. One rider’s inflatable safety vest burst into action as a result of a fall causing him to make a three point turn to look around!

But hunt staff just rode on and Matt Dempsey and his hunter jumped with no fuss as did Tom Berney, David Mongey, Richard Wixted and Hazel Valentine. The pack marked this fellow to ground and almost immediately picked up another who hunted up the valley where they pressured him to ground also. Hounds worked up a line at the old railway line and ‘cold marked’ him beside it. The Long Wood held a brace with one running to Barrons Bog but the pack split only momentarily and they were back on the line of the second fox, crossing the road through the sand pits and were heading for the main road where the huntsman stopped them.

The Kennel Wood behind the Kennels normally holds, as foxes like to pick up scraps at night, but on this occasion, it was blank, as was the wood further down. But they found again in the Quarry and had a circular run and marked him in a stick pile, but he bolted and ran on towards the Blackhills. But with only five followers left and rain pouring down, the huntsman blew for home after a very busy day.

History of the hunt

The Kildare Foxhounds were founded in 1760 with Squire Thomas Conelly as the first master with the advent of subscription packs.

The team

Chairman: Charles O’Reilly

Masters: A committee runs the hunt

Huntsman: Padhraic Moynihan

Whipper In: Gearoid Moynihan

Field Master: David Valentine

Honorary Secretary: John Dillon

Honorary Treasurer: Simon Holohan