So that you may recognise who is who in the hunting field, this page
is designed to introduce you to the officers of the New Forest
Hounds, and also some key individuals within the hunt. It also
explains a little of the organization of the New Forest Hounds.
The New Forest Hounds is, in a sense a business owned and operated in
a somewhat antiquated way, by the New Forest Hunt Club, who own the
hounds, kennels, hunt horses and so on. The New Forest Hunt Club was
instituted in 1789 for the purpose of hunting the New Forest Country.
In that year the Lord Warden of the New Forest (the then Duke of
Gloucester) nominated Mr. Gilbert's Hounds to be the established pack
of the country, in succession to his own, with prior rights to hunt
the New Forest. Mr. Gilbert's Hounds had been granted permission to
hunt the country since 1780, and in season 1789-1790 they became a
subscription pack under the New Forest Hunt Club, Mr. Gilbert
remaining in office as Master until 1800.
Today, the hunt club employ staff to hunt hounds, and run the affairs
of the hunt through a committee rather than a Mastership, which is
slightly unusual. Traditionally the mastership of a hunt takes
financial responsibility for the hunt, personally injecting funds to
support the hunt club as required. However the modern world produces
fewer individuals able (or willing) to take this responsibility, so
it was decided in the year 2000 to become a committee pack. Masters
of Fox Hounds Association rules still stipulate that a hunt must have
nominated master(s), and the work of the Mastership must still be
done. The New Forest Hounds do therefore still have masters, (two),
but the financial burden of the hunt is borne by the Hunt Club
through the committee. There is a separate and independent body,
called the New Forest Hounds Hunt Supporters Club who do exactly as
it says on the label - they support the New Forest Hounds,
principally by organizing fund raising events. In practice there is a
great deal of overlap between the Hunt Club and Supporters Club, with
many people belonging to both. Membership of the Hunt Club is by
invitation and payment of an annual subscription, whilst membership
of the supporters club is open to all upon payment of an annual
subscription. The only paid individuals within the hunt, are the hunt
staff who are employed by the Hunt Club. Everyone else provides their
time and effort voluntarily.
Listed below are some of the officials of the New Forest Hounds. If
the name of the individual is hyper linked, then click on the name to
see pictures of that person. Principally only those people visible on
a hunting day have their photographs here.
The New Forest Hounds Hunt Club
Chairman - Mike Sqibb
Masters - Paul Ames and Alan Brown
Treasurer - Pam Baker
Joint Honorary Secretaries - Mrs. Penny Rendle & Dr G. Ferris
The two most important people on a hunt day - they collect your cap!
The Hunt Club also have named Trustees, an Executive Committee,
Permanent Members elected by special resolution of the New Forest
Hunt Club and fully paid up members of which there are over 100. Hunt
Club members are entitled to wear the New Forest Hounds' hunt button
and green collar on their hunting coat.
Hunt Staff
Huntsman - Michael Woodhouse
Amateur Whips
Bob Garret
Alan Brown
Field Masters
Mounted followers on a hunting day, are requested to follow a
nominated field master, and to obey his instructions. whilst anyone
who regularly hunts with the New Forest Hounds can be asked to be
Field Master, Mike Brett (Tuesdays) and Mike Forster (Saturday), most
often perform this task.
Mike Brett
Mike Forster
New Forest Hounds Supporters Club
Chairman - George Biddle
Treasurer - Graham Webster
Secretary - Jackie Mitchel
Assisted by a committee. |
