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Michael Hedley Retires
By George Morrison (Hon Sec. of the Border Hunt)
Michael Hedley
Michael Hedley MFH is retiring as huntsman of the Border Hunt after 36 seasons. Prior to that, he whipped in to his father Ian Hedley MFH for six seasons. Ian Hedley hunted the Border hounds from 1952 to 1973 before handing the horn to Michael.
Both Ian and Michael will remain as joint masters of the Border Hunt. And from 1 May 09, Andrew Robb will be the professional huntsman of the Border hounds.
The Hedley family can be traced back to the late 1190’s when they lived at Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland. The family later moved to the Redesdale Valley of Northumberland, and provided men, feed and horses for the English to fight the Scots in 1388 at the Battle of Otterburn. The story goes that the then Duke of Northumberland had won Overacres Farm on a gambling bet, and as a ‘thank you’ to the Hedley family for their contributions in the Battle of Otterburn the Duke allowed the Hedleys to farm and live at Overacres where the family still live today, and where the Border hounds are kennelled.
The first that Michael knew of his huntsman’s appointment was at a Hunt AGM in 1972 when he was proposed by hunt supporter Arty Rogerson. Michael was taken aback by this and obviously wanted to consult his father, but was only to be told that his father was aware and in agreement, but had never mentioned it to his son. Ian Hedley had suffered a bad fall whilst out hunting and his wife was at that time fighting cancer.
Michael Hedley with his father Ian (with stick)
Michael recalls a time in the mid 1970’s in December when out hunting from Carlcroft in the Coquet Valley he was hacking back to the Meet alone coming down into Barrowburn from the Gyle area, and there were some 15-20 hounds short. Those missing hounds were heard running out of Battlshiel into Barrowburn, and the hounds with Michael went to join them.
Now re-united, the pack ran towards Windyhaugh onto Carshope and back through the Rowhope Dipper and onto the Scotch side, at great speed. It was late in the day with light fading fast, and Michael had lost the hounds. He recalls sitting on his horse at Swindonfolds on the Scottish side in the dark when he heard the sound of a horse’s hooves on the road approaching him. It was Watty Little from Cocklawfoot with the hounds. Watty had been out hunting with Michael earlier in the day and had been hacking home when the pack came past him on the Scotch side, so he followed on and told Michael the hounds had caught their fox at Attonburn in the Scottish hills, south of Yetholm.
As was custom with the Little family of Cocklawfoot, Michael was invited back and was provided with tea, fruit cake and a very large whisky. It was now near 5pm and Watty’s mother told Michael he should be on his way as the weather had deteriorated and it was snowing.
Michael set off with his hounds to make the long journey back to the Meet at Carlcroft, a distance of some 10 miles. It became a ‘white out’ as he neared the Border fence: in order to find his way home he kept to the fences, tapping them with his whip and it took over two hours to get back to the Meet. Michael was riding a horse called Hotspur who he describes as ‘one of the best’ and he feared for his life being alone in the hills in such atrocious weather. It took Michael two days to get over this event.
Michael Hedley on the left, with George Morrison on the right
When you ask Michael what was his best hunt he will tell you he has had so many but he recalls a day in the late 1970’s in the month of March. Michael had a connection with the Zetland Hunt and the Border Hunt had visited their country on two occasions. As the Zetland had finished their season they were invited to come and hunt in the Border country.
The Meet was at West Woodburn and hunt supporter Arty Rogerson put the Meet on in traditional Border style (plenty to drink and eat). They set off hunting the Low and High Leam areas; Michael recalls a strong wind which had been around for a month.
At the end of the day the hounds had caught five foxes and were heading back for the Meet from Blakelaw near to Bellingham at around 4.30pm when a fox was put up. The hounds ran to Hareshaw Linn onto the Blue Heaps, Collerheughs to West Woodburn then onto the Brigg Fell across the A68 Road to Great Moor, then the Tofts crossing back over the A68 at Old Town Cross Roads. On to Woodhill, and then ran into Otterburn round the back of the Percy Arms Hotel over the Mill Lane and onto Heatherwick catching their fox at Monkridge Hall. It was a hunt of 1 hour and 35 minutes covering some 18 miles and in Michael’s words ‘the hounds flew’ and his horse Hotspur was ‘bugg**ed’.
Prior to the ban the Border Hunt was a very effective means of controlling fox numbers - they would catch in excess of 200 foxes each season and were the preferred method of control on the 58,000 acres of MOD land in the Border Hunt country. Michael has had many highs and lows with the hunt: he has been through Foot and Mouth three times, and guided the hunt though the ban.
I asked Michael if he had a favourite hound he said: “they are all favourites”. When pushed to pick one he had fond memories of old Roma who had one eye having lost an eye on a twig whilst out hunting. When Roma spoke it was 100% right. Another old hound he had a love of was Trueman fondly called ‘troosers’ who lived to a ripe old age in retirement at Low Leam Farm, West Woodburn, courtesy of John and Susan Scott - but to the end he caused problems with the bitches in season in the nearby village!
Over the years Michael has been interviewed by the media on numerous occasions and has featured in one of Willey Poole’s videos. He has also appeared with his hounds in an episode of ‘Clarissa and the Countryman’ introduced by Clarissa Dickson Wright and Sir Johnny Scott.
Michael remains as the Northern Area Represantive of the Master of Foxhounds Association.
To mark Michael’s retirement there will be a party on the evening of Saturday 1st August 2009 at:
The Otterburn Tower Hotel, Otterburn, Northumberland
There will be a buffet and entertainment, tickets are £25 and accommodation may be available at the hotel and other nearby establishments.
Tickets can be obtained from the Hunt Secretary:
George Morrison The Granary Cottage, Townhead Farm, West Woodburn, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 2SBTel: 01434 270084 | Mobile 07717 821035
Email: morrison666@btinternet.com
Please make cheques payable to ‘The Border Hunt’.
Anyone wishing to donate to Michael’s presentation fund please make cheques payable to the ‘Michael Hedley Retirement Presentation Fund’ and forward to the Hunt Secretary as above.
George Morrison
Border Hunt Secretary
Michael Nicholson Retires
Michael Nicholson, huntsman of the Coniston Foxhounds, will be retiring at the end of the season.
Coniston huntsman Michael Nicholson looks out over the Rydal Vale
Michael and wife Helen are taking over the running of the family farm.
A testimonial collection has been set up with donations to be sent to:
Mr E Shepherd
Broad Oak Crosthwaite Kendal Cumbria LA8 8JLCheques to be made payable to: Coniston Foxhounds
The presentation will be made at a Dinner Dance to be held at the Windermere Hydro Hotel on Saturday 30th May.
Coniston Foxhounds
Tickets are priced at £25 and the evening will include a four-course meal with dancing until 1.00am. Tickets for the dance are available from:
Neil Salisbury
Betty Fold Gallery Hawkshead Hill Ambleside Cumbria LA22 0PSCheques to be made payable to: Coniston Foxhounds
Owen Balding, current huntsman at the North Tyne, has been appointed as Coniston Huntsman starting on the 1st May 2009.
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