Suzie Clemas-Howard
View a slideshow of the Tivyside - TMV | Tivyside April 2009
View the Tivyside April newsletter - Tivyside Newsletter April 2009| PDF
Hunting in the Welsh Mountains
Suzie with Bracken
Hi: my name is Suzie and I’m married to Julian Clemas-Howard who is the joint-master of the Tivyside Foxhounds. We live on the beautiful Ceredigion coast, a few miles north of Cardigan, and share our home with eight (yes, eight!) dogs, and three cats. We moved here ten years ago from Warwickshire, which was a move home for Julian who was born and raised locally. We have three grown sons: our youngest began university last September, and all of them are involved in country sports in one form or another.
This is the first in a series of dispatches from Wales. Over the coming months I will be bringing you news, gossip and personalities; all of which we have in abundance here. It may be prudent at this stage to point out we in west Wales are, as a people, relaxed and easy going. So much so, that the Romans didn’t stay too long, and the Vikings more or less sailed straight on past.
Welsh is the first language of our area, but English is most usually spoken - especially when many people have not yet got to grips with the language of their chosen country. Welsh is never used as a means of exclusion, and I will never tire of listening to those who speak the traditional Welsh language.
While I’m lucky in that I do not go out to work, at times my days seem primarily occupied with hunt matters: I am on the hunt committee, I compile the hunt newsletter, and during the season help organise food for the hunt breakfasts. At the moment, I am in the middle of organising our annual Terrier & Lurcher Show to be held in May. Please keep an eye out for the national and local advertising - as this really is a great fun day out.
Our hunting communities are strong, passionate, successful and independent. We have an amazing diversity of characters, not just in our own hunt, but in those that surround our hunting country. I will take great pleasure in introducing you to many of our colourful members whose wealth of experience and knowledge should be passed on for the benefit of our future generations.
The first written records of the Tivyside Hunt date back to 1736 when they were based at the Black Lion Inn in Cardigan. There are no further records relating to the Hunt from this period, but it is known a silver Stirrup Cup exists in the form of a fox mask, dated 1765, with the hunt motto Floreant Litora Tivi (thought to mean in English, flourish on the banks on the Teifi) etched on to it. This had been used as a badge of office, handed on from master to master right up until 1914. It is not known why this tradition stopped, but the stirrup cup is now held by the hunt Chairman.
The Tivyside Hunt button consists of the Prince of Wales Feathers surrounded by a scroll and the words Floreant Littora Tivi. The use of the Feathers was granted by one of the Hanoverian Princes after a day’s hunting with the Tivyside Hunt Club during the 19th century: it is believed it was George IV - the then Prince of Wales.
Our joint-master and huntsman - who many might recognise from the BBC Wales program The Hunt - is Mr Dai Barber, a quiet and unassuming man whose reputation as a huntsman and master goes far beyond the boundaries of the Tivyside. His knowledge of hounds, horses and our hunt country is unsurpassed. Dai has been the Tivyside Huntsman since 1993, becoming a master in the 1997/98 season.
Originally from Tredegar, and growing up in the Gelligaer Farmers country, Dai is a born huntsman if ever there was one. He began riding at the age of three, and by the age of four had his own pony to ride with the Gelligaer Hunt. Hunting is a family passion, as his grandfather was a master of the hunt, and his mother and older brother Gary also rode with them.
It is reputed that Dai and Gary would play truant (‘mitch’, as it is known here) on midweek hunt days - seemingly both had chosen to train for their future careers at an early age as Gary is now huntsman of our neighbouring pack the Pembrokeshire. By the age of 12 Dai was a whipping-in, and at 24 (88/89 season) he became the Gelligaer Huntsman, where he remained until 1993.
During his teens, Dai was greatly influenced by a long line of passionate and committed hunting people. Firstly his Grandfather Mr Jack Williams, then by Rolly Miles who taught him so much in terms of whipping-in. Rolly was huntsman of the Gelligaer for a couple of seasons and then moved to the Ystrad where he hunted for about 15 seasons.
Rolly was a renowned horseman, and highly respected by everyone. Jackie Thomas was also a strong influence in Dai’s life and they remain close friends to this day. Gary has also been an enduring and important influence in Dai’s life; they have always worked well together and have always supported one another.
The Tivyside have forged strong links with other hunts, most notably the Pembrokeshire, and the Tory Foot Beagles from Ireland, who visit us annually for what have become legendary weekends.
We are now a two-day a week hunt (sometimes three) and always take out a mixed pack on hunting days. In overall terms, our hounds are half modern English, a quarter Fell although the original lines are not known and a quarter Welsh hounds going back to Gelligaer Dylan 89 and Pembrokeshire Goodwick 96.We kennel 35 couple, and operate a selective breeding program where only the best are put to the best. There are strong Exmoor lines going back to Exmoor Rockwood 96 within the pack, and excellent Welsh lines going back to Pembrokeshire Goodwick 96.
Tivyside hounds are a hybrid of Welsh and Modern English
When asked which his favourite hound is, Dai looked thoughtful for a few moments and replied that it is Rhodri 04, although he felt the best hound he has ever worked was a Welsh hound named Dylan Gelligaer 89, a hound he brought to the Tivyside from Gelligaer in 1993. In terms of his favourite horse, he named Cassie - a dark bay 15hh Irish Draught X , now 12, which he has owned for nine years. Cassie is now ridden by one of the Hunts Whips, James Jeavons, who is also the trainee Kennel Huntsman
The Tivyside hunt country is made up of two very distinct types. One part is lowland pasture bounded by locally distinct ‘Ceredigion Banks’ (turf covered stone walls) - more often than not topped with blackthorn and/or wire, which in many cases limits jumping opportunities. In days gone by these banks were eminently jumpable and the Tivyside was at one time renowned for them, in much the same way that the Limerick Country is now. But nowadays these banks are usually seen with the ubiquitous wire fencing due to the predominant sheep farming for which the area is well known.
...spine tingling music echoing through the ancient hardwood forest as it has done for centuries, a sound that resonates in the hearts of many a hardened follower of the hunt…
The pasture land is by no means uniform, and one of the more interesting features is the many very deep, closely wooded, steep-sided valleys (cwms) that punctuate the country. These always provide a challenge on hunting days, as in many cases you cannot ride a horse into them. It is a common site to see Dai and the whips on foot, following the hounds whose location is only apparent by their spine tingling music echoing through the ancient hardwood forest, as it has done for centuries, a sound that resonates in the hearts of many a hardened follower of the hunt.
The downside of these beautiful features of the Welsh landscape is they have an irresistible attraction for the hounds - most usually as the day is drawing to a close and everyone wishes to go home for tea. So many a cold, dark winter’s evening has been spent combing these valleys on foot, blowing for errant hounds that are not quite so ready to end their day.
The other type of country, and the complete opposite of the lowland type, is the upland country of the Northern Preseli Mountains - considered to be the jewel in our crown by many of our hunt members. Although they are called mountains, they are in truth rolling upland hills, many of which have majestic crags breaking through the turf.
Hunting on the Preseli’s can be a fast and furious affair as there are very few fences or other obstructions like roads to deter the hounds from their line.
On a clear day the views are breathtaking, not only of the North Pembrokeshire coastline, but also if you pick your location correctly - you can see the hounds working for miles. When asked which of the two types of country he preferred to hunt Dai responded without hesitation that it is the Preseli’s.
…bogs deep enough to lose a horse in…
As in all hunt countries, the Preseli does have its pitfalls, one of which is the weather. It can be a very daunting place when trying to hunt in gale force winds and horizontal rain, where the low cloud means you have problems seeing beyond your mounts ears. Then there’s the interesting and challenging feature of the mountain’s bogs. They are not easily distinguished from other areas of turf, so the advice is to stick to the sheep trails. But if the sheep trail runs out - it does so for a reason: turn around and go back, and you will be less likely to end up in bogs deep enough to lose a horse in.
Autumn line-hunting in the Welsh Mountains
Hunting on the Preseli’s is by no means uniform in that its moorland is criss-crossed with drainage channels and run offs that can be jumped by the more adventurous - or is that foolhardy? Wales is so often referred to as ‘God’s own country’: if that is the case we at the Tivyside are in His garden. We all feel privileged to be given the opportunity to hunt this country and nobody takes it for granted, least of all Dai. A successful hunt is made up of many things: ours is good country, coupled with a strong membership of all ages, and youngsters to pass our traditions on to.
Dai himself benefited from the encouragement and knowledge of the great huntsmen that came before him (specifically his grandfather Jack Williams, Rolly and Jackie) and who imparted that learning to him. Dai himself ably passes on to our younger generation that passion, knowledge and his own wisdom of all hunting matters, so that they too can stand on the shoulders of giants. Perhaps in 30 years or so, a huntsman somewhere may be interviewed and say: “Yes, I was taught by that great huntsman Dai Barber from the Tivyside Hunt.
Suzie Clemas-Howard