Sue Simmons MH, MFH
Website: www.simmal.co.uk
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Notes From a New Master
Sue Simmons
Susan Simmons is married to John who is managing director of the family business Simmal Ltd. John's sports are shooting and fishing, particularly on the Spey, Tweed and Esk.
Educated at Manchester University (BSc Hons in Computational Linguistics & Modern Languages), Sue qualified as a chartered accountant in London, and is now finance director of the family business based at Preston.
Sue has hunted 18 years with Holcombe (between work & kids); and took over sole mastership on May 1 2009 when Arnold Greenhalgh retired.
Sue has competed at both the Royal International and Horse of the Year Show Working Hunter Finals. Placed 4th at RIHS 2008 HW Worker Championship.
Sue is a very keen skier, and says her life is: "Always very busy!"
As I write, July draws to a close and I hope to eventually catch my breath. Normally in my equine world I would have been in County Workers out and about, culminating in the Royal International Horse Show Finals at Hickstead.
I struggle to even imagine, with the pace of life at the moment, how on earth I would have managed everything had my lovely Novice (soon to be) Open Worker contender been in action this summer, and not still sidelined from a colic operation in March? I had retired my old faithful show winner in favour of many more days in the hunting field, so she had been roughed off. With hindsight, I can only say…thank goodness!
July started with yet more action in the country. Seeing farmers, getting new hunt jumps sited and built. On my travels via the farm yards I was even invited to a local ‘Proms Night’ in aid of our Derian House Childrens Hospice. So, with Hunt Sec and husbands in tow, we attended - with picnic, kids, and of course alcohol - for a night under the Union Jack listening to Proms music galore. That is until Thor announced his arrival, the heavens opened for the annual July downpour which put a dampener on all proceedings. Or did it? Most stalwart Brits are accustomed to the odd bit of rain and certainly we hunters are, so, wet inside and out we refused to leave until the grand finale; fireworks et al. And the networking was excellent hunt (local) PR.
The rest of the month seems to have sped by with the gusto akin to a scene in a movie. But the good bits have certainly been worth the effort. Holcombe Monarch, our most attentive and mannerly hound, stood Reserve Champion at Great Yorkshire Show which was loudly received by Holcombe supporters at the ringside. Such sheer enthusiasm couldn’t help but get the Holcombe noticed.
I was delighted for our huntsman Steven Ashworth: he’s young and keen, and deserving of recognition in the show ring among his peers. He’s the type that will stick at it, and I am certain his continued efforts will in good time yield consistent rewards.
Holcombe Monarch '06: Reserve Champion
Harrier at the 2009 Great Yorkshire Show
Which brings me to hound breeding. A rookie master, as I now refer to myself, is learning all the time, and the most fascinating of reads are articles of eminent past masters on this subject. I hope to set a policy which is well received by our hunt members who own the pack, and which brings a level hound with enough attributes to enable us to attend the shows with a hope of a rosette. That said, our pack already has hounds which work well, so we will build on our foundations.
We were thrilled to receive our first ever rosettes at the Peterborough Hunting Festival after what can only be described as an exhausting few days. My husband and I attended the AMHB dinner the evening before the show at the historic George Hotel of Stamford, to be entertained by the Committee and the most eloquent Clarissa Dickson Wright as speaker.
Clarissa was to judge hounds the next day and I very much enjoyed a long discourse with her on that, and many other subjects. I was a fan before, and most certainly am a double-fan now.
The next day we were all keen to see what was happening and in between mini-breaks from scrutinizing Holcombe efforts in the show ring, I had a moment to see Clarissa take to her post. A chirpy huntsman whom I recognized asked: “What on earth does she know about hounds?” I replied: “Quite a lot actually”, and left him agog.
I would dearly have loved to hear Clarissa’s own retort, were he to have had enough courage to ask her that question direct. In the horse world I have often remarked on instances where the reputation of a competitor outweighs that of the judge to such an extent that the judge bows to the rider’s reputation. I wonder does that exist in this hunting world too? But I am certain that would never happen to Clarissa.
I can only commend officialdom for organizing such a fantastic Show and all that surrounds it. For Holcombe, long may it continue as we are keen to have our pack recognized and judged alongside all others who take the time and effort to put on such a display - the outcome of years of loyal dedication from masters and hunt servants to the continuation of our beloved hounds.
My husband and I met up with Alun Thomas and his lovely partner Jackie who hunt the Taunton Vale Harriers. They were charming to us both, given we knew very few faces and included us in their aperitif chat before dinner. We were thrilled to see Alun and his West Country Harrier receive Champion at close of play next day. Well deserved, and well done!
Tomorrow is our own hunt Puppy Show. After Peterborough, I asked what idiot decided to hold the Puppy Show this following Sunday? We are all so strung out, with travelling, showing, and for us non-professionals, working at our day jobs in between, that it was the most ambitious “ask”. In discussions between flower arranging, getting cakes, collecting eggs, catching a wild salmon on the Spey for the Puppy Show lunch (sorry to boast - that was me), Steven and I remembered that in June we had replaced the kennels roof, and had the road resurfaced to kennels. So, those factors were why we hadn’t held the Puppy Show any earlier.
Fingers crossed for fine weather so I can wear a frock befitting a traditional summer day and not a Pac-a-Mac, or even worse a kagool! We are all very excited as we have not had a Puppy Show at our kennels in living memory: so this is the grand “launch”. We don’t have a fancy site, but we are determined to make the best of our lot and show our puppies, entertain our puppy walkers - and hunt guests - as best we can. After all, it is about keeping the pack going: whatever it takes.
I returned from the Festival to be asked to co-ordinate on Saturday the day’s fence building in the hunt country: this the day before our first kennels Puppy Show, and my diary read: “2 pm -meet with land agent re Estate.
I mustered my best effort and got to the land Agents office on time. He was very impressed that when I looked at his colour-coded map of the Estate I could name (a bit like the generation game) which farmer lived where. Yes, I even impressed myself. But that has been the payback of serious effort on Shanks Pony, across the hunt country.
And finally today I was able to put into practice a piece of advice given by David Redvers, Master of the Ledbury, at the MFHA New Masters Course which I had attended. He said: “When something goes wrong, go and see your farmer before you change out of your hunting clothes: defuse the situation before it escalates”.
The day before our Puppy Show, my fabulous fence-builders promptly got their vehicle and trailer stuck axle-deep in a farmer’s field, having gone in via a gate that was not recommended by the farmer on his permission given to me.
Not wanting this on my conscience all day tomorrow, I took guidance from Mr Redvers’ advice and knocked on the farmer’s door to blushingly present a bottle of liquid apology, before anything escalated. Fortunately for me he took it well, but while he was staring at the label on the bottle, a nice Chenin Blanc, I did wonder whether I had hit the spot, or perhaps he and his wife were staunch Methodists.
If I were asked to describe myself at the moment (as a New Master) I could only give the imagery of the cartoon character the “Tasmanian Devil”. It whirls itself senseless in a cloud of dust and when it stops it is foaming at the mouth with rolling eyes. You have to laugh, and most of all - hunting is about not being laughed “at” but laughing “with” all of those who share your same passions. So far, so good.
Sue Simmons
MH. MFH Holcombe Hunt