A Voice from the USA
Go West Young Man...
Chris Allen
TMV USA columnist Chris 'Tiny' Allen (British bred and entered to fox) is currently connected with the Farmington Beagles in Virginia.
I’ve been Stateside for 14 years and initially came across to hunt the Los Altos Foxhounds in California, having previously been connected with the Bonnelle Staghounds in France. I was master and huntsman for the Stoke Hill Beagles 1983-84, and 1981/1983 I hunted the Wigtownshire Foxhounds for Lady Stair. I started in hunt service at the Tickham as second Whip in the sixties, much to the chagrin of my father who wanted me to follow him into the medical profession. Suzy my wife has supported me in every venture, and whipped-in. She's also an excellent skinner.
What would I do if I were a young fellow, besotted for a life with hounds and foxhunting? Well, I would probably take the advice that dear old ‘Dalesman’ (Bay de Courcy-Parry of Horse & Hound), gave me all those years ago, and “Go West Young Man”.
In those halcyon days in Great Britain I was far too proud and pompous to follow his advice, thinking naturally, that our beloved sport would never come to an end. Nobody at that time ever dreamt that Anti-Hunting legislation would ever go through Parliament, not to mention the House of Lords…
How would you accomplish such a move nowadays? The answer is: with a lot more difficulty than ever before. Since 9-11 the Immigration Laws have tightened and one cannot just waltz into the United States and announce to the guy on the desk that: “ I am here to hunt the Proudfoot Hounds”, he will probably take you to a small room at the back of the hall, and make swift arrangements to repatriate you to the Mother Country.
No, you must go through the proper channels and obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa, allowing you to work here, and that can be achieved in several ways, either by getting a prospective employer to Petition for you, or obtain a relevant Work Visa in a variety of different categories. There are high flying lawyers very experienced at this, and will relieve you of all your ready cash in an effort to get you ‘all legal’.
How do you find the right job? This is where the ‘greenhorn limey’ must be ultra careful, as with everything in this world, there are some first-rate establishments with, good, knowledgeable people at the helm, and some not so good… The MFHA of America operate a Hunt Staff Registry, much the same as Alistair Jackson does in the UK. This would probably be the best place to start. Advertisements also appear occasionally in ‘The Chronicle of the Horse’, which is the equivalent to the ‘Horse & Hound’, this side of the pond.
Now, assuming the lucky fellow has found a grand pack that sports a huntsman, two whippers-in, two kennelman, and a host of luscious & curvaceous girl grooms, who look after a stable of twenty five of the best thoroughbred hunters that money can buy, one might assume to be in heaven…don’t be a silly billy.
Oh my, you poor young naïve dear, this is not England’s green and pleasant land; “things is different here”. Once you’ve got your head around this concept, and learnt the colloquial language, you may be in with a chance. A lot of packs, and especially those in the Commonwealth of Virginia conduct themselves on English lines, and the landowners and farmers usually take very kindly to the British Hunt Servant with the impeccable manners. Americans are inquisitive by nature and fascinated by methods, one might say something quite simple like you daft lummox, so be prepared to give a definition. The old huntsmen used to teach a humble whipper-in how to hold a hunting whip, and to conduct himself. These things are golden and much appreciated here.
Make no mistake there is some very good foxhunting to be enjoyed on these shores, and you will see foxhounds that would take the Peterborough Championship. Sport is good, and there are still some -straight-necked foxes about, despite the coyote, (pronounced Kuy-Oat) who inhabits just about every square mile these days. Foxes have sort of learned to live around the wily coyote, and most hunts will pursue coyotes when found. However, note well, that they are all right when hunting in circles, but beware when they decide to go straight…
Yes, go for it young-un, remember your beginnings, don’t think you know all the answers, even if you’ve swallowed the proverbial book…Americans have been doing it a long time, and there is a wealth & font of knowledge amongst North American foxhunters. Remember those great men in the annals of the sport such as the late Henry Higginson MFH, and Isaac Bell MFH.
Good Luck Young Man.
Chris Allen