Denise Colebrooke
Irish Children Love Hunting
Denise Colebrooke
Denise Colebrooke is Secretary of the newly formed Irish Working Hunter Association (IWHA) and has judged working hunter horses in the UK.
Claudia, also
from the IWHA
One of my proudest moments was when my daughter won a pro-hunting debate at her school. I would like to say it was a very hard-fought win, it was tough certainly, but this is Ireland where hunting for young people is almost as natural as walking, and at any meet you will find as many excited children on foot as on horseback.
A recent meet in our small village attracted the attention of the local national school and lessons were stopped while the primary aged children stood in the playground captivated as the hunt stopped by and the hounds made their acquaintance with teachers and pupils alike.
Here, as in many parts of rural Ireland, a pony, horse, terriers and ferrets are kept by many young lads as a hobby. Instead of an X-box Sunday, they can be seen walking for miles proudly showing off their Parsons and Jacks, very often swopping or selling them like collectors cards!
A litter of pups makes for a proud day and an opportunity to make a few euros selling them at a horse fair. If the meet is on, they may throw on an old riding hat, stick jeans into boots, tack up and spend the day jumping quite fearsome stone walls with an understanding of hound and terrier work beyond their years. The girls are born to the manner but without the terriers and usually jump even more fearsome walls albeit with a pink saddlecloth.
Hunting gives young people a rich seam of respect, courage, achievement and joy which they can draw upon throughout their lives. They learn patience at covert side, courtesy to landowners and foot followers and a sense of belonging with a like-minded group of people.
I am still captivated by my own daughter Claudia's passion. She is a third-year veterinary student who has worn an ear-to-ear grin since the age of twelve when introduced to hunting.
She was invited out with the Scarteen recently and although her borrowed mount Henrietta ended up in the bottom of an infamous dyke, and she was left to climb out alone, this will be added to her album of hunting memories along with jumping the "Wall of Doom", swimming through seasonal lakes, and following the trail of the Field Masters grey as his horse's shoes sparked off the stone walls in the dark going home.
Denise Colebrooke, IWHA
Website: www.iwhassoc.com
Tel: 087 168 4067 or 087 695 4944 | Email: info@iwhassoc.com