Your Letters
Dear The Master's Voice,
I have recently found your website which I find insightful and wonderful. I am 16 and hunt with the Crawley and Horsham in West Sussex and have done for over 5 seasons now.
Having seen your Evelyn Beeney article, and now having read it, I was wondering if you have any information about how to get into hunt service from a female perspective? Or how Evelyn Beeney got involved in hunt service, as maybe in future years after my A Levels, I may think about it?
Happy hunting and best wishes, Kitty Gibson
Dear Kitty,
Evelyn Beeney | © Midge Todhunter
I am delighted that my article has inspired you to think about a career in Hunt Service.
I started my hunting life with the Wilton in Wiltshire at the age of three on a leading rein. As child, we always had puppies at walk, and I hunted as much as I could during my school years even though I had Saturday Morning school. I used to have some cracking ponies and Mr Hankinson (Master and Huntsman) used to let me shadow him most days.
I decided, on return from a year in Australia, that I wanted to have a go at getting in to hunt service. I am lucky that my Father, an ex-huntsman, could give me some extremely valuable advice. He told me to make sure that I made myself as helpful as possible, either on the hunting field, or in kennels. I would juggle work, morning hound exercise, my own horse and hunting. I would go to kennels every morning at 6 am to help swill down and walk out the hounds, this gave me a chance to learn the routine, some hound names and show my willing. At this time I was still hunting in the field, but I would try to make myself useful, opening gates and offering to lead the Whip or Huntsman's horse if needed. The more time i spent at kennels, the more I realised that it was definitely the life for me, I just loved spending that time with the hounds. So I asked the whip at the time, Ditch Taylor, to teach me to skin. This made my days a little more hectic, but it was well worth it. I t used to take me so long to skin a calf, that I thought I would never get the hang of it. I wont lie, I found that I was quite squeemish to start with, but the more I just grit my teeth, and with increasing practice, the faster I became, the less holes I made and I started to get over the smell.
After a few weeks helping, Mr Hankinson asked me to come up front and whip in a bit. I had two long standing amateur whips to learn from, they taught me a lot. Mr Hankinson gave me some great advice and a super reference.
The next step was to get in contact with the MFHA, and put my name on "the list". The list of staff looking for work in Hunt Service. Every Hunt looking for staff gets a copy of this list. Once I was on "the list", i received my own list with available jobs, and I set about applying for positions. Mr Jackson was very helpful in securing my first job with the Hurworth.
I was interviewed at the Tedworth, the Vale of Lune Harriers and the Hurworth. When Mr Anderson offered me the Hurworth job, I was absolutely delighted. I spent two years working with a brilliant huntsman and super Hound man, Joe Townsend. He taught me a lot, I am for ever grateful to Joe and the Hurworth for giving me such a fantastic start.
I do hope that you decide to follow a career in Hunt Service, and I wish you the best of luck if you do.
Happy Hunting!
Yours Sincerely, Evelyn Beeney