Hunting types

I think the Thruster is pretty much my "gung ho chap" - see OP. There may be variations though if anyone has any!

Portway Paddy - I hope you do crack it! It's not much good if he jumps everywhere else as that means there's not much you can do about the problem other than hunt, and we've only got a month-ish left of the season. I prescribe as much hunting as possible then.....

My problem is not quite the same in that last season my "super looking proper stamp" (acquired after my 4 year lay off) performed like a star, but this season everything has been going downhill, so much so that I'm taking him to the vet on Tuesday for a check over :(.

But I have had the day where I lost both front shoes at 1pm and had to walk several miles back to the box, leading horse, then drive an hour and a half home and STILL came home smiling, I was so glad to be out again!
 
Sorry to hear that Toots. Hope every thing works out ok.

We are now getting heavy frosts again, Saturday was cancelled. Blooming Winter, how dare it snow and get frosty :D.

Paddy
 
JackyandRosie said:
There's also the green-faced newcomer who's contemplating the folly of starting out hunting on a horse that has also never hunted before. She tries to be polite to everyone, fails hopelessly to remember anyone's names especially when meeting people off horse-back. She frequently gets something wrong (crossing the trail, talking at the wrong point, not talking at the wrong point) and tries very very hard to apologise for all failings on her and her horses part.

By the end of the season she will not be green faced anymore, and her horse will have acquired a modicum of manners. She will FOREVER be grateful to The Matriarch, The Elegant Lady, and the Kindly Master who have welcomed her, looked after her and frequently urged her to Kick On!
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This was/is me! only my horse had hunted before, but was still rude. I was clueless and then a wonderful Elegant lady gave me some wonderful advice.
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
The Point to Point Rider

Rough, scrawny, skinny male in old hunting clothes. To be seen on equally rough skinny TB. Horse usually dark bay, very hairy and to be seen spinning round and backing into everything whilst he sits calmly smoking a roll up and laughing. Rest of field try to avoid him at all costs especially when horse throws itself on the floor. Secretary happy as she is safely in her car and has already banked his cheque and is no danger of getting kicked. Rest of field can't wait until he has been out required length of time and goes home.
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Fantastic love it :-)
 
The Silly Middle Aged Woman - to be found on an unmannered horse who she frequently refers to as her baby despite the fact that it's her fourth season hunting it. Has a green and red ribbon on it but never sticks to the back and just laughs at it's naughty behaviour.

Always complains about the hunt and frequently threatens to move to a neighbouring one but despite everyone's fervent wish that she would, never actually does.

Rude to people who she thinks are below her notice, fawning to those who are not and flirts and giggles with ALL the men apart from the foot followers who she patronises!!
 
The rider qualifying a PtoP. Hangs around quite a bit,smoking and sometimes chatting,he wears a skull cap sans silk,might have a hunting tie but more of just a collar and ordinary tie combined with a very worn hacking jacket, His boots are either rubber or leather ones that are about to expire from wear.He will ride a trifle short ,and rather slouchy backed in position,toes very often pointing vaguely down. His horse is a rangey bay ,on it`s toes and occasionally shakes hands with it`s back leg for no apparent reason other than to relieve it`s boredom.It`s neck and chest are covered in foam from it`s agitated mouthing and snatching at the bit and most of the time it flashes it`s dentures whilst doing so.
Come the moment to get his "card" signed both of them are off to the box toute de suite in time to finish Saturday stables by six PM. The horse does not risk his future PtoP runs by engaging in any jumping or mad gallops..legs are far too precious.He has strict instructions to "just get the bloody tickets signed" and protect it`s owner`s investment.
Oops.sorry,a bit of a repeat,these guys must be of a kind countrywide!
 
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The Stalwart Car Follower: On the principle that there are two types of people in hunting: those who know exactly how things should be done properly and those who are actually doing them; the SCF is one of the leaders of the first section. He has a comprehensive knowledge of hunting and is always willing to share his expertise on what the Master and Huntsman of the day are doing wrong for the benefit of others.

In the days before the ban, his fox sense was so perfect that he had an almost uncanny knack of being able to park his car in just the right place to see the fox run right up to him, stop, turn around and run off in the other direction. He is also blessed with superlative eyesight. He could tell with absolute certainty the age and sex of a fox that to the rest of us mere mortals was merely a little orange blob in the distance – and no matter how many foxes there were around on the day, he could always position himself in such a place that the one that he saw was unquestionably “the hunted fox”.

Prior to 2005, he was always able to reassure the faint-hearted at great length that there was no need to do any political campaigning on the grounds that “they’ll never ban that!” Now, he is equally able to wax lyrical on why “we don’t need to repeal that!” Either way, the unshakeable strength of his conviction that there is no need for anyone, particularly him, to do anything even remotely arduous or inconvenient is most reassuring to the rest of us in these times of confusion and unrest.

Finally, he is a massive boon to the Hunt Supporter’s Club. He bought a Life Membership of the Club for two shillings in 1955 and has reluctantly reconciled himself to the knowledge that successive Masters have been debauching themselves on the interest accrued on his hard-earned money ever since. He is always happy to assist the organisers of Hunt Supporters' Club events with comments about why the tickets do not represent value for money, even though he is not actually able to attend them himself.

What would we do without him?
 
The Bike Follower

The hunting field's equivalent of the springer spaniel with far too much energy that can really only be burnt off by following hounds on a bicycle.

Normally dressed in layers of practical waterproof clothing and sometimes a flash helmet more suited to the Tour de France, they are as anxious to leave the meet and get going as the flightiest thoroughbred and can sometimes be observed irritably tapping their watch and tutting under their breath if they think the master might be spending too much time waffling on at the meet and eating into precious time hunting.

They believe that they are superior to both the car followers and indeed the mounted field who rely on an engine or a horse to cross country. resigned to the fact that every hound in the pack will have to pee on their bike at least once during the meet they are incredibly proud of their transport and never cease from extolling the virtues of a metal steed to take hunting, after all you can't plait a mountain bike and the master would look damn ridiculous ticking you off for having a dirty frame!

Usually they are in the right place more by luck and kamikaze speed than judgement and can often be observed sitting casually on their crossbars whilst regaining their breath, looking sage and claiming they always knew the huntsman was going to draw this way.

Secretly we quite admire the mounted field bounding over jumps, but would never admit this or our dread of being carted off to A & E before the huntsman has blown for home and casually take our own risks with the odd unscheduled dismount over the handlebars and the very real chance of being impaled on one of those running fox bonnet ornaments which seem so popular locally.
 
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Ah, but you are few and far between CC, I'm not sure if you quite qualify as a "type"!

There was a lad who hunted, with the pack I used to hunt with, on foot! I don't think I ever saw a bike, although he might have had one. But he always used to suddenly appear with the mounted field, at some random spot in the middle of the afternoon, and he'd got there without the aid of car or horse!! Amazing!
 
tootsietoo said:
Ah, but you are few and far between CC, I'm not sure if you quite qualify as a "type"!
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There are loads of us bike followers round here. We used to regularly get up to 6 in our mounted field at popular meets, so many that we nominated the former Amateur whip to act as our unofficial field master of bikes! Our numbers were further swelled when the Cottesmore were coughing and their followers came along on their metal steeds to make it a joint-meet!
 
I guess it is a bit easier to bike around flat Cambridgeshire. Although it is pretty flat round here and I haven't noticed any bikes. If only dh didn't need to look after the children when I am hunting he could join us on his bike, he would love that.
 
combat_claire said:
... and can sometimes be observed irritably tapping their watch and tutting under their breath if they think the master might be spending too much time waffling on at the meet and eating into precious time hunting...
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Yeah, right. Like that's ever likely to happen...
 
The Hunting Widow

Mrs Quaintly-Rural has two days a week to herself for about half the year, which pleases her no end - she can spend her Saturday going round the farmers market at a leisurely pace, having a natter with her ladies what lunch over the price of turnips, and gathering her supplies for the week ahead. Then she spends her Tuesday at lunch with the ladies or preparing shooting pies for Thursday's shoot. The rest of the week passes in a blur of cleaning boots, washing endless breeches, shirts and stocks, brushing jackets and chivvying the groom to have the horse ready on time. Except on a Sunday when He has nothing better to do than moan about the state of the house and how little time he has to do anything about it!
 
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