Ooty or Ootacamund

[Judgemental]

Ooty also known as Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of the Indian hill stations" Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level.

However it is equally famous for it's pack of hounds.

Has any member every hunted with the contempory pack that still exists, or did their parents or Grandparents ever talk of hunting at Ooty?

The hunt club house is littered with pictures of former British masters of hounds?

 

[seche]

My Mother hunted at Ooty as a child, it would her 1st introduction to hunting as she was brought up in Calcutta and sent to school over here but flew home for the long school holidays.

 

[Judgemental]

My Mother hunted at Ooty as a child, it would her 1st introduction to hunting as she was brought up in Calcutta and sent to school over here but flew home for the long school holidays.

Hello Seche. You have made my day. I have always wondered what it was like to have hunted at Ooty, do you have any photgraphs or anectodal stories from your mother?

I believe they had the most wonderful hunt balls.

I think hunting took place either very early in the morning or they hunted an early evening fox - perhaps you could add a few details?

Thank you so much for responding to my post, it is so appreciated

 

[Judgemental]

Hello Seche. You have made my day. I have always wondered what it was like to have hunted at Ooty, do you have any photgraphs or anectodal stories from your mother?

I believe they had the most wonderful hunt balls.

I think hunting took place either very early in the morning or they hunted an early evening fox - perhaps you could add a few details?

Thank you so much for responding to my post, it is so appreciated

I have erred slightly - they hunted the Jackal as well as foxes. The Jackal was hunted in the Bombay Country. Whereas foxes were hunted as well in the Poona Country.

Which puts me in mind of The Royal Ramala Jackal Hounds that hunted along the banks of the Euphrates. Does anybody have knowledge of family or friends, who might have talked of hunting with them during WWII? Bearing in mind the various cavalry regiments kept their horses at the Remount depot at Ramala.

For certain sure sombody will read this and say "whats a remount".

A remount is a horse seized under warrant by officers of a Cavalry Regiment in times of War or Civil Insurrection.

I believe the statute still exists.

Officers would come around one's stables and look the horses and if they thought that they were suitable for the regiment, they would pay a fair price and detail soldiers to take them to wherever the regiment was camped or stabled.

This happened with considerable frequency at the beginning of WWII when all the territorial cavalry regiments were short of horses.

For example, soldiers with the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, when in Palestine at the beginning of the war, (i.e. before the regiment was equipped with tanks) would go to the colonel of the regiment and complain that their horses were former hunters and did not parade well! However they were certain that a days hunting would settle them. So they took them out with the Royal Ramala Jackal Hounds.

Having said that how awful to have one's beloved hunter to be seized by strangers and taken to goodness knows where and to be ridden by a whoever.

 

[JenHunt]

I can't offer any help, but this is very interesting!

 

[seche]

Im off home this weekend so will ask her, about both, yes it would have been jackal at Ooty I would think. From what ive heard her mention, horses were fairly propper hunters/officers horses, quite probably remounts yes. She is in her 50s so memory will not stretch back to WWII times!

 

[Judgemental]

Im off home this weekend so will ask her, about both, yes it would have been jackal at Ooty I would think. From what ive heard her mention, horses were fairly propper hunters/officers horses, quite probably remounts yes. She is in her 50s so memory will not stretch back to WWII times!

Marvellous. I think it's so important that all these experinces and places are brought to the attention of hunting people of today, so they know just how far and wide hunting was carried by British Expats.

Notwithstanding the fact the hunt at Ooty was rather special and if anybody Googles images of Ooty or Ootacamund, they will find some spectacular views in the Indian Hills. One can see why the British took to the place.

Look forward to seeing your next post seche

 

[hunteress]

scehe your msg box is full up !! I think there is a Bute saddle on www.horsequest.co.uk in saddle section my sister works for bute she might be able to help . I think the topic is facinating would love to see some pictures keep us all in touch.

 

[Judgemental]

From BBC World News Service

'Tally Ho!' cries the huntsman... in India?

By Rahul Bedi in Ootacamund

The hunt has been going since 1835. In England, hunting has been derided as the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.
But in India it is more a case of the unconventional in full pursuit of the unavailable.

The riders keeping traditions alive in southern Tamil Nadu state belong to a bygone era - and these days lack even quarry.

Organisers say that hunts staged by the Ootacamund - or Ooty - Hunt Club, are the only surviving meets in the sub-continent.

The opening meet has just been held and every weekend for the next 10 months the hunt will gather in the crisp, early morning mist in the undulating Nilgiri hills.

It is, in reality, an anachronistic throwback - a scene which epitomises the Raj era of yesteryear.

Traditions maintained

Before the off, master of fox hounds Colonel Balbir Singh inspects riders, who include four women, and briefs them on etiquette.

It's bizarre seeing Indians behave and dress like Englishmen from a bygone, forgotten era


Hunt members are resplendent in knee-length scarlet coats with green collars, the dress code instituted in 1907 by the British and observed ever since.


Before setting off across the Ooty Downs, riders solemnly toast the august organisation which has made it all possible.

Barring a couple of years during the 1857 Mutiny - which Indians call the first war of independence - the Ooty Hunt Club has continued uninterrupted for 169 years.

It doggedly maintains traditions that many say had vanished elsewhere - even in England.


"It's bizarre seeing Indians behave and dress like Englishmen from a bygone, forgotten era in Ooty," says Roshin Varghese, a former resident of the town.

"It may be archaic but it seems to be thriving."

Social credentials

Since independence in 1947 the hunt has been supported by the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, 20km (12.5 miles) away.

Successive Indian commandants have continued support for the hunt, despite its close association with colonial domination.

Since it was the inaugural hunt, we took it easy on the riders, because many are first timers

Overseas military officers at the college - from the UK and other Commonwealth countries - also take part.

"It is considered prestigious to be part of the hunt," Col Singh told BBC News Online.

The college provides horses for the hunt and maintains the 30-odd hounds who trace their ancestry to England.

In May, Shepherd, a four-year-old hound, was imported to improve the local bloodline which had been weakened through in-breeding.

Bacon and eggs

After a two-hour ride, the horsemen and women return across the grassy, wooded slopes to drinks from the bar and a slap-up breakfast.

Southern Indian rice cake is served with spicy coconut chutney and hot lentils alongside the traditional English breakfast fare of bacon, eggs and sausages.

The hunt goes on 10 months of the year "Since it was the inaugural hunt, we took it easy on the riders, because many are first-timers," says Staff College Equitation Officer Major JS Mann.

But during the next few months the rides out will get progressively more arduous, until the season ends in April with the hunt ball - the social highlight of Ooty's summer calendar.

The Ooty hunt was established in 1835 by members of the 74th Highland Regiment and initially went after sambur deer, wild boar and the odd tiger.

The club later turned its attention to jackals - foxes are not found in the region - but has remained quarryless since these were banned in 1977.

Even so, today there is no shortage of riders joining the hounds to gallop over the Ooty Downs.

The hunt may also be the only one in the world officially allowed to stampede across a golf course - on the Wenlock Downs - where golfers must give priority to riders.

It is a rigidly enforced pecking order, in keeping with the oldest traditions of colonialism.

 

[Eagle_day]

Wow! We were talking earlier about serving sloegasms (sloe gin and champers) at a meet, but what a fantastic hunt breakfast!

 

[janet rudolph]

Ooty is one of the amazing destinations in South India and known as Queen of hill station. There are lots of amazing places to visit in Ooty such as botanical garden, rose garden and so on…And summer is the best time to visit Ooty because at summer season there are summer festivals, boating, flower shows, etc

 

[Bernster]

Wow! We were talking earlier about serving sloegasms (sloe gin and champers) at a meet, but what a fantastic hunt breakfast!

I'll have some of that please

 

[Sherston]

Hi,

If anyone wants to read about some hunts and hunting in Palestine in season 43/44 then a section in the book "Fox and Hare in Leicestershire" by Eric Morrison has a good few pages on it entitled "Jackal Hunts in Palestine". They accounted for 45 brace of "Jack" and 3 brace of Foxes in the season, with any Master of Hounds going through Palestine making it a point of honour to pay a visit. "No wonder the Germans found us hard to understand"!

It's a good book throughout and well worth a summer read.

Sherston

 

[Judgemental]

Hi,

If anyone wants to read about some hunts and hunting in Palestine in season 43/44 then a section in the book "Fox and Hare in Leicestershire" by Eric Morrison has a good few pages on it entitled "Jackal Hunts in Palestine". They accounted for 45 brace of "Jack" and 3 brace of Foxes in the season, with any Master of Hounds going through Palestine making it a point of honour to pay a visit. "No wonder the Germans found us hard to understand"!

It's a good book throughout and well worth a summer read.

Sherston

Indeed the mounted members of the Field drew their horses from the Remount Depot at Ramala, from whence the Royal Ramala Jackal Hounds took their name.

For those of you who might be interested, (although I have mentioned this before) a Remount is a horse seized by officers of a cavalry regiment, in times of War and Civil Issurection.

The statute still exists and your horses can all be seized if necessary.

The Remount Depot at Ramala was maintained throughout WWII, following mechanisation of the various yeomanry regisments, for the purposes of rest and relaxation of the officers and Men.

Hunting was quite properly classified as Rest and Relaxtion - at the tax payers expenses. But then, none of the those posted to the Middle East came home on leave or had very little leave for five years.

Happily all the majority of horses kept at Ramala throughout the war were shipped home at the cessation of hostilities and unloaded under cover of darkness at Sharpness Docks.

They were met by hunt servants from around the country who took all the horses into Hunt Service.

The reason for the clandestine operation:

a) It was considered imprudent to advertise the shipping of horses at that time when food was rationed.

b) The horses were remounts and it was not a good idea for former owners to be aware of their return and to seek their horses in order to repossess them.

 

[janet rudolph]

Ooty is one of the wonderful hill stations in South India. The hill stations of Ooty will persuade you with its rose garden, blue hills, Ooty Lake and deer park. Ooty is well known for its generosity and the beguiling natural wonders. The best time to visit Ooty due in summer season. Other prominent vacation destinations of Ooty might be Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Deer Park, the Stone House, and so forth.
for more details: http://besttimetovisitooty.wordpress.com/

 

[Alec Swan]

A fascinating thread, thanks J_M. I wonder if an Ooty history has been produced in book form. I also wonder if there are photos of the kennels and staff and of those riding out. Best of all would be photographs from the pack's distant past.

I love the idea of appointed prefects strutting about and structuring shades of home. Anachronistic? Certainly, and whilst it would now also be considered as open to ridicule, it was a harmless display of Colonial lunacy! There were self imposed disciplines which today would perhaps make for little sense, but none the less those disciplines reclined in the shade of "Tradition", with the attitude that if we have to be here, then we may as well enjoy ourselves!

Well done, J_M.

Alec.

 

[Judgemental]

A fascinating thread, thanks J_M. I wonder if an Ooty history has been produced in book form. I also wonder if there are photos of the kennels and staff and of those riding out. Best of all would be photographs from the pack's distant past.

I love the idea of appointed prefects strutting about and structuring shades of home. Anachronistic? Certainly, and whilst it would now also be considered as open to ridicule, it was a harmless display of Colonial lunacy! There were self imposed disciplines which today would perhaps make for little sense, but none the less those disciplines reclined in the shade of "Tradition", with the attitude that if we have to be here, then we may as well enjoy ourselves!

Well done, J_M.

Alec.

Thank you Alec,

I feel the contemporary club tells much of the past and their Website is well worth a visit:

http://www.ootacamundclub.com/ootyclub/

Interesting that such Hill Stations were so popular with our Colonial forebears; to get away from the heat