Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 73

EQUESTRIAN - Sponsored by Brickfields and Foghill Tack
new Millennium,” said Richard Standing
at the time. It has been a tradition ever
since. “Mr Strickland [a neighbouring
farmer] builds the bonfire throughout the
autumn and lights it,” says David. “All
the local people from the outlying villages
are invited. This year we had about
1,000 people on foot. It is important to
make everyone welcome and it has the
atmosphere of a village garden party.”
Several traditions were begun on the
first New Year's Day meet. David Biles
decided to provide bacon so that the
field and foot followers could enjoy
a hearty bacon roll before their day's
hunting. Jo Ewell, a local caterer and
follower of hounds, prepared the food
that David donated and Eve Ablitt,
chairman of the Hunt Supporters Club,
brewed up the punch that David and his
wife Di donated. David thought that this
would be a one off occasion, but like
many other hunting traditions, this has
now become a regular occurrence and
one that everyone looks forward to.
A box is on hand to take donations
towards the hunt from the crowd and
this year £300 pounds was collected. The
Cap – the money that is collected on the
day from the mounted field and the foot
followers - is shared equally between the
Isle of Wight Foot Beagles and the Isle
of Wight Foxhounds. £700 was raised
this year, an indication of the strength of
support hunting still has on the island.

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net

The first New Year's Day meet, on the
first day of the new Millennium, saw
a huge mounted field. To add to the
occasion, former MFH Anna Reed and
Kim Standing, the then wife of Richard,
both rode side saddle and Ruth Daniels,
who sadly is no longer with us, brought
her delightful pony, Jimmy, with his
trap. Foot followers arrived early and
stayed chatting by the bonfire long after
Michael Poland, the Master, had called
for hounds and Richard took them
streaming away across Mr Biles's rolling
farm, the field jumping timber in front of
the crowd who had a grandstand view.

life

PHOTOS PAGE 72:
Top left: Mr Jason Belamy, Huntsman
of the Isle of Wight Foot Beagles
Bottom left: Mr David Biles who arranged
the very first New Year's Day meet,
with Mr Stuart Trousdale, Huntsman
of the Isle of Wight Foxhounds
PHOTOS PAGE 73:
Below: The crowd chats as the distinctive plume
of smoke rises from the traditional bonfire
Bottom: The Hon. Sec.of the Isle of Wight
Foxhounds, Mrs Jayne Willett with Mr Lionel
Osman, both regular riders to hounds.

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