Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2012 | Page 44

INTERVIEW

King's Theatre leading the Derby in 1994 just a few hundred yards from the finish

“I was active in hunting politics and
great number and am very grateful
“When I was 19 I was Joint Master
would write in the local papers. I made
to them. There is a tremendous bond
of the Meon Valley and Winchester
myself a nuisance, and I founded the
amongst the farming community
Beagles, but in 1957 I had a heart
regionalisation of the British Field
on the Island, which you don’t get
operation and the surgeon told me I
Sports Society, which until then had
had to stop beagling, so that was when elsewhere, and I was privileged to be
been central. I said if they were going
part of it. While I was Master I came
I started letting a horse do the work
to deal with problems they had to deal
over here twice a week, and we had a
for me. Hunting for me was never a
with them on a local basis. I wrote
house in Seaview. Eventually I had to
social thing, but the art of venery and
reform articles, and strangely enough
the breeding of hounds. A horse to me pull it down before it fell down!”
people took notice of them and they
Michael continued: “The fox
was a method of transport.
had quite an influence.
hunting ban has had a traumatic
“In 1972 I became joint master of
“I was against the wearing of red
the Hambledon Fox Hounds, and then effect on rural social life. Hunting is
coats except by officials, and
one day there was an advert
since I retired as a Master
in the ‘Horse and Hound’
I never wore the red coat.
magazine for Master of the
'The fox hunting ban has had a
Tradition is too strong
IW Hounds, so I applied. I
traumatic effect on rural social life. sometimes, and throttles, and
had holidayed on the Island
I think tradition throttled
since 1946, so I knew it
Hunting is not just for toffs - they
hunting a bit, and was finding
well, and I was delighted to
hunt but so does anyone else'
itself difficult to relate to the
be appointed sole master.
public.”
I later took on two Joint
After retiring as the IW
Masters, Susie Payne and
Hunt Master, Michael took up horse
Harold George, and both became great not just for toffs – they hunt but so
breeding. “I had a slight introduction
does anyone else. In the hunting field
friends.
to horse racing because Carolyn’s
everyone is equal - for people with
“I was Master from 1983 to 1994
brother in law is Henry Candy, who
a great common purpose - and that
and finally resigned the Mastership
trains at Lambourn, so I decided to go
disappeared with the ban. You can
because I think you need to get out of
to the Tattersall’s Sales and buy horses.
no longer go to a pub and talk about
it before people want you to get out. I
“I spent hours studying the
hunting; it has left a huge void. I have
probably had the best hunting of my
Tattersall’s catalogue, and picked out
met people through hunting, but if I
life on the Island. Carolyn was Field
the horses I wanted. Off I went in
came to the Island now I wouldn’t get
Master and supported me 100 per
eager anticipation, but they all went
to know any of those people. I hope
cent. She is a very good horsewoman,
for up to £400,000, bought by the
there will be a day when hunting does
and made a great contribution to the
Arab breeders. However, there was a
come back. I was sad and more than
IW Hunt.
man called Jim Joel who was 94 and
slightly annoyed when the ban came
“One of the great things about
having a dispersal sale. He had been
in. I can see how some people see it as
hunting was the relationship I built
very successful, and in the catalogue
cruel, but it wasn’t because the end of
with farmers. There are no better
was a partially blind mare, which I
a fox was very quick.
friends than farmer friends. I met a
44

www.visitislandlife.com