Equestrian
Keith , 55 , has moved into his new home at The Kennels in Gatcombe and is relishing getting to grips with the job of being in charge of , caring for , feeding and breeding the 70-odd resident hounds . Previously , he spent five seasons with the West Somerset Foxhounds as Kennel Huntsman , and prior to that , four seasons with the Essex Farmer and Union as Kennel Man / Whipper-in . But surprisingly , he came to this countryside career relatively late in life , at the age of 45 , having previously put his dream on hold during the 21 years he worked in roadside vehicle recovery .
It was only when he was made redundant by the AA and offered a redundancy package that he decided to go for it and return to his rural roots . “ I came from a farming background ” he explains . “ My dad owned a dairy farm and from the age of about four , I used to follow the Hunt on foot and by car . It was just a way of life , and one that I always loved ”. When he got together with his second wife Kelly , a horse lover and rider , she encouraged him to pursue his passion , and he ’ s never looked back . “ I realised that if I didn ’ t give it a go , I would always
regret it ” he says . Having taken up his job on the Island in May , Keith says he ’ s enjoying getting to know the hounds , their characteristics and – gradually - their names . He says he already loves the Island way of life and has no plans to move on anytime soon . “ I ’ d only ever been here once - 25 years ago on a Haven holiday , when my kids were little ” he says , “ but I ’ m loving living here and doing this job . “ Everyone we ’ ve met has been really friendly and as places to live go – well you can ’ t get much better !”
“ My dad owned a dairy farm and from the age of about four , I used to follow the Hunt on foot and by car . It was just a way of life , and one that I always loved ”. www . visitilife . com 89