Tumblers Report

In January this year, in her last speech at Rowner as master, Pip Wates said of all the meets she had the pleasure to arrange Rowner Farm, along with Malham, always gave us the best days. Making the speech myself for the first time, with Pip present, I understood immediately what she meant, for this country is some of our finest and most varied and made for hunting. Rolling farmland which stops at woodland, bridleways to take us through and out again to water meadows. Certainly it gets damp, but should we be allowed on, the views are always worth any inconvenience. Further, today was, meteorologically, the kind of day one might always hope for: crisp underfoot, with the sun ribboning cold and harsh winter light through the trees. Scenting conditions were good and once the quads were off, we had some unrestrained runs. You really would not want to be anywhere else.

At 11 o’clock I was able to give the field of twenty-four two pieces of good news. Firstly, that Tim Lee MFH was recovering well from his fall at the Joint Meet last Saturday, and secondly that I would not be their Fieldmaster. That responsibility fell to the far better qualified and more competent Peter Button. This move proved a shrewd one as the notoriously difficult tiger trap at Eaton Copse came upon us. In pursuit of hounds, Peter sailed it without hesitation while various followers pressed on in his wake, clonking it in turn and ultimately decreasing its height considerably. This alarmed Piper (and me) as the ditch beneath loomed darker and more uninviting than usual. A bad refusal saw him pick his legs out of the timber struts (very Becca Green) and we took the long way round. As a field, we also took the long way round to Hope Farm. Set to take place was a dressage competition nearby, so we hacked there from the farm where the first trails of the day were laid in order to leave before the event began. The mind boggles with the possibilities of our and their mutual unawareness. Jack Taylor had offered his services to Julian Edge and this whipping-in team proved a winning one. Stuart Packman was helping too on his bay; back again from its injury and Kate Ford too.

We left Rowner Farm and cantered over the fields to the water meadows at Malham, then along to Hope Farm (pre-dressage competition) and Hope Roughs. There was an alarming amount of jumping which the Garner mother/daughter seemed to enjoy so much they did it several times, back and forth. From there, we crossed Oakhurst Lane to Bignor Wood out cut back down to the water meadows again and back to Rowner ending up at Eaton Copse (and that tiger trap again). Hounds caught scent and nearly overran into nearby Maple Close. Sage and Nick have built several new and occasionally formidable rails and the field enjoyed trying them out for the first time

Rather irritatingly, it ended up a day out for the rather accomplished and no-one joined the Tumblers League. Stuart had a bit of a wobble over the nasty tiger trap but nothing to write home about, still less to even mention.

We owe, as Pip reminded us this time last season, a great debt of gratitude to Pam Payne and to John Goodman. I can see why she liked her days round here on days like these.

Robin Muir MFH