History
The hunt, once known as the Antrim Greys, was founded in 1895, hunting hares and drag. Richard Cecil took over the pack in 1906 and changed to stag hunting. James Craig succeeded him as master for 33 seasons up to 1940 changing back to harriers and subsequently to a fox hunting pack, as they are today.
The team
Masters: Robert McKnight and John Minford
Huntsman: Robbie Hodge
Whippers-in: Sam McCullough and Emma Hodge
Honorary Secretary: Beth Armstrong
Honorary Treasurer: Jayne Kennedy
IT’s a few years since I reported on the East Antrim Foxhounds, but there were many familiar faces at their meet at Ballyclare. The hunt, just like other clubs and organisations, is the hub of the local community.
Speaking to the farming members, there is concern at the British Labour Government’s introduction of, what is perceived as, an unjust inheritance tax on the passing down of land in families. As farmers are usually asset rich but cash poor, for some families whose children do not have the funds to pay the tax, this would result in having to sell part of the land or borrow, which would seem to defeat the purpose.
Add this to the reduction of subsidies since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, it sends a very negative message to farming families that we depend on for our food supply and as guardians of the countryside.
This area has contributed so much to horse production, and the number of great riders whose foundations were honed in the hunting field before going on to greater things. One local in the news recently after riding plenty of winners, including a treble at Down Royal and Navan, is Sam Ewing from Lime Hill. Sam is attached to trainer Gordon Elliot’s stable. His father Warren has a reputation for sending out winners, as do Wilson and Caroline Dennison at Loughanmore.
One of the first people I met in Ballyclare was Britt Megahey of Glenpatrick Sporthorses riding a very smart dual-purpose horse that was on his toes. Two of his sons, Christopher and Harold, are the stable riders who keep the flag flying on the international circuit, producing top level show jumpers for customers around the world.
Other well-known local horsemen and women were former point-to-point champion Willie Rooney, whose land we crossed later, and his daughters Ann and Rosemary. Both were ahead of their time on the point-to-point circuit and Ann was the first lady to win the Irish Grand National on Bentom Boy in 1984, trained by her father Willie, with Rosemary in third place on Dawson City for Arthur Moore. Other noted horsemen that hunted with the pack were the Bambers and the Brysons, who won a lot of silverware at shows including Balmoral and the Dublin Horse Show.
I was struck by that genuine comradery at the meet, with Emma Hodge dispensing hot beverages - known affectionately as ‘jumping juice’. They host three annual point-to-points and a children’s meet at Wilson Dennison’s Loughanmore Estate.
Many enquired about The Irish Field correspondent Margie McLoone, who they got to know when she covered the point-to-points in Northern Ireland and she still features the NI equestrian scene in her weekly column, View from Above.
Huntsman Robbie Hodge out with the East Antrim Foxhounds at Ballyclare \ Noel Mullins
Love story
The masters are John Minford, who is also a keen rugby supporter having played with Ballyclare RFC only retiring in his 40s, and Robert McKnight, who was captain of Ballyclare RFC in the 1989/91 season. John was kind enough to take me to all the best viewing spots with honorary treasurer Jayne Kennedy, who is a keen photographer and has racing interests, and her grandfather won the Ulster National.
Huntsman Robbie Hodge whipped-in for 20 seasons and has hunted the pack for seven seasons. He met his wife Emma when he went over to collect a hound in Yorkshire and arrived back, not alone with the hound, but with his future wife who was field master of the Staintondale Hunt!
Robbie was riding an Irish Sport Horse that was purchased from Wilson Dennison and Emma was on an Irish Draught by Sir Rivie that Robbie’s father Samuel bought at Cavan Sales as a three-year-old, and is now 17 years old and has never missed a season. Samuel McCullough is whipper-in and is a strong rider across country and Ben Higgins helps in the kennels and on the ground.
Hounds are a mix of old English and Modern, but I noticed some white and brown hounds that were American-bred. They are very like those of the Goshen Hunt in Maryland USA, once hunted by Bay Cockburn, who rode for Arthur Moore and whipped-in to Neil Parker of the Kildare Foxhounds.
I remember Bay, who is confined to a wheelchair as a result of a schooling accident, when he was race riding and hunting the Loudoun West Hounds in Virginia, USA. I took a photo of him at the Loudoun West point-to-point, where he had a horse running as he used to give a lift to his jockey on the back of the wheelchair travelling at speed to the parade ring. The Goshen pack is now hunted by an Irishman Robert Taylor, a friend of Robbie and Emma.
The East Antrims are a smashing pack of hounds and are a credit to the huntsman They are honest, workers, sharp scenting and have a great voice to match. He hunts them without any fuss and you can see they trust them. It was nice to see his Stradbally National Hound Show Reserve Champion, a white hound named Grocer, out hunting proving that they can perform on the flags and on the hunting field.
Mark McCullough was following with his wife Lynda, who I met last with the Route Hunt when I recall her coat was heated by a small battery. Their sons, Ross and Grant, are two good men across country. Grant and his wife Zoe have a new addition since we last met, with three-year-old son Harry.
Ian Wilson was without his usual hunting companion Wilson Dennison, who was probably out with the South Tyrones. Following were sisters Eva and Ellie Wilkinson, Roy Logan, David Jenkins, James Arthurs, Alison and Zoe Leeburn, Gordon Cunningham, who recalled hunting with Blazers field master Willie Leahy, Brian Turtle, who I last met at the Route Hunt, and John Jackson, who needed help from Jayne Kennedy to tie his stock properly!
Nerves of steel
A huntsman needs nerves of steel to hunt this particular meet, as it borders the motorway on one side, the railway on the other, then Glengormley and Belfast on the other, with Cave Hill and Divis Hill in the background.
The first draw was on Britt Megahey’s immaculately maintained horse farm, with its manicured hedges, menage, walker and a course of quality cross-country schooling fences. Britt hunts with the South Tyrone Hunt. After a skite across Britt’s, the huntsman went on to the Plantation in Harry Knipes’, whose father Wilson was a past master.
I remember his sister Kerrie the last time I was here, as she said that we were having the soup at our own risk! Unusually, the covert was blank, so they moved on to the Bog near the motorway, where hounds found and screamed away left-handed to Rooney’s and on across Jay Lindsay’s and back through Kevin Ross’s, where they marked to ground beside the motorway.
They crossed the Ballycarigy Road into Ian Wilson’s, who had invited the followers to go where they wanted over his superb cross-country fences, where he hosts an Eventing Ireland fixture each year. Just as the followers were taking their pick of fences, hounds had other things on their mind and, as they got to the end of the avenue, some of the pack sensed a fox had crossed earlier and feathered up a stale line and they were away in a flash. He took them on a wide circle and headed for cover and was left for another day.
The huntsman drew on over Jan Martin’s after jumping a hedge off the road in style, particularly Billie Wilson and the McCullough brothers crossing Robert Beatty’s Bog, but it was blank.
The real music was booming out near Laurel View Equestrian Centre, owned by Robert Davis who was following on a quad and by Kevin Ross Bloodstock, as the pack quickly found in Bog. This customer brought them on a spin through Edmund Arthur’s - who breeds thoroughbreds - then over Brian and Jayne McConnell’s, who won the 2024 Randox Ulster National with Jumping Jet, trained by Gordon Elliot and ridden by Carl Miller. Hounds were flying across Mrs Cherry’s and back towards Megahey’s, where they marked him to ground.
The huntsman blew for home after a smashing day and Emma Hodge came up trumps again with her pop-up kitchen, serving wonderful warm soup and an array of goodies that sent the followers home nourished and happy.