THE work had been done, every farm had been canvassed (and very few said no), every field had been walked and expectations were high. It is amateur huntsman Hughie Ryan’s second season and, while sport was good last season, it is now that he is really finding his feet. With his brother Michael, the London Olympian, as his whipper-in; Grand National jockey, Val O’Connell, as field master and international show jumper, Shane Breen MFH, as a path finder, the team up front is premiership quality. In addition, the Ryan family team was made up of Hughie’s brother, Pat.

Joint-masters, Jake Murphy and Mairead English, were in the first flight all day, as was hunt chairman John Hourigan, who was out with his daughter, Hazel. Sadly missing on the day was amateur whipper-in Frisk Jones and Bill Hanly MFH, Limerick’s leading property auctioneer, who was held up with some major sales, which had to be closed on the day. Holding a watching brief was senior master Chris Ryan, who was always in the right place to spot a fox slipping away or be ready with a helping hand as required. Richard Stapleton from Garryspillane, who looks after hunt finances, was out on his bay, as was hunt secretary Triona Fitzpatrick, as always beautifully turned out and crosses the country accordingly.

Last season, Hughie stepped into the breach at short notice coming up to the opening meet, so the learning curve was fairly sharp, but this season, as joint-master Mairead English said, “Hughie has really arrived”. Hounds are looked after by kennel huntsman Paul Collins, assisted by Sir Roy Walker and Nadaline Webster, who lavish time and love on the hounds.

Timely departure

As horses and boxes and anxious riders assembled well in advance of the appointed time of 11am, because our huntsman is a stickler for prompt move off, some had the opportunity to slip into James Ryan’s for a pick me up for the day ahead. A more sporting pub could hardly be found, as the Ryans are significant land owners in the area. In addition, James’ cousin Richard, who is a property manager and one of the men to follow across the big Scarteen banks, was out. Auctioneers, there were aplenty, with Niall O’Connell from Bansha on his big grey. He is regularly seen on the rostrum selling for a mart and has recently taken up office as Point-to-Point secretary, while visiting from the Tipp’s was another auctioneer, Nicolas Maher, having his first day with Scarteen, but more about him anon. From Waterfall near Cork came Carthach McCarthy, a regular in Scarteen at this stage, on her smashing bay.

I have never been down at the start of the Gold Cup, but I can imagine the atmosphere being comparable, as those 50 riders made the short hack behind Hughie, Michael assisted by joint-master Jake Murphy and the 11 and a half couple of the famed Black and Tan hounds to the first draw in John Daly’s farm, just off the Emly Road. Hounds had barely stepped on grass, with several riders still attending to their girths, when the second season dog hound, Danger, shot into an impenetrable thorn thicket and, almost as fast, a fine dog fox popped out the other side and, with the pack rallying to him, they were off. This was to set the pattern for the day, as hounds hunted almost non-stop, although not necessarily on the same fox, until the huntsman blew for home at 3.45pm.

Game changer

The very first bank into Joe Breen’s (Shane’s uncle) was a game changer, with numerous fallers, including Richard Ryan on his normally foot-perfect bay. While he re-mounted and was back in the fray, others were not so lucky and, for some, it was their only fence of the day, having to retire. With hounds flying, they jumped the big bank into the priest’s field. Showing style were the Dore brothers from Askeaton; Kian, fresh from his double victory, firstly in Lyon to be closely followed by another in Stuttgart, on the family-owned Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey and his young brother Jack, another star in the making. Another junior showing style was Kate Ryan, a daughter of one of Scarteen’s largest land owners and the Curtin family, Jude and four daughters, who are always foot-perfect.

Jennifer Curtin jumps a typical Scarteen bank with style \ Catherine Power

And, with a holloa from James Breen, they crossed the Lattin/Glenbane Road into Ryan’s of Ballyconroy, whose hostelry had entertained riders just a short time before. They ran on over a series of high singles, guarded fore and aft by mini canals through Beston’s and Hourigan’s, before marking him to ground in Crotty’s near Shronell.

Without delay, they pressed on to their next draw across the Ballinalard Road in Condon’s. Again they found almost immediately and, jumping a big double, they swung left through Aidan Long’s over some smashing banks. They ran on towards the Wash Boreen through Sean Dunne’s, where they met a really decent set of stud rails to be jumped. This, of course, was where Shane Breen on Bart was called for a good lead and he wasn’t found wanting. In another life, Bart could have been a Grand Prix horse, as his full-brother jumped at the highest level. How good is he? After a little thought, Shane summed him up: “a dream horse, no matter what the question is, he keeps giving you the right answers”. Shane had travelled over from his home in Hickstead with Scarteen regular, Kate Brooks and Michael Condon from Wexford. All three had a clear round.

They then crossed over the Emly Road to Ballinacree, but as the country would be needed for another day, hounds were blown off and brought back through James Breen’s (no relation) dairy farm and jumped into Halloran’s, where there were refreshments for the riders, but more importantly, second horses for huntsman and whipper-in (Hughie and Michael) and, after the briefest of interludes, they pressed on to draw Noonan’s, where they again found and Reynard took the field or what was left of them on a guided tour of some of the biggest and best banks in Europe, finishing in Mairead English’s, which has banks to die for.

Around 3.45pm, hounds marked to ground in a previously unknown shore and was left. Refreshments aplenty awaited one and all in Mairead’s barn. But everyone didn’t partake. Once hounds had been loaded and horses returned, our huntsman with the hunt fencers set off to retrace their tracks and put everything back exactly as it was before hounds and horses ran over a classic bit of country. As Hughie later recalled: “I want to be as loyal to the farmers as they are to me”.

How good was it? Well, it was Nicolas Maher’s first day ever with the ‘Tans. He takes up the story… “a breathtaking and unbelievable experience… once I heard those hounds speak and jumped the banks, I realised why they are passionate about their hunting in Scarteen”. Will he be back...? “Definitely, but not for a while… I have to let the experience sink in.”

Scarteen Hunt (The Black and Tans)

Kennels: Scarteen, Knocklong, Co. Limerick

Chairman: Mr John Hourigan

Senior Master: Christopher Ryan

Joint-Masters: Roger Dungworth, Mairead English, Jake Murphy, Bill Hanly

Field Master: Val O’Connell

Hon Secretary: Triona Fitzpatrick

Treasurer: Mr Richard Stapleton

Huntsman: Mr Hughie Ryan

Whipper-in: Mr Frisk Jones, Mr Michael Ryan

History

The earliest records of the Scarteen Black and Tan hounds and the Ryan family goes back to 1640 shortly after the flight of the Earls. Around 1820, Daniel O’Connell (‘The Liberator’) disbanded his pack of Kerry Beagles and his hounds were sent to Scarteen to augment the Scarteen Pack. The Ryans of Scarteen were closely related to the O’Connells of Caherdaniel. Present master, Chris Ryan, now in his 35th season is the eighth generation of his family to have carried the horn.