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Braunston, Belton House, Burrough House and Gunby meets Photos by David Burrell More photos in the Photobox gallery

Norman ('Ticker') Hubbard

The funeral of Norman Hubbard (Ticker) will take place on Wednesday 8th February 2012 at Egleton church at 1pm and afterwards at the Barn Suite, Barnsdale Lodge Hotel. No black ties please. Family flowers only. Donations to the Injured Jockeys Fund and Rutland Memorial Hospital c/o Fords of Oakham, 8 Church St, OAKHAM Rutland LE15 6AA

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Changes for next season

Huntsman Neil Coleman will leave the Cottesmore after thirty years service to take up the position of Master Huntsman with the Torrington Farmers' Hunt. We wish him, Philippa and Charlie every success in Devon. His testimonial day will be on Tuesday 6th March.
Neil’s replacement as huntsman will be Andrew Osborne who will hunt hounds as an amateur and join the Mastership. Andrew was Joint-Master of the Sinnington from 1996-2003 before joining the Bedale as Master and Amateur Huntsman from 2005-2011.
Joining him in the Mastership will be Gemma McCormick of Thorpe Satchville. The present Joint-Masters (Richard Hunnisett, Jenny Dale, Nicholas Leeming and Bee Bell) will continue in office, together with Alex Knott who will continue to Field Master some Saturdays in the Launde/Tilton area.
First whipper-in Joe Tesseyman who joined us in 2010 will move to the Waveney Harriers as huntsman. This is a great opportunity for Joe and we wish him well.
Finally, the Cottesmore's éminence grise and former MFH Di Hellyer who as hound trustee has wisely guided our hound breeding for many years has decided it is time to step down. Jane Knight has kindly offered to assume this role.

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Welcome

Welcome to the Cottesmore Hunt’s website. Within our site you will find the history of the Hunt and its supporters club, an account of the breeding and bloodlines of our famous hounds, a description of our country (the area we cover) with an interactive map highlighting points of interest, a who’s who of officials and staff, details of the different subscription packages, calendars for our future hunting Meets and social events, a list of what we currently have on sale in our memorabilia shop and details of how to get in touch with us. There are also details of (or links to) our other related activities such as point-to-point racing, Pony Club and the Hedge-cutting Society. We also — as you will have seen — carry advertisements. Please give your business to our advertisers: help them to help us.

The government ban in February 2005 led to some changes in the way hounds are permitted to hunt while remaining within the law, but although second-best to traditional foxhunting, excellent sport is still possible using a combination of laid trails and flushing to a bird of prey for the bird itself then to hunt.
"For the truest sport, the straightest foxes, for perfection of country, for long runs and fast runs, commend us to the wild pastures of the Cottesmore. A wide spread region scarcely inhabited; ground that carries a scent in all weathers; woodlands which breed a travelling race; and mile upon mile of untracked grass, where a fox will meet nothing more terrifying than a bullock — no wonder, then, the finest runs of the season are with the Cottesmore; that more hard riders and grand horses are present when Ranksboro' is drawn then are ever mustered elsewhere; or that the Punchbowl and Stapleford are names to make us stir in our chairs..."
So said Edward Pennell-Elmhirst ("Brooksby") in 1882. Those familiar with the area will realise that the country has changed a bit since then. But the Cottesmore's famous hounds have more than kept pace with these changes: they are lighter and more athletic than their forebears and are better able to follow a weak scent amid exhaust fumes and the distractions of modern agriculture.

From 1666 until 2005, the Cottesmore (say ‘Cotsmore’*) had hunted foxes with hounds in and around the ancient English county of Rutland. In spite of the construction of Cottesmore airfield in 1935, the completion of Rutland Water reservoir in 1978 which removed 3100 acres (1255 hectares) of hunting country, widespread national hunt saboteur activity in the late 1980s and the 2004 Hunting Act, the Cottesmore continues to flourish, hunting within the law. Its country converges with that of its neighbours the Quorn and the Belvoir (Duke of Rutland’s) in the Leicestershire market town of Melton Mowbray which in its heyday was a magnet for foxhunters worldwide and now has the UK's only foxhunting museum.

* - from Cott's Moor

350 years and still going strong. For’ard on!