The Bilsdale Hunt

July 2010

Dear Subscribers, Farmers and Landowners,

We hope you are summering well and looking forward to the season ahead, it will be upon us before we know it.

The time is approaching when you may be looking to decide on this seasons subscriptions. To keep you in the picture our subscriptions will be unchanged at:

• £350 for Full individual
• £450 for Full family
• £320 Farmer family
• £60 for non mounted membership
• £180 for a 6 day ticket (no vote and Saturdays only)
• £50 Junior (under 17)
• £10 Foot and car followers
• Donation for lead-rein
• Caps/Field Money, £10 including Autumn Hunting.
• No compound caps
• Visitors £45 plus Field Money (£55)

All those wishing to subscribe should please contact Jane Wood, Secretary, 01845 537025.

We are working hard with the meetcard and this is taking shape nicely. To recap on the joint venture arrangement with the Hurworth, generally on Saturdays each Hunt will have its own meet, and generally on Tuesdays the meet will be joint. So where you see “Joint” on the meetcard you are entitled to go along for no extra charge, (except for Field Money - £10). So for your subscription you will be able to hunt on both a Saturday and a Tuesday as before, but now there will be a greater range of country on offer as the joint meets will occur right across the two countries. Finally for the individual Hurworth meets you would obviously need to subscribe with them separately.

Hounds are summering well and beginning to settle to the new staff. Stuart is exercising the hounds 3 days a week, with hounds going out with the Hurworth staff on the other days. Thanks to Gary, Steve and Eric in supporting Stuart on exercise. If anyone wishes to come out and hound exercise (on bikes) you are most welcome, please contact Stuart for details.

We have had some excellent Hound Show results so far and we will also be showing hounds at Holker and the Scottish Hound Show. Stuart and the team will also be parading hounds at Osmotherley and Stokesley Shows. Please look at the website to see the show results so far.

The Hunt Supporters Club, ably chaired by Gary continues its good work and there is a full range of events coming up which he will keep you informed of.

With kind regards

Alex Guthe

Bilsdale Hunt Newsletter May 2010

This is a brief update to let you all know what is happening.

After an interesting period we have got sorted out with a plan that accords with the wishes of the rump of our supporters – at the recent followers meeting on May 3rd 25 out of the 33 attendees wanted us to pursue a course of action that I give details of shortly.

Nigel and Sheila have stepped down as Masters and our thanks are extended to them for their efforts during the very difficult but ultimately unsuccessful trial reunification period with the Farmer’s hunt. We would like to continue to welcome them both to come out hunting with us.

Top of my agenda is hound welfare, management and everything that goes with it. The hounds must remain at Rounton. End of story.

For the coming season the hunt will be Committee-run and Stuart Allen will hunt hounds as Amateur Huntsman on Saturdays.

The Saturday hunting will be chiefly, but not exclusively, on the higher ground. Field money will be lifted to £10. Subscriptions will remain the same as last season.

On Tuesdays hunting will be joint with the Hurworth with a mixed pack and their staff and using a combination of the two countries. Capping on Tuesdays for our subscribers will be just the £10 field money – and vice versa for the Hurworth subscribers. The meet card will be a joint effort.

Autumn hunting will be as last year – with the Hurworth entering our hounds for us, but now our subscribers may attend – and there will be field money at £10.

We will hold the AGM on June 14th and voting will be in accordance with the current Constitution – and I attach the up to date list of voters produced by the Committee. No one else will be entitled to vote.

A brief word about the press. It is your Committee’s policy not to offer any comment to the press.

By the New Year I hope we will all have had a lot of fun, but I would think by then also we will be able to see if we like the ways things have worked out and we can take a view looking forwards. The next newsletter will be in October. Enjoy yourselves.

Alex Guthe, Chairman.
May 2010
Download May 2010 newsletter