Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2011/January 2012 | Page 90

EQUESTRIAN

Riders gather for

Opening Meet
The opening meet gathered
at Westover House,
Calbourne with the kind
permission of Mr and Mrs
John Weeks. There was a
mounted field of 62 with
a couple of hundred more
on foot. Joining them were
a mixed pack of hounds,
which were hunted by
huntsman Rick Dolphin.
Amongst the riders
was mounted guest Rory
Knight Bruce, a writer
and journalist from the
West Country. During the
evening supper, attended
by 90 people, he amused
everyone with his after
dinner speaking. The riders
90

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hunted over Forestry and
National Trust land plus
Westcourt Farm, Coombe
Farm, and Waytes Court
Farm, with kind permission
from the Russell Family, the
Doors Family, the Wannops
and Gamekeeper Ray
Hayles.
The youngest mounted
member of the field was
3-year-old John Waghorn,
accompanied by his
grandma, Wendy Begley,
who at 72 was the oldest
member of the field. There
were no significant fallers
and the day ended when the
light faded at 4pm.