President (2010) - Mark Stent
Mark become Hunt President in 2010, having previously been a Joint Master between 2007 and 2010. Mark no longer rides to hounds, but he plays a major role in developing our country and provides vital on the ground support on hunting days. He can often be seen with a tired or injured hound in the back of his vehicle! Mark lives with his wife Nicky, at Park Farm Avington, which he farms with his son Robert. Mark is a very experienced hunting man, having hunted with 3 Packs of Staghounds, 3 Packs of Buckhounds, 20 Packs of Foxhounds, 6 Packs of Harriers & Draghounds, 13 Packs of Beagles & Basset hounds, 4 Packs of Otter & Mink hounds. He was also a Joint Master of the New Forest Buckhounds and even had his own pack of harriers.
Mark was Chairman of the NFU for a couple of years, on the British Wool Marketing Board for 8 years, a Point to Point Steward and on the Alresford Show committee for 17 years - including Chairman of the horse section for a couple of years.There can be no better definition of the term "Country Gentleman", when it is said as a term of endearment, than Mark Stent. His knowledge of the countryside and farming is broad and deep.
Master (2002) & Huntsman - Jeremy Whaley
Jeremy started hunting hounds with foxhounds in 1979 as amateur huntsman to the New Forest Hounds, which he did for three years, before becoming Joint Master and huntsman in 1984 of the same pack, and then continued there for further 4 years. From there he went to the Chiddingfold Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt in 1988 for 6 years as Joint Master and huntsman. It was then up to Scotland in 1994 where he became Joint Master and huntsman of the Berwickshire Hunt where he continued to hunt foxes until 2003. In 2002 he also started his own pack of bloodhounds which became known as the Borders Bloodhounds in 2003. In 2005 Jeremy had to move south for personal reasons and he brought his hounds with him and renamed them, The South Downs Bloodhounds
Asked whether he prefers foxhounds or bloodhounds Jeremy says "I enjoy hunting hounds and seeing them work - what they hunt is irrelevant to me. All forms of hunting have their similarities, but it is their differences which make them special to those who follow hounds. I get just as annoyed by people who call foxhunting cruel as I do when I hear people call hunting the clean boot boring; neither is true and both statements are born out of ignorance."
Master (2008) - Alice Geaves
Alice started her riding life with the Cheshire Forest Pony Club and went on to hunt with the Cheshire Forest Foxhounds, The Cheshire Foxhounds, as well as having days with the Wynnstay Foxhounds and the Devon and Somerset Staghounds. Alice has an impeccable pedigree for a Master - her grandfather was a hunting vicar and Master of the Essex Foxhounds, as well as having other relations who have been MFHs. Alice had a break from hunting when she moved to London, got married and had two children; but on moving to Hampshire, she started riding again and with her daughter Rosie, has been out with a number of packs locally. As a riding Master, on hunting days when Alice is out, she will be able to communicate with the mounted followers more easily than Jeremy, as she does not have the hounds to worry about.
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Master (2009) - Johnny Cowper-Coles
Johnny started his riding career with the West Kent Pony Club. As well as pony club eventing and show jumping he hunted regularly with the West Kent and Old Surrey and Burstow Foxhounds under the legendary huntsmen Stan Luckhurst and Jack Champion.He also hunted with the Coakham Bloodhounds after they were founded in 1976 by Neil Wates and Major Nigel Budd one of the most fearless riders across country. At Bristol Unversity as Captain of Riding he rode in university matches and hunted with the Clifton Foot Beagles. With his wife Liz he then hunted regularly with the Cotley Harriers "the white wonders of the West" before raising a young family in London and moving to Hampshire in 2007 where his family came from.Johnny's main role out hunting will be to act as Field Master.
When asked about his love of hunting he said " I love all forms of venery and feel the SDB with Sunday meets will introduce and enable many children and adults to experience the thrill of the chase who might not otherwise be able to so. I hope by being a Master I can put something back into a sport that has given me so much pleasure."
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Master (2009) & Whipper-in - Stephen Kelk
Stephen grew up on an arable farm in north east Suffolk and from an early age was a keen member of the Waveney Harriers Pony Club whom he went on to represent in most disciplines (except dressage!!). Throughout his youth he hunted frequently with the Waveney Harriers and evented to a reasonable level before the dressage became a little too testing. Horses and regular hunting then took a bit of a back seat during a 12 year stint in the Royal Navy although on leaving he made a quick return to the saddle when he took up a job at a National Hunt yard. He will tell you that this relatively short period was probably amongst the most enjoyable of his life but unfortunately didn't help much to pay the bills. It was then due to work that Stephen and his wife Kate eventually relocated to Hampshire in 1997 and shortly thereafter their daughter Sarah (Minky) was born. Both Kate and Sarah will be out regularly and Stephen will be whipping-in.
. Honorary Hunt Secretary and Treasurer - Mrs Fran Baker
Fran is our terrifyingly efficient Hunt Secretary and Treasurer. Fran is frequently someone's first point of contact with the hunt and she is always happy to explain to people what is involved in having a day with the SDB. Fran has ridden since the age of 9 and hunted with various packs of foxhounds. Fran still rides, but is usually more involved as ground support for the Quarries and hounds on hunting days
