Who’s Who in a Hunt

The Master of Foxhounds:
- Is responsible for and governs all aspects of the Hunt
- Develops and maintains relationships with our Landowners
- Develops and maintains the Hunt Country
- Promotes good sport for the members of the Field
- Awards ‘Colors’ to Subscribers for service and commitment to the Hunt
- Determines the route the Hunt will follow and instructs the Huntsman
- Designates Field Masters and Whippers-in
The Huntsman:
- Selects and breeds foxhounds to establish an effective drag pack (hounds follow a scent rather than live fox)
- Maintains the Kennel and provides total care for the hounds
- Trains the hounds to respect his commands
- Trains the hounds to stay gathered around him, to follow the chosen scent and to ignore other scents, to hunt and to return to the Huntsman upon command
- Lays the scent for the hounds. Myopia uses an artificial scent called Anisette
- Lays a line of scent in open fields and woods, but never a straight line and never on trails, to teach the hounds to hunt for the scent
- Casts the hounds upon the scent and gathers them at the end of a line
- Uses the horn to encourage and call the hounds and to inform and direct the Field
Whippers-In:
- Generally ride near the Hounds, but go anywhere they are needed to aid the Huntsman
- Assist the Huntsman, under his direction, to slow or turn the hounds, or to direct the hounds back to the scent or Huntsman
- Use the loud crack of a whip to control or discipline the hounds
The Jumping Field Master:
- Follows the Huntsman and leads the members of the field who wish to jump
- Assures that the Field does not interfere with the hounds or Huntsman
- Generally stays directly behind the Huntsman
- May, on occasion, need to take the Field on a slightly different route than the hounds to protect the land or members of the Field
- Knows the territory well, and the planned route for the day
- Leads the Field over the Hunt fences and knows that the jumps and footing are safe
The Hilltopping Field Master:
- Leads the members of the Field who prefer a slower pace and not to jump
- May follow the Jumping Field
- Often chooses a different route to provide a slower pace, and to position the Hilltopping Field to view the hounds at work
The Landowners:
- Are the MOST important people in the Hunt, they make it possible with their generosity
- Allow the Hunt to be guests on their property
- Often construct and maintain jumps for the Hunt
- Should be greeted and thanked by every member of our Hunt community