Over the stable door: Masterful moves on the dancefloor and a bracing ride out

The hunting fraternity are a hardy bunch. It takes more than a few foot of snow and Arctic temperatures to keep them away from a party, a point proved when 350 revellers turned up to dance into the early hours last Saturday night at the Holderness hunt ball, held near Hull. We were guests of Charles Clarke, a Master, arable farmer and keen point to point rider from Wistow near Selby.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Dec 2010, 15:01 BST
Updated 10th Dec 2010, 15:01 BST

Highly respected by both peers and fellow farmers, Charlie is 29 years old, refreshingly young to hold such a senior position in the hunt. Masterships are expensive and demand endless time and work with little thanks. But hunts would not run without such people dedicated to their survival.

Charlie is tipped to be high on hunting's annual "top totty" list which is published next month on the MastersVoice website (his girlfriend, Harriet's phone bill must be huge) and he is keen to attract young people into hunting.

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Judging by his enthusiasm on the dance floor he won't have much of a problem in interesting them, nor of matching their stamina. Our host energetically bopped away on stage until 3am and then had us all up and unexpectedly riding his horses out in sub zero conditions early next morning.

We were dressed in a bohemian array of borrowed coats, odd rugby socks and over-sized Wellingtons and resembled hippies cantering around the edge of snow-clad wheat fields, enclosed by vast drainage ditches along the banks of the River Ouse.

Charlie happily chattered away – explaining about the local mines and flood plains – ignoring the moans and bleating from hung-over companions behind. Knowing the area well, our field master forgot his guests did not. He confidently pelted along a narrow ditch embankment, suddenly swinging sharp right to avoid a vast drainage ditch in our path. Luckily I saw it but the suffering jockeys behind almost tipped off sideways as their steeds suddenly swerved.

"Oh my god Charles, some warning would be good!" shrieked a green face behind as she lost her stirrups for the fifth time. After surviving our scenic trip around the Selby countryside we were treated to Sunday roast cooked by Charlie's supportive mum Emma. The green faces slowly disappeared along with the Yorkshire puddings, topside of beef, goose fat roasts and blackberry crumble.

A wonderful way to thaw out my chilblained feet.

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Sad news with the death of John Walmsley recently, a steadfast member of the Yorkshire farming and racing community. John, 82, lived with his wife, Anne, at Bilbrough near Tadcaster and despite failing health in recent years still managed to attend many of the Yorkshire fixtures. Perceptively studying the racing from his jeep, while Anne would fetch and carry in her inimitable way. His son Robert enjoyed pointing success with the consistent Peanuts Pet in the 1990s.

In his younger days John was a keen show jumper. He represented Britain aboard his father-in-law's horse, Nugget. He also sold Pat Smythe her Queen Elizabeth Cup winner of 1958, Mr Pollard. More recently his racing interests led him to breed the Great Yorkshire Chase winner and 2002 National favourite, Moor Lane, out of his mare Navos. John was a gentleman who had diverse talents, gifts he has passed on to his family.

Tony McCoy was "extremely flattered" at being voted the first jockey to win the sports journalists' award for sportsman of the year on Wednesday. Odds are at 4/5 for him to take the BBC equivalent, I will certainly be casting my vote for the man of steel.

CW 11/12/10

Related topics:Hull