The new kid on the block

Simon Whitehead looks to the future and begins his training journey with Truffle, a slightly unusual addition to his slick team

The most important part of creating a good ferreting team-that team being made up of dogs and ferrets - is looking ahead and gradually introducing new members; you need to mix energy and youth with skills and experience. Good teams don't just happen overnight. Behind the scenes there is a lot of hard work and reflection that goes on, not only to make the right decisions but to source the right animals. If I rest on my laurels, I could find myself with the prospect of being unable to carry out rabbit control work properly in years to come. This wouldn't just be a loss of one of my greatest pleasures, but it would also represent a loss of income.

My rabbiting life isn't just confined to the fields - I am often in the arena too, at country fairs and shows.

I would like to become a bit more adaptable in conquering some of the challenges that lie ahead in this world and I'd like to add to my demonstrations. This part of my life, going to fairs, is important. Not just because I get paid to appear at shows, but they also provide me with an opportunity to help spread the good word about ferreting - they are a chance to connect with the curious but uninitiated. I want to show them that rabbiting is modern and adaptable.

Politics and paperwork On the rabbit-control front, a high percentage of my jobs are now in very tricky and conspicuous environments. Politics and paperwork rule the roost where I manage small rabbit populations, and I often find myself tracking down individual rabbits.