'He was probably unique'

In the third of his series about great fox hunters he knew personally, Alastair Jackson recalls Lieutenant Colonel Dick Eames, the highly respected master and huntsman of his family pack, the Cotley Harriers

- Alastair Jackson

IT was 50 years ago when Dick Eames telephoned, inviting me to join the committee of the West of England Hound Show, of which he was chairman. This committee met once a year at the Eames family home, Cotley, to make arrangements for the hound show, always held at Honiton on the first Thursday in August.

Dick was master of his family pack, the Cotley Harriers, for 48 years and it is a remarkable story of continuity.

The Cotley hounds were founded in 1797 in the reign of George III and a member of the Eames family has been master ever since. Dick’s granddaughter, the sixth generation of her family, Mary Perry, is senior master today, having completed 17 seasons, and runs a very well organised and happy set-up.

Having hunted hounds himself until 1974, the Colonel handed the horn to his eldest son Vyvyan, whose brother Edward eventually took over until his son Fred filled the role. The current huntsman, Matthew Biddiscombe, is the first professional to have hunted these hounds.

The hunt is a paradox in that the hounds, which – pre-ban – hunted fox only, are harriers and registered as such in the Harrier and Beagle Stud Book. However, the hunt itself is recognised by the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) as well as the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles (AMHB) and the master is, therefore, an MFH, but wearing the green livery of a harrier pack.