Hunting hounds and staying solvent

Until the mid-20th century the stereotypical Master of Foxhounds tended to be rich, landed, red faced and terrifying. But in the postwar years young men came forward and applied organisational skills to running a hunting country that could have landed them a plum job in any sphere they chose. Captain Ronnie Wallace was the standard bearer for the new style of industrious Master, exemplified by those who came after him such as Captains Clarke, Fanshawe, Farquhar and Kelly. They may still have appeared terrifying to their followers but their rise to hunting prominence during the second half of the 20th century was timely. Rural Britain had changed forever and hunts no longer had to gallop wherever they wished. Big estates had been broken up and sold to owners who were at liberty to choose whether they welcomed the hunt or not, and the first stirrings of a more accessible countryside were beginning to be felt, especially in the shooting field, where former tenants were now free to shoot their own game on their own