Proud to be of service
In the countryside, there is no such thing as a 48-hour week. Christmas lie-ins don’t exist and two weeks on a beach is a pipe dream. “Hunting is not a job, it’s a way of life,” emphasises Patrick Martin, huntsman of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase for 23 seasons. “I did 39 Christmases on the trot.” Being in hunt service is physically demanding and stressful, yet uniquely rewarding. “We are defined by the work. It’s such a thing to look after a pack of hounds.”
A large part of what makes hunting a viable career path in the 21st century is the Hunt Staff Benefit Society (HSBS). Celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, the HSBS offers a vital safety net for people whose job will never make them rich and carries a high probability of injury. A Friendly Society, it is run by and for hunting people, operating a pension scheme to which hunt staff and employers may contribute, currently about 650, with some 100 receiving their pension. “The importance of the fundraising is that all administrative costs are paid,” explains Martin, hunt staff
