The team behind Hunthorses.co.uk
Midge Todhunter
Midge is a very experienced horseman and has ridden extensively in many areas of the world. As a travel writer for the Independent on Sunday and Daily Mail he has ridden the Canadian Rockies; the French Alps; the Camargue (with the famous white horses); and twice ridden horse safaris cross the wild plains of South Africa. He is already booked for an inaugural horse trip across the Andes from Chile to Argentina next year.
He is now a professional writer, journalist and
photographer. He is a columnist and feature writer for
Horse & Hound, and has had work published in 40 other
publications. He is also a member of the Society of Authors.
Professionally associated with horses for more than 40 years, he began with ponies as a kid and worked his way up to become a national hunt jockey. He travelled widely within horseracing including six month spells as a work-jockey in Germany, and in the U.S.A. (Maryland, and Belmont Park, New York).
He has ridden training gallops on two Aintree Grand National winners: Rubstic, and Lucius; and was work-jockey for Star Appeal - the 1974 winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Midge has ridden winners of hurdles races, team chases, and cross-country events.
He moved to the challenges of hunting in the English countryside and was kennel-huntsman for Cumberland Farmers’ Foxhounds (6yrs); a retained professional for a three-day-week mounted pack. On the Point to Point scene he has trained horses to win Point to Point races for friends (references available).
Midge says: "Horses have been a continuous theme throughout my life. My photography stems from my love of art, in particular the Impressionists, and I am completely self taught. I began doing my own photography to accompany my articles, and it's just taken off from there. I mainly do equestrian photography as I enjoy being around horses, and horsy people."
John Holliday
One of the ‘Westminster Eight’ who famously stormed onto the Floor of the House of Commons during the 2004 hunting demonstration in Parliament Square against the now statute ban on Hunting with Dogs, John Holliday is the much respected professional huntsman of the Ledbury Foxhounds where he has carried the horn for the past 12 seasons.
His ability to cross the West Midlands countryside with his beloved
pack has impressed many top-class horsemen, including the great horse
showman Robert Oliver who is a former master of the Ledbury, and says
John is: "an excellent horseman." Quite an accolade from such an
esteemed judge.
John began riding as a 12yro, competing at local level show jumping, eventing and cross country. His hunting career began with the Braes of Derwent where he was groom and second whipper-in. He moved on to the Belvoir where he spent five years as second and first whipper-in, under huntsman Robin Jackson. His next move was to the Quorn where he was for three years first whipper-in to the legendary shires huntsman Michael Farrin.
John says: "The Belvoir was probably the most challenging country to cross: it was strongly fenced with deep going and big ditches, some hedges had yawning blind ditches, but we were well mounted."
"Quorn huntsman Michael Farrin was as superb horseman and took some keeping up with across country when hounds were running, and which threw down quite a challenge to the 100-plus mounted field we would get out most days."
John says the Ledbury country is just as tough to cross, with wire in almost every fence encountered. Lots of small farms, the going can be deep, but it remains a predominantly grass country with lots of jumping - especially in the Seven Vale where there are some big hedges.
It is not unusual for the Ledbury to have 100 horses out in the Friday country, and the most they have ever had was 214 mounted followers at the 2003 Boxing Day meet in Ledbury Town, in protest against the eminent hunting ban planned for February 2004.
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