The Ballad of Brian Kiely

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Katy Carter

Photo by Siobhan EnglishBrian Kiely, 36, has returned Stateside to hunt the hounds of the Myopia Hunt in South Hamilton, Ma. The Dodge Ram driving Irishman from Tremore, County Waterford is a fan of many genres of music, from traditional Irish music to Kings of Leon and Johnny Cash. It all depends on the day!

e-Covertside: You accepted the job with Myopia early this year, but you have a wealth of previous experience. Where did you get your start?

Brian: A friend of mine in school had an uncle with a pack of hounds and I really go into it. I started with the Knockeen Harriers and the Waterford Beagles. When it came time to finish school and get a job, I loved hunting and stayed at it, whipping in for Island and Waterford foxhounds packs. I spent seven years when I originally came to the States, first as Whipper in for the Piedmont Foxhounds, then became Huntsman at Los Altos, then Rolling Rock before going back to Ireland for two seasons as Huntsman for Laios Foxhounds. The late Don Little rang me and I’ve been in Massachusetts eight weeks now.

Fraser Valley Hunt's Triple Threat

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As told to Katy Carter

Fraser Valley MFH & Huntsman, Karen HatchKaren: I’m Karen Hatch, 58, Aldergrove, British Columbia; MFH and Huntsman. Do I qualify for your interview as I am now an MFH who hunts the hounds as opposed to a huntsman?

Michele: Michele Cameron, 54, originally from Jacksonville, Maryland; Whipper in, Drag, Horn Player.

Loretta: My name is Loretta Stapleton. I am 64 years old (I can't believe I'm admitting that), and I have been working with the hounds as a Whipper in.

Alabama Slammers Part Deux: Catching Up with Huntsman Rhodri Jones-Evans

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Katy Carter; Photos by Adrian Jennings

Mooreland Hunt Huntsman Rhod Jones-Evans & Whipper in Shannon Roach

Native Welshman Rhodri Jones-Evans, or just Rhod as everyone calls him, hunts the 38 couple hounds for Mooreland Hunt near Huntsville, AL. When not hunting hounds, Rhod loves to bird hunt and work with his two pointers and English Cocker Spaniel on quail, duck and dove. He is unfortunately limited to following his other passion, rugby, on television.

e-Covertside: How did you become involved in hunting?

Rhod: When I was 12 my mother suffered from heart trouble and was spending a lot of time in the hospital. A client of my father, Raymond Vaughn, aka Chief, a retired Chief Inspector of the North Wales Police Force, took me under his wing to get me out of my father’s hair, not that he had that much left after dealing with me for twelve years. Chief was a great outdoorsman who loved nature, hunting and shooting but his passion was dogs. He had several spaniels and labs that he used for picking up birds on several local shoots and being a dog person myself he got me hooked.

Alabama Slammers Part One: Meet Mooreland Hunt’s Shannon Roach

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Katy Carter; Photos by Adrian Jennings

Huntsman Rhod Jones-Evans and Whipper In Shannon Roach. Photo by Adrian Jennings

Twenty-eight year old Georgia native Shannon Roach, Whipper-in for Mooreland Hunt, has a zest for hunting and for life. Introduced to riding to hounds as a child, her tremendous grasp of the lay of the land afforded her the opportunity to ride with staff and set her on the path to a professional career.

e-Covertside: How did you start your career?

Shannon: I left hunting for a few years to go to college, but once I graduated, I knew I needed to get back into it. I got my first job as a professional back with the Bear Creek Hounds which had gone from a farmer’s pack to a recognized pack while I was in school.

e-Covertside: Name three things you never hunt without.

Shannon: Whip, compass, and a deep breath!

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loudoun’s Ryan Johnsey

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Katy Carter

Photo by Ed Robisheaux

Editor’s Note: This is the first in an ongoing ecovertside.net series profiling staff members of various North American hunts. Do you have a staff member you’d like profiled? contact katy@covertside.net">katy@covertside.net

Ryan Johnsey was introduced to fox hunting very early in life, born into a horsey family in Northern Virginia.  After whipping in at the Loudoun Hunt for seven years, Johnsey, 26, left a career in corporate America to become Huntsman. Loudoun Hunt is based in Leesburg, Va., where Johnsey is in charge of the 16 ½ couple American and Crossbred hounds.

e-Covertside: How did you become involved in hunting?

Ryan: I grew up around foxhunting, it’s something my family has been doing since the 70′s. It became a major theme in my life after coming home from college…. it snow balled from there!