Do you remember your first day’s hunting?

Madeleine Silver's avatar
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Published In Features
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The sound, smell and adrenaline of your first day's hunting isn't something you forget in a hurry, whatever age you are. Take a look at these riders enjoying their first day out — and standby for flying pigtails and legs that don't go past the saddle flap...

Isabella Wright at her first opening meet with the Grove and Rufford aged two, with her four-star event rider dad Matthew Wright
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Isabella Wright at her first opening meet with the Grove and Rufford aged two, with her four-star event rider dad Matthew Wright

Barnaby Gillbard, aged four, with his pony Jack Sparrow out with the Tiverton Foxhounds (all the sandwiches, sausage rolls and cake were a highlight)
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Barnaby Gillbard, aged four, with his pony Jack Sparrow out with the Tiverton Foxhounds (all the sandwiches, sausage rolls and cake were a highlight)

Suzy Stephens’ five-year-old daughter out with Royal Artillery. She had her pink hat silk on so she could be spotted in the fog on Salisbury Plain…
(Image credit: John Eccles Photography)

Suzy Stephens’ five-year-old daughter out with Royal Artillery. She had her pink hat silk on so she could be spotted in the fog on Salisbury Plain…

Two-and-a-half-year-old James Jones out with the Crawley & Horsham — on his 29-year-old pony
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Two-and-a-half-year-old James Jones out with the Crawley & Horsham — on his 29-year-old pony

Kaiah Marsh, aged seven, on her section A Mr Pigsy with the Carmarthenshire
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Kaiah Marsh, aged seven, on her section A Mr Pigsy with the Carmarthenshire

Natasha Platts, aged six, out with the Grove and Rufford Hunt on her pony Summer
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Natasha Platts, aged six, out with the Grove and Rufford Hunt on her pony Summer

Emily Hall, aged six, hunting with the Longford Harriers in Co Longford
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Emily Hall, aged six, hunting with the Longford Harriers in Co Longford

Jemima Matthews, aged 12, out with the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds
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Jemima Matthews, aged 12, out with the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds

Eight-year-old Heidi White out with the North Herefordshire on her pony Moluccas Juniper Jewel
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Eight-year-old Heidi White out with the North Herefordshire on her pony Moluccas Juniper Jewel

Nine-year-old Honey and 10-year-old Mackenzie (who came back caked in mud and beaming from ear to ear) out with the VWH
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Nine-year-old Honey and 10-year-old Mackenzie (who came back caked in mud and beaming from ear to ear) out with the VWH

Bella Munton, aged four, at the Woodland Pytchley opening meet on her pony Blue
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Bella Munton, aged four, at the Woodland Pytchley opening meet on her pony Blue

Stewart Beattie and Smurf at the Donegal Harriers children’s meet in Stranorlar, Co Donegal
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Stewart Beattie and Smurf at the Donegal Harriers children’s meet in Stranorlar, Co Donegal

Ralph Mann, enjoying his first afternoon of autumn hunting with his brother Albie, out with the Dunston Harriers
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Ralph Mann, enjoying his first afternoon of autumn hunting with his brother Albie, out with the Dunston Harriers

Aminta Dawson, age six, out hunting for the first time with the High Peak on her pony Ellie May (despite the early start and the misty day she loved it)
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Aminta Dawson, age six, out hunting for the first time with the High Peak on her pony Ellie May (despite the early start and the misty day she loved it)

Four-year-old Chloe Ford out for her first time on her Shetland Storm with the Eastern Harriers
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Four-year-old Chloe Ford out for her first time on her Shetland Storm with the Eastern Harriers

Emma Gaffney, aged two, on her mini Shetland Whisper out with the Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Foxhounds
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Emma Gaffney, aged two, on her mini Shetland Whisper out with the Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Foxhounds

Ellie McDowell, aged seven, out hunting for the first time with the North Down Hunt in Northern Ireland
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Ellie McDowell, aged seven, out hunting for the first time with the North Down Hunt in Northern Ireland

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Madeleine Silver
Madeleine Silver
Former features editor

A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.