Heart of England packs to merge next season
The Albrighton and Albrighton Woodland will reamalgamate to become one pack again from next season, more than 100 years after the latter was created in 1908.
The merged pack will operate from the Albrighton’s current kennels in Whiston Cross, near Wolverhampton. But all other decisions, including the new name and makeup of the mastership and committee, are still to be made.
Albrighton joint-master Andrew Crane said the hunts had discussed merging for the past four years and the final decision was made last week.
“Issues, particularly the development of commercial shoots in our countries, have led us both to have fewer and fewer places to hunt,” he said.
“We hope to become a five-day-a-fortnight pack and hunt both countries fairly.”
Albrighton Woodland hunt secretary Sue Williams added: “Our members voted unanimously for amalgamation. We hold a number of joint meets each season so are all good friends.”
Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) chairman Stephen Lambert applauded the decision which, he said, “made perfect sense”.
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He added: “We hope other packs in the same situation will take similar action.”
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (28 February 2013)
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.