Captain Ian Farquhar, one of many towering figures of the trendy searching world, has died aged 78.
Capt Farquhar, identified by many within the searching world as merely “Captain”, was grasp of the Duke of Beaufort’s for 34 years (1985–2019). He hunted the Beaufort hounds from 1985–2011, and was grasp and huntsman of the Bicester from 1973–1985.
Capt Farquhar was born on 11 December 1945, in Dorset, the place his father Sir Peter Farquhar was the distinguished grasp and huntsman of the Portman. Sir Peter had commanded his regiment in North Africa throughout World Battle II and, after Ludgrove and Eton, Ian joined the Queen’s Personal Hussars and served in Europe, the Center East and the Far East.
In 1971, he turned an equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mom. One morning – regardless of an uncommon early evening – he was late and missed an official engagement he was to attend with Her Royal Highness. On receiving his abject apology, she introduced him with an alarm clock, which he treasured to the top of his life.
He married Pammie-Jane Chafer – daughter of Charles Chafer, grasp and huntsman of the Derwent – in 1972 and so they had three daughters, Emma, Tor, and Rose. He left the military in 1973 and took the Bicester and Warden Hill that 12 months.
After 12 extremely profitable seasons, throughout which Ian launched the Welsh blood, first by New Forest Medyg 69 after which Vale of Clettwr Fairy 73, that was to assist elevate him into the primary ranks of post-war hound breeders, he moved to the Beaufort in 1985 to develop into joint-master with the eleventh duke and to hunt the hounds.
Capt Farquhar’s lifelong buddy and fellow hound breeder Martin Scott mentioned: “Having nearly grown up with Ian, he offered super sport on the Bicester and Warden Hill after which got here to the Duke of Beaufort’s, the place he offered excellent sport with some great hunts over 34 seasons.
“He was a previous grasp of permitting the hounds to settle to the quarry and by his endurance, most of the time, it changed into a superb hunt. Not solely was the game incredible, he additionally made it such enjoyable too.”
Beaufort Hunt 04.03.11
His tenure on the Beaufort made him one of the vital celebrated novice huntsmen of his era, and the affect of the Badminton kennel unfold worldwide. Ian received 13 doghound championships at Peterborough and 6 bitch championships, and his hounds dominated on the flags and within the stud e-book for a few years.
After his retirement, Capt Farquhar contributed a number of elegantly written and amusing options to H&H, and for 3 seasons wrote a very talked-about collection, Farquhar’s Diary, wherein he visited packs, massive and small, throughout Britain.
His driver, and photographer and typist, in these endeavours was his buddy Jo Aldridge, for a few years additionally his driver to all the most important hound exhibits. In 2023, she helped him produce his entertaining and extremely readable autobiography, The Manner It Was.
Polo participant Luke Tomlinson, who has hunted with the Beaufort since he was a small baby and is a good buddy of the Farquhar household, mentioned: “He was an inspirational huntsman, a lover of the countryside and nice enjoyable to go searching with as effectively. I feel he was liked by everybody; he may chat to anybody, be it His Majesty the King or anybody from any stroll of life.
“I feel, post-ban, he was wonderful at searching inside the new confines of the legislation and labored very exhausting to enhance the political scenario and assist searching’s place in an England which, in two generations, had modified from a rustic wherein many individuals understood the agricultural lifestyle to at least one wherein more and more few did.”
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