Captain Ian Farquhar, probably the most towering figures of the fashionable searching global, has died elderly 78.
Capt Farquhar, identified by way of many within the searching global as merely “Captain”, was once grasp of the Duke of Beaufort’s for 34 years (1985–2019). He hunted the Beaufort hounds from 1985–2011, and was once grasp and huntsman of the Bicester from 1973–1985.
Capt Farquhar was once born on 11 December 1945, in Dorset, the place his father Sir Peter Farquhar was once the celebrated grasp and huntsman of the Portman. Sir Peter had commanded his regiment in North Africa all over Global Warfare II and, after Ludgrove and Eton, Ian joined the Queen’s Personal Hussars and served in Europe, the Center East and the Some distance East.
In 1971, he become an equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mom. One morning – regardless of an odd early evening – he was once overdue and overlooked an authentic engagement he was once to wait with Her Royal Highness. On receiving his abject apology, she introduced him with an alarm clock, which he valuable to the tip of his lifestyles.
He married Pammie-Jane Chafer – daughter of Charles Chafer, grasp and huntsman of the Derwent – in 1972 and so they had 3 daughters, Emma, Tor, and Rose. He left the military in 1973 and took the Bicester and Warden Hill that yr.
After 12 extremely a hit seasons, all over which Ian presented the Welsh blood, first via New Wooded area Medyg 69 after which Vale of Clettwr Fairy 73, that was once to assist carry him into the primary ranks of post-war hound breeders, he moved to the Beaufort in 1985 to turn into joint-master with the eleventh duke and to seek the hounds.
Capt Farquhar’s lifelong buddy and fellow hound breeder Martin Scott mentioned: “Having just about grown up with Ian, he supplied super recreation on the Bicester and Warden Hill after which got here to the Duke of Beaufort’s, the place he supplied exceptional recreation with some glorious hunts over 34 seasons.
“He was once a previous grasp of permitting the hounds to settle to the quarry and by way of his endurance, extra frequently than now not, it was a excellent hunt. No longer most effective was once the game implausible, he additionally made it such amusing too.”
Beaufort Hunt 04.03.11
His tenure on the Beaufort made him some of the celebrated novice huntsmen of his era, and the affect of the Badminton kennel unfold international. Ian received 13 doghound championships at Peterborough and 6 whinge championships, and his hounds ruled at the flags and within the stud ebook for a few years.
After his retirement, Capt Farquhar contributed a number of elegantly written and a laugh options to H&H, and for 3 seasons wrote a highly regarded collection, Farquhar’s Diary, wherein he visited packs, giant and small, everywhere Britain.
His driving force, and photographer and typist, in those endeavours was once his buddy Jo Aldridge, for a few years additionally his driving force to the entire main hound displays. In 2023, she helped him produce his entertaining and extremely readable autobiography, The Method It Was once.
Polo participant Luke Tomlinson, who has hunted with the Beaufort since he was once a small kid and is a brilliant buddy of the Farquhar circle of relatives, mentioned: “He was once an inspirational huntsman, a lover of the geographical region and nice amusing to head searching with as smartly. I feel he was once cherished by way of everybody; he may just chat to someone, be it His Majesty the King or someone from any stroll of lifestyles.
“I feel, post-ban, he was once very good at searching throughout the new confines of the legislation and labored very laborious to reinforce the political state of affairs and assist searching’s position in an England which, in two generations, had modified from a rustic wherein many of us understood the agricultural way of living to at least one wherein increasingly more few did.”
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