Goshen Hounds
|
Huntman's Corner
Robert Taylor ◊ Jack Taylor ◊ Francis Marion Fraley
For the 2007-08 season, Goshen's 50th anniversary, Goshen’s hounds will be hunted again by Mr. Robert Taylor (read bio) who comes to us from his native Ireland by way of Australia. Mr. Taylor, the son of an outstanding huntsman, Jack Taylor, who served as Goshen’s kennel huntsman when he was in the States, brings to Goshen the hunting acumen of one born to the sport and the horsemanship typical of his countrymen. Robert will be hunting Goshen's hounds for the 13th season. The hard work of Robert and many others in the off-season gives promise of outstanding hunting in the upcoming season.
Listen to a hunting song written for Jack Taylor
It is with great remorse that we must recognize the passing of a fine gentleman and incredibly knowledgeable huntsman, Jack Taylor in 2005. Jack, as he was known to all who met him in his ninety years, spent his life in hunt service in his native Ireland. One of six sons of the famous Tommy Taylor, all of whom went into hunt service in Ireland and England. One brother, Sam, was killed in combat in World War II, while Jack had volunteered for service with the Royal Ulster Rifles as part of the glider troops that landed in France prior to D-Day.
Jack began under his father's tutelage whipping-in at the Killultagh Old Rock and at the Chichester Harriers in County Antrim. Jack then moved on to whip-in at the Kildare foxhounds, then to the Craven Hunt and three seasons as first whipper-in at the Hursley foxhounds before returning to his native Ireland to volunteer for military service with the outbreak of World War II.
Following the war and Jack's return home he served again as a hunt servant with many of those by whom he had been previously employed. He was saddened at the loss of a second brother, Robert, in a motorcycle accident while Robert was Huntsman to the East Antrim Harriers. As Goshen's Robert Taylor might say, "the man himself, Tommy Taylor came out of retirement to hunt that pack" until a new huntsman could be found. Jack Taylor was named to take the horn to succeed his father as huntsman of that the East Antrim. Jack left the Killultagh to hunt the East Antrim's hounds for thirteen seasons and then went to the Cumberland Farmers for the next sixteen seasons before retiring from hunt service in 1981.
But Jack Taylor's work in the foxhunting world was not yet finished. The very high standards in hound work and horsemanship of the Taylor family are continued today in Jack's son Robert, professional huntsman for the Goshen Hounds in Maryland, USA. When Robert agreed to hunt the Goshen hounds, he knew that his father, Jack was there to support him. Jack spent several years as Goshen's kennel huntsman working closely with Robert to establish the breeding program and training program that Goshen enjoys today. Typical of Jack was his response when offered the position of kennel huntsman at Goshen to which he replied "Aye, that's right up me street!" Indeed it was, but far more to the benefit of Goshen than Jack could ever comprehend.
For those of us that have an interest in pedigrees, Jack's keen sense of horsemanship and hunting lives on. Of his many grandchildren, at least two continue the hunting tradition. Robert's two youngest children, MacKenzie and Hunter are regular members of the Goshen hunt field. The notes of Tommy Taylor's silver horn are still heard across the hunting fields of Goshen. Indeed, Jack Taylor is gone, but he will never be forgotten.
Francis "Frank" Marion Fraley - Goshen's First Huntsman
1912 - 1988. A distinguished member of the Museum of Hounds and Hunting Honor Roll of Huntsmen.
Frank Fraley was a country man, born on a farm in Montgomery County, MD. As a boy, he would take hounds and go hunting on foot, many times barefoot. At eighteen, he was asked to hunt the hounds for Thomas T. Mott's Redland Hunt and did so from 1933 until 1957. In 1957, he helped start Goshen Hunt with William F. Carl as Master. Frank was committed to enhancing the field hunting abilities of his hounds. He relied on the Bywaters breeding of American foxhounds for the attributes he bred into his pack. His hounds were his family - he knew his pack and his country and landowners well. Frank was huntsman a total of 44 years; 24 with The Redland and 20 with Goshen.