Guy Allman: New Huntsman of the Live Oak Pack

By Lauren R. Giannini

The first season with Florida’s Live Oak Hounds for British-born huntsman Guy Allman has earned praise and appreciation from Masters Daphne and Marty Wood.

“Guy is an excellent huntsman,” Daphne said. “His style is different than what we are used to, but hounds have become accustomed to it and we are having excellent sport when scent allows. The kennels are immaculate and the hounds well cared for.”

What’s not to love about Live Oak’s first-ever foreign-born huntsman? He may be a hunt servant, but he’s also quite an ambassador for hounds, hunting, and life in the country. He’s hardworking, hands on, and in touch with the land, having been entrusted with the recent restoration of an important piece of neglected British hunt country to its natural glory.

“I spent an idyllic childhood with either a gun, rod, terrier, or ferret for company,” Guy said. “I was always interested in nature, but seemed to understand and enjoy the art of hunting. My parents ran a hunter livery and dealers yard, so I was always involved with hunting, but it wasn’t until I was about 13 when I was actively involved in kennel life and from then on I was hooked.”

Although originally thinking he wanted to be a terrierman, Guy was persuaded to become a whipper-in. “Unlike present times where staff seem to get fast-tracked to the position of huntsman, I served a long apprenticeship, starting at the bottom and working my way up,” he stated. “I feel privileged to have worked with some great men and hopefully I am putting the best of their ideas into practice now.”

Guy’s CV (curriculum vitae) is impressive, starting with his first posting as second whipper-in in 1986. Then, he spent the next three seasons—first two as second whip with Chiddington, Liconfield & Cowdray, then with North Cotswold where he graduated to kennel huntsman—all under the mentorship of Nigel Peel, MFH Huntsman, who has often judged at the Virginia Hound Show and Bryn Mawr Hound Show at Radnor Hunt (PA), to name two.

“I am delighted that Guy has settled in so very well at the Live Oak,” Nigel said. “The Live Oak are an outstanding pack of hounds, both in ability and looks, and it is only right and proper that they are handled by a fine huntsman which Guy is. I have known Guy since he was 17 years old—his devotion to our sport and the hounds would be hard to equal. He has boundless energy and enthusiasm as befits the huntsman of one of the top American packs. America’s gain has been England’s loss.”

Six years as first whipper-in with the Heythrop were followed by another solid spell as kennel huntsman at Golden Valley. He served as huntsman for the Mid Devon from 1999-2011, followed by his first American experience as Blue Ridge huntsman, then back to England to carry the horn at Bicester Hunt with Waddon Chase.

“I believe the most important principles a huntsman can live by are that they do the basics well, whether that be in the kennels or the hunting field and there are no shortcuts,” Guy said. “I also believe that the hounds are very susceptible to our own moods, actions and determination, we are an extension of them and them of us.”

The huntsman is under a fair amount of pressure to provide good sport. A foreign-born huntsman is under even more pressure. Everything is different: country, how the field follows, hounds, and quarry. Live Oak has a deep bench of English and Crossbred hounds, whose bloodlines, since Live Oak’s inception in 1974, have been carefully cultivated for their country and quarry: red fox, gray fox, coyote, bobcat, and boar. Hunting in northern Florida near the Georgia border is not quite the same as chasing fox in England. The weather is totally different, ditto the flora and fauna. Plus, it takes time to earn a hound’s trust and establish that invisible thread.

When asked what advice they might offer to masters engaging foreign-born huntsmen, Daphne replied: “Try to be patient and appreciative during the learning curve. Some clash of culture is bound to occur. Keep communication lines open and accept that there will need to be give-and-take on both sides. When problems do occur, discuss them—ideally after the heat of the moment. New huntsmen must accept that their North American pack is apt to be quite different than the pack they came from. But they have been bred for their country and it would be a serious shame not to give each hound a fair chance to prove their worth before making changes. Foreign huntsmen have left everything they know and love, so try to make them feel welcome and included.”

This is very astute when you consider that Guy is Live Oak’s first foreign-born huntsman. His seasons with Blue Ridge provided a good introduction to the chase in the USA. Virginia has lovely country away from the metropolitan sprawl of developments that decimated historic territories closer to the Capital Beltway. Live Oak has a first class international reputation for sport in the field and success in the show ring. So the pressure was on from the time Guy arrived in May. Of course, Live Oak offered everything to make any huntsman happy and willing to try their best. But it isn’t easy. Requisite traits for every staff, especially huntsmen, include patience, perseverance, fortitude (mental and physical), and luck.

“America certainly does offer great opportunities as foxhunting is legal here,” Guy said. “But I will always defend hunting in the UK. Although banned in 2004, there are exemptions under which you can still hunt, albeit heavily monitored. There is still great tradition and support. The art of venery is the same the world over, whether hunting a fox or a mouse.”

What exactly does a foreign huntsman need? Daphne recited what Live Oak offered: “Good hounds hunting a large country, a lucrative package including moving expenses, full medical insurance, workers comp, a nice house, a hunt truck, safe horses to ride, a day and a half off a week, two weeks paid vacation, excellent, dedicated mounted and wheel whippers-in, and a kennelman.”

First and foremost, Guy had to obtain a work visa. It helped that he had one when he was with Blue Ridge, but in the interim the US government tightened up the process. There are many reasons why an application for any visa gets disqualified, probably even more when it comes to a work visa in a niche profession that few “civilians” understand. The list of disqualifying factors includes: invalid passport, cutting it too close to the deadline date, mismatched details, incorrect information, not providing every item required, applying for the wrong visa, not having the right documentation, any kind of criminal record, forgetting to sign and—believe it or not—if your signature isn’t contained within the box.

“The process to get a work visa is extremely difficult and takes months,” Daphne said. “It’s very expensive and requires a proven expert visa specialist lawyer.”

The documentation that accompanied Guy’s work visa application was, of course, complete and concise. Marty and Daphne, as potential employers and sponsors, wanted a serious commitment in light of their “investment” for his services. Guy agreed to stay with Live Oak for five years. His visa type is a P1, given to internationally recognized sportsmen. This distinction is substantiated by his CV and also by his 36 years of professional hunt service.

“Acquiring a visa is a long process requiring many steps. Although tedious, I fully appreciate why it needs to be so,” Guy said. “To be granted a five-year work visa means security not only for myself but for Mr. and Mrs. Wood, and continuity for the Live Oak Hounds. The process this time has been tightened up considerably, but because I had been accepted before—and luckily I kept my old paperwork—it enabled me to present a better case. I owe a great deal of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Wood for sponsoring my visa and I hope that I am already repaying them with the sport we are producing.”

In his letter to the masters of Live Oak in December 2021, Guy described himself as a “modern athletic huntsman, who hunts in a pure way and strives to provide the best sport and entertainment possible.” At 5’8” and 11 stone (154 pounds), he is a “capable, lightweight rider, able to cross varying terrain on horses with different levels of experience.” He managed the breeding of the Mid Devon Foxhounds for twelve seasons and assisted Linda Armbrust, ex-MFH Blue Ridge, and Paul Scott, ex-MFH Bicester, with hound breeding. His time with Blue Ridge also made him aware of the duties expected of a professional huntsman, such as trail clearing and management of the hunt territory.

Norman Fine, founder of FoxHuntingLife.com and longtime Blue Ridge Hunt enthusiast, offered this comparison: “It’s often said—humorously—that in America, the hounds hunt the quarry with the help of the huntsman, while in England by contrast, the huntsman hunts the fox with the help of the hounds. Despite Allman having first risen to prominence in England through the rigorous British system of hunt staff training, he has naturally exhibited the best characteristics of each.”

Norm reported: “Rather than obsessing about showing sport when first taking on a pack, if Allman feels that hounds are relying on his help rather than working out problems for themselves, he will withhold his help and teach hounds to work harder. He won't accept excuses about rising temperatures or poor scenting conditions. He will expect a better work ethic in his hounds. At the same time, his hounds show up for each meet happy, fit, sterns up, focused on Allman. Turnout is immaculate and would make any Master proud. Returning to the meet, which will be several hours later—Allman loves to hunt—he is relaxed, approachable, and friendly. He makes hunting enjoyable for all.”

This August Live Oak celebrates the start of their 50th season. “Our hounds and excellent hunting mean the world to Marty and me,” Daphne said. “As we are not getting any younger, we are determined to be the best we can be. We are blessed to be enjoying Marty’s 50 years of careful breeding and drafting. I think we have the nicest, most appreciative, fun group of people that hunt regularly with us. That really adds to the enjoyment when you can share the sport with delightful friends.”

As for the new huntsman, his advice to anyone wishing to enter hunt service is quite simple and reflects his own journey. “Don’t enter it lightly,” he said. “It’s hard work. It’s not just about wearing a scarlet coat and riding about. It’s about dedication, but if you give it 100 percent, it will pay you back in spades.”

Then Guy added: “One final note on the Live Oak Hounds—it has been a transitional season as this is my first season with them, and I am very proud of our progress together. But now, from first hand experience, I would like to dispel any myths that we have two packs of hounds, one for showing and one for hunting. What we do have is a good-looking, hard-hunting, single pack producing increasingly better sport.”

Hark to him!