South Canterbury Hunt focused on securing permanent base

Having been without a property since they had to sell during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, a 141-year-old South Canterbury sporting club is hoping it will soon be in a position to purchase another base.

South Canterbury Hunt joint master, Helen Scott, said for 15 years the club had relied on the generosity of others to enable it to continue to operate – but a major fundraising effort might just get them to the finish line.

“Since we sold our land we have been limping by thanks to the generosity of landowners who support our club and the hunt.

“We have been fortunate thanks to the landowners, but in order to secure a permanent future for our huntsman and the hounds, the best option was to secure our own land.”

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The club owning its own piece of land is “extremely important” and would provide for a “long-term home” for the club instead of it relocating all the time, Scott said.

“It would make the club a really attractive option for huntsman, make us financially viable, put us back up on the board, and we would not be in the rent trap.”

Scott said the huntsman and the hounds are presently living on land owned by a local farmer, a hunt supporter,south of Timaru.

But they hope a fundraiser – with the main prize a new Toyota Hilux valued at over $60k– will help fill the coffers enough to put them into a position to buy another piece of land to call their own.

“The ute raffle fundraiser we’re having will help us get a big enough deposit to secure our own land.

“It will also get us to a position where we’re financially feasible and will help us operate hunts more efficiently every year.”

Previously, the majority of the money fundraised each year went towards operational costs, with any left over saved for a land purchase.

“The ute raffle fundraiser will be exclusively to raise funds to secure the land.

“If we sell all the tickets and the right property comes up we would be in a position to put in an offer immediately.

“Otherwise, it would be a waiting game until the right property comes up, but we would still be in a good position to put in an offer.”

Scott, a 17-year member of the club, says hunting is an “increasingly popular” sport amongst Kiwis and is “intergenerational” as they also hold children’s hunts.

The South Canterbury Hunt has 45 members and more than 100 riders can turn out for it’s meets

Tickets for the raffle are limited to 3500 and are $50. They can be purchased on the SC Hunt’s website..