Hugo Meynell

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Hugo Meynell (1735 – 1808), generally seen as the father of modern foxhunting, became Master of Fox Hounds for the prestigious Leicestershire hunt, the Quorn in 1753 and continued in that role for another forty-seven years (the hunt is so called after Meynell's home, Quordon Hall in North Leicestershire). Meynell pioneered an extended chase at high speeds through open grassland. Borrowing the pioneering breeding techniques of his neighbour, the sheep farmer Robert Bakewell, Meynell bred a new form of hound, with greater pace and stamina and a better sense of scent.