Tribute to David Hancock MBE - read by Jackie Sykes of English Deerhounds.

The following tribute to David was read at Highgate Greyhound Stadium, to honour the creation of the David Hancock Trophy and its inaugural award to the winner of the English Deerhound Race, perfectly sums up the impact of Davids work and the legacy he has left for us all to cherish.

The trophy was presented by his beloved wife Susan Hancock, and the Army Benevolent Fund, benefactors from donations at Davids funeral, were able to raise over a thousand pounds for the cause that he held so close.

“Ladies and gentlemen

Welcome to Highgate and thank you to everyone for making the journey despite the numerous barriers in our way during these strange times.

We are here today to remember arguably the greatest canine expert, dog historian and our very own English Deerhound champion, Colonel David Hancock MBE.

To set the scene, David’s early years were spent learning about a variety of animals. As a young man, intending to become a vet, he was mentored by an expert on the conformation, structure and soundness of the canine form which fired his interest and gave him an appetite for his future passion.

A few years after this, following in his fathers’ footsteps, he began his army career, which consisted of combating numerous, widely documented death-defying episodes that would challenge even the most talented 007 agent.

One example when serving in a turbulent Northern Ireland, David’s ability to commit to memory the landscape, lifestyle, intelligence, and political connections of the adversaries, were a life saver for him and his company which earned him his MBE.

Overall, during these army years, he spent his time in a total of 22 countries across the globe, which gave him the unique opportunity and insight to study dogs, especially sighthounds, in their natural habitat and in the greatest of detail.

Over time his persistent record of these hounds led to one of the greatest canine library compilations ever composed, consisting of over 5000 photos and articles, which were subsequently used by national and international magazines and film companies.

When the time came to leave the Army in 1983, and after numerous attempts to bring him to a demise, David was able to pursue his childhood dream and really focus on his passion for animals and boy did he do this in style! Not one to shy away from responsibility….

For 14 years he oversaw a Rare Breeds Centre, conserving and breeding rare breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and horses, breeding and exhibiting the stock.

He was responsible for not one, not two, not three BUT four different museums and an art gallery, and several times advising the Natural History Museum on their canine displays.

He was also a Director of Shugbrough Hall and Director of National Trust Estate.

A judge, writer, and fiery defendant of English breeds, his spirit was not only admired but held in the highest regard as he worked with and advised those dealing with breeds such as the sporting Lucas Terrier, the Victorian Bulldog, the Plummer Terrier and the American Bulldog to name but a few.

As a regular writer for The Countrymans Weekly, not one to hold back, David would defend his position in a clear and concise manner that would leave nothing to the readers doubt of his opinion.

A gifted writer and storyteller, and winner of America’s Dog writing Association 2007 and 2009, with a no-nonsense attitude, David made his carefully crafted articles challenging and a pleasure to read. His in-depth knowledge of dogs and their origins is second to none…but what is his connection to the English Deerhound?

Well after working closely with Dave Platts from 2016 and becoming involved in his lifelong passion for re-creating a medieval hunting dog the English Deerhound, I took home the book “The World of the Lurcher” written by Colonel David Hancock.

But to be honest the book sat there for a few weeks, because anyone that knows Dave Platts is aware that he always has a list of jobs for you!!

Anyway, I managed to check out the book, and there it was in black and white….page 89, published in 2010 “The Loss of the English Deerhound”

That really made me look twice. Here was a sighthound specialist that was lamenting the loss of an English breed. But it wasn’t actually lost.

So, with trepidation, and as a newcomer to this world, I took the plunge and emailed Colonel Hancock and asked about the article in the book-never expecting a reply.

And to my surprise he answered very quickly, inviting myself and Dave to meet him to discuss the dogs. Never one to miss an opportunity Mr Platts commandeered a few of us and we all travelled down to meet Colonel Hancock.

The whole event was a blur, no sooner where we there than 2 hours had passed, and we were off home fuelled with excitement about our adventure.

The most magical part for me was getting home to an email from Colonel Hancock, totally enthused by the meeting, buzzing with ideas and him sending an English Deerhound breed standard.

Things really took off from there. Filming in a beautiful medieval setting with Colonel Hancock and the English Deerhounds was fantastic.

His passion for dogs was as keen as it ever was, and we conversed by email on a regular basis.

I distinctly remember being chastised for daring to send an English Deerhound to America-Colonel Hancock was quite cross with me!

So I know that I speak for everyone who is part of the English Deerhound network when I say….. Let’s hope that Colonel Hancock’s work is kept safe for generations to come as his legacy is too valuable to be lost.”

Col David Hancock, born September 7 1932, died March 13 2021 By Telegraph Obituaries 6 April 2021 • 7:00am

Colonel David Hancock, who has died aged 88, had an exceptionally varied Army career and several narrow escapes from serious injury or worse.

In 1968 he assumed command of a rifle company of the newly designated 1st Battalion The Light Infantry in Northern Ireland. The unit was first deployed in the Mourne Mountains guarding installations after public utilities had been sabotaged.

Despite having a small force and a large area to cover, he built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of its people, its traditional routes and hides for smugglers and subversive organisations, and of political and criminal connections.

After the company moved to Belfast on internal security duties, in the absence of a comprehensive intelligence plan he prepared his own. Within a short time, the intelligence far exceeded that from any other part of the brigade area. The citation for his appointment as MBE stated: “The results he obtained have been unmatched so far in the current emergency.”

David Hancock was born in Bath on September 7 1932. His mother was a seamstress. His father served in a cavalry regiment in the First World War; he had been gassed and lost a lung, and died when his son was aged 14.

Young David won a scholarship to the City of Bath Boys School. In 1951, he played for the England Schools Rugby side against France and represented the Bath First XV while he was still at school.
After Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Somerset Light Infantry and, while serving as a platoon commander with the 1st Bn during the Malayan Emergency, he was ambushed by terrorists but was unscathed.

Deployed as Bn Intelligence Officer in Cyprus in 1956, his vehicle was blown up on a landmine in the foothills of theTroodos Mountains. Two soldiers were thrown out of the back of the vehicle and gunfire shattered his windscreen, but they were all unharmed.

In 1958 he was in Jordan on secondment to 3 Para on operations to support the regime. After the emergency was over Hancock, who was something of a practical joker, organised a camel race on the airfield at Amman – to the disgust of the RAF.

Convinced that the prank had more life in it, he persuaded the padre that the camel-driver was actually a sheikh with officer status and would expect to be entertained at the officers’ mess. The man, gnarled, toothless and not over- fragrant, was introduced to the CO, who was not best pleased.

Postings to Germany with the 1st Bn Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry were followed by attendance at Army Staff College and then a spell at HQ 51 Gurkha Brigade on operations in Borneo.

In 1966, Hancock moved to the MoD for two years as General Staff Officer Grade 2. His return from Northern Ireland was followed by staff appointments at the MoD and HQ UK Land Forces.

In 1983 David retired from the Army and for the next 14 years was a director of the Shugborough estate in Staffordshire. There, he reactivated an ambitious regeneration project as well as establishing the Hall and gardens as a major tourist attraction with game fairs, concerts, a rare breeds farm and a working dairy. He also helped to set up the National Garden Festival at Stoke-on-Trent which was held in 1986 and was opened by the Queen.

As a younger man he had taken part in Arctic expeditions to Iceland and Lapland. In 1987 he took up writing full time and was the author of 14 books about breeding dogs back to what they should be to perform the tasks that they were meant to undertake.

David Hancock married, in 1991, Susan Sutcliffe, who survives him with a son and a daughter from an earlier marriage. Another son and another daughter predeceased him.