It has divided rural and urban communities, spawned endless debates and led to violent encounters. Otis Ferry, however, has no doubts about which side he is on when it comes to fox hunting. He exudes a passion for the sport that at times has led him to overstep the mark. In August 2002, he was arrested for sticking Countryside Alliance posters on the walls of Tony Blair's Durham home. At present, he works for the Middleton Hunt in Yorkshire where he is an active member of the pro-hunting lobby. From May 1, Otis will be the newly-crowned joint master of the South Shropshire Hunt. He will devote himself to organising hunting parties for the 150 members living between the western tip of the River Severn and the county's southern border in Church Stretton. At just 21, he will be one of the youngest to hold the post in any British hunt. "I have always supported prohunting rallies or marches," said Otis. "It is clear that the pro-hunt lobby in the past did not shown the Government how serious it was. Its tactics have been too soft. We have to get the Government to notice us. "I don't believe a Hunting Bill will ever go through. People have been trying to ban hunting from the dawn of time, they'll never succeed. "If there wasn't any hunting, the farmers would shoot foxes and probably wound a few who would stumble off and die from gangrene poisoning." Wearing the stiff scarlet coat of a huntsman and sitting tall on his silver-grey horse, Otis looks anything but the son of a rock legend. For the oldest child of Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, the appointment to South Shropshire will be the culmination of six years in the sport. "The job is a bit like that of a football manager, you go where the position is," he said. "Hunting is a hell of an adventure and a real adrenaline ride. Every day of the season has a certain brilliance about it. "It takes a lot of brain power because foxes are very intelligent. They are charismatic creatures with huge presence. "It is almost majestic the way they glide across the land, as if they didn't have legs. "You never know which way they are going to run. A hunter must use his nouse and set the hounds on the right path to outwit them." The hunting season begins in late summer and ends the following spring. A typical hunt may involved a party of about 30 meeting at 11am, on horse or on foot, accompanied by dozens of hounds. The riders wear "rat-catchers" - tweed coats - Barbour jackets and breeches or jodhpurs. Otis admits his wardrobe is somewhat different to his pop icon father's trademark shiny shirts or animal print jackets. "People try to be as smart as they can," said Otis, who was educated at Marlborough College in Wiltshire. Before the hunters set off, they will enjoy a quick drink in the kitchen of the farmer on whose land the hunt begins and then silence falls. "The hunt has to be very quiet. A hound's concentration must not be disturbed. The dogs hunt by scent, not by sight. Perhaps the fox will hear a hound creeping through the brambles or squeezing under a wall and the chase will start," explained Otis. "It can take anything between three minutes and more than a day for a hound to catch a fox. Once they have got them, you lavish them with praise. This is especially the case for the young ones learning their trade. "The pace is fast, so we stop to let the hounds and everyone catch their breaths. At the end, everyone is congratulated, the hounds are fed, the horses are washed and any thorns are taken out of the horses' legs," he said. While many his age may prefer city-life, Otis says he cannot wait to move with his horse Cocoa to the pro-hunting environment and beautiful rural landscape of Shropshire. After growing up in the media spotlight, with a father said to be worth £30 million and a society heiress mother, that desire may come as little surprise. Bryan Ferry married Lucy Helmore in June 1982. The couple had four sons, but divorced in March last year. As a teenager, Otis always knew what he wanted to do in life and saw no point in studying for his A-levels. "Fox hunting has always been the thing for me. I would do anything to be outside. I'm a quiet person at heart. "But when I move, I'll still probably come to Birmingham to see some live bands." That might be the one sentiment his father would share. | 
