Pink, Red, or Scarlet?

Details: Ask the Experts; By Messrs. Scott, Robards, and Wood

Martin_Scott_out_hunting_001 Martin Scott, ex-MFH“Are the words scarlet and pink interchangeable?” asks Leslie Shepherd. “Is one more correct than the other? Is pink a word of the past? I always thought that scarlet referred to formal attire such as worn at a hunt ball or the Masters Ball, while pink described the color of the frock coat in the field. Could you clarify for us?”

I love this question because it endures as one of the great controversies of foxhunting’s arcane language. We asked Martin Scott, ex-MFH, Vale of the White Horse (UK), Hugh Robards, ex-MFH, Rolling Rock Hunt (PA), and C. Martin Wood, MFH, Live Oak Hounds (FL) for their opinions. All three gentlemen are not only internationally-respected practitioners of the art but students as well: Scott and Wood as master breeders and judges of foxhounds, Robards as a brilliant huntsman. All are intellectually curious and have access to extensive libraries.

Comments

+1 # Steven Price 2011-07-26 06:30

Here's an exhaustive investigation into the origin of the term: http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~reedsj/pink.html

+1 # John Head 2011-07-26 11:45

Impressive, the Panel of Experts, is comprised of some very well documented experts, missing however, it seems, are words of wisdom from the 'ladies of the chase.' Time to grow the list toward the feminine

+1 # Norman Fine 2011-07-27 16:59

I agree with you, John, one hundred percent. I will have to work on that.

+1 # nina schug 2011-07-27 18:32

The Red Coats are coming!
One if by land, two if by sea!
I always liked Pinque, because of the tailor, but
questioned why pink?, if it was red.
Nina Schug

+1 # Joel Schreck 2011-07-31 16:06

Norman,

Please ask Hugh what in the world that is around his neck in this photo.
Picture taken in Ireland (see Irish martingale) and some irregularity
seems to have occurred and hence the "foulard"?

Jo

+2 # Sue Blackmore 2011-08-09 08:00

You are either in scarlet or wearing a red coat.
Though Pink was a tailor that made exceptional red coats (I wonder if there are any still in existence?) the awful mis-spelling "pinque" was contributed by the media (now there's a surprise!) and, after hunting with a few of the top packs back in the UK and working for one or two Masters, not once did I hear the term Pink in the hunt field, but then I'm still a young thing :-)