Covertside Fall 2016 by Emily Esterson

A BIG DAY AT KESWICK • MARVIN BEEMAN, UP CLOSE • TIPS FOR THE TIMID

THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING

FALL 2016 • $5.00

s J o h n C o l e s 2 0 16 s

“A Virginia Horseman Specializing in Virginia Horse Properties” HiCkorY Tree

HiDDeN TrAiL FArm

The beautifully groomed 325 acres of this thoroughbred horse breeding & training farm rests at the edge of Middleburg. The gently rolling land includes a stately manor home, tenant homes, Confederate Hall, the barns and 6 furlong training track. The Georgian Style Training Barn is stunning and includes 28 stalls and a 1/8 mile indoor training track & paddocks. $10,450,000

Magnificent horse property in the midst of the serene countryside. From the picturesque Young Road two driveways access the 107 acres of Hidden Trail Farm. The first leads to one of the finest indoor arenas surrounded by exquisite ride out. The second is the graceful, park-like drive, which parallels a creek and then gently curves up to the elegant manor home. $6,500,000

rALLYwooD

meADowgroVe

World class equestrian facility comprised of 115 Acres in the OCH Territory. The U shaped complex encompasses an 80’ x 180’ lighted indoor riding arena connected by a breezeway to the 12 stall center-aisle barn and extraordinary living and entertaining quarters overlooking the outdoor ring. Additional structures include tenant $4,750,000 houses and large heated equipment barn.

Extraordinary 7 Bedroom estate on over 180 acres. New Gourmet State of the Art Kitchen & Baths. Gorgeous full wall of windows overlooking a 10 acre lake. Pool and poolhouse with fireplace, spa and new tennis courts. Ideal for horses with 10 stall stable, paddocks with run-in sheds. $3,950,000

wAVerLY FArm

merrYCHASe

A graceful & charming 5 bedroom French Country home is set amongst nearly 40 serene acres enhanced by majestic trees, rolling lawns and fenced paddocks. This wonderful horse property also includes an 7 stall center-aisle barn with office, additional 4 stall barn with apartment, indoor arena, and tremendous ride out potential. Located in the OCH Territory. $3,500,000

Magnificent 155 Acre Atoka Road Estate with gated entry opening into the private drive lined with mature trees. The charming historic manor home, c. 1827 backs to expansive views of fields and ponds. 4 tenant homes, 3 barns, indoor and outdoor riding arenas. Gently rolling pasture land with fenced paddocks and fields. $3,250,000

HouND HALL

greeN gArDeN

c.1823, with a stunning tree lined entrance, offers one of the grand manor homes in the famed horse country of Upperville and Piedmont Hunt. Recently renovated, the home offers wonderful indoor and outdoor living areas. Porches, gardens, barns, paddocks, riding arena, pond, pool and magnificent mountain views. $3,700,000

THe grANge

LAND

SALem HiLL

Custom Built stone/stucco 3-story home on 100+ acres with 4 bedrooms plus large master in-law suite with separate parking and entrance. Slate roof,game room, custom theatre, workout room, study, office, dog room, custom kitchen, 4 stone fireplaces. Extensive horse facilities include 18 stall barn,2 stall barn, 14 paddocks, large ring and much more. $5,500,000

This is a classic, elegant Virginia manor house with a custom designed kitchen open to the family room and attention to detail throughout. The 3 bedroom, 3 ½ Bath home also features a pool, guest house, 4 stall barn on 18 acres located in the Orange County Hunt Territory. Convenient access to I- 66, Rt. 50 and Dulles International Airport $2,999,000

SToNeHAVeN

HOPEWELL ROAD - 82.99 acres with access from either The Plains Road or Hopewell Road. Nice elevation and several options for house sites. All wooded, with amazing view potential. Includes a certification letter for a 5 BR septic system. Property is in Easement and cannot be further subdivided. $1,395,000

51+ acre farm with a beautiful 5 BR home with gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, great views, pool, flagstone terrace and carriage house - extensive horse facilities - 9 stall barn, covered arena, outdoor arena, 7 paddocks, 4 stall shed row barn, machine shed. $2,500,000

OLD CARTERS MILL RD - 53+ acres of beautiful, open and gently rolling land with expansive views of the countryside and distant mountains. Located in the coveted Orange County Hunt Territory of Fauquier County, this land provides exceptional ride-out potential. A home-site has been studied including engineers report verifying a site for a 5 Bedroom septic, well and potential pond site. Open space easement, land cannot be divided.

$1,300,000

A picturesque and tranquil retreat nestled on 158+ acres in pristine Rappahannock County. At the end of the private drive is the historic Stone residence. Property also features and additional stone guest cottage/office and a charming and beautifully restored 2 bedroom log cabin. Gardens, lawn, barns, paddocks and ride out provide an outdoor haven. $1,845,000

Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

(540) 270-0094 THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE (540) 687-6500

Middleburg, Virginia 20118

www.Thomas-Talbot.com

FALL 2016 • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 3

Features 10 SEVEN DECADES IN SCARLET BY JOANNE MESZOLY

Dr. Marvin Beeman, MFH, talks about his life and love of foxhunting.

16 FOX RACE ON BATTLE MOUNTAIN BY JOHN J. “JAKE” CARLE II

A crazy chase over hill and dale with the Keswick hounds at their best.

Page 10

Dr. Marvin Beeman, MFH, reflects on a lifetime hunting the hounds for Arapahoe.

IN EACH ISSUE:

From the President p.2

THE CLUB Meet the hound that kick-started the Hunt Staff Benefit Foundation. ASK THE HUNTSMAN Mill Creek Huntsman Brenda Yost on rebuilding a pack from scratch.

From the Publisher p.4

20 CROSSING THE POND BY CHRISTOPHER OAKFORD

Covertside visits with both foot and mounted packs in Europe.

MFHA News p.6

Last Run of the Day p.40

BETTER HUNTING Grooming tips for better winter turnout.

LIBRARY The red fox’s personality is as colorful as its coat.

BETTER RIDING First timer? Timid rider? Experts offer advice for feeling more confident in the tack.

FARE & FLASK Fresh flask recipes for the upcoming season

THE FIND Fun foxhunting best buys

ON OUR COVER: Huntsman Marvin Beeman, DVM, MFH (far left, front), staff and the Arapahoe hounds heading out from the kennels. This shot was taken in 2010. PHOTO BY ZINA BALASH PHOTOGRAPHY

FALL 2016 | 1

FROM THE PRESIDENT

It’s About Fun

2 | COVERTSIDE

MASTERS OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA www.mfha.com

OFFICERS

Dr. John R. van Nagell, MFH • President Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • First Vice-President Leslie Crosby, MFH • Second Vice-President Joseph Kent, ex-MFH • Secretary-Treasurer Lt. Col. Dennis J. Foster, ex-MFH • Executive Director

MFHA FOUNDATION

Dr. John R. van Nagell, MFH • President PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646 (540) 955-5680

HUNT STAFF BENEFIT FOUNDATION DAVE TRAXLER

ach year, we have the opportunity to introduce young riders to the sport of foxhunting, providing a positive and exciting experience while emphasizing safety and sportsmanship. This requires that we know the ability of both horse and rider, and offer the encouragement and support of a dedicated field master and hunt members. If you ask young athletes why they participate in a particular sport, they often reply, “because it is a lot of fun.” This is the same answer we heard from the 150 young riders who assembled at dawn to take part in the mock hunt at the National Pony Club Festival in Lexington last summer. Likewise, the International Pony Club Foxhunting Exchange riders from England and Ireland, after a hunt in the United States, commented on the thrill of seeing coyotes. Foxhunting provides so much enjoyment to all of us. It gives us the opportunity to ride our favorite horses over beautiful hunt country, following a great pack of hounds. How often have you heard one of your members say, “I never want to miss a hunt. It gives me such happiness”? The challenge is to enable our young riders to participate in this uplifting experience, while building their confidence, increasing their knowledge of the sport, and having fun. One of the most significant events for young riders in our sport is the Junior North American Field Hunter Championship. This event was founded in 2003 by Douglas Wise-Stuart of Old Dominion, and Iona Pillion of Blue Ridge, and presently is organized by Marion Chungo of Middleburg. Qualifying hunts are held across the country, and qualified riders are invited to a championship hunt. This event is not only educational, but provides a venue for making new friends and having fun. All participants are given a commemorative pin from the MFHA, and winners receive a one-year MFHA Subscribing Membership which includes a subscription to Covertside. This year’s championship hunt will be held

The challenge is to enable our young riders to participate in this uplifting experience, while building their confidence, increasing their knowledge of the sport, and having fun. on Sunday, October 23, at the Iroquois Hunt in Lexington, Kentucky. Junior riders are encouraged to enter the qualifiers in their districts. I hope you all will support your young riders as they participate in the qualifying and championship hunts. As a new season approaches, I hope each of you will make every effort to encourage young riders to join you out hunting. It will be a memorable experience for them, and they may become the future leaders of our sport. All the best,

Dr. Jack van Nagell, MFH President, MFHA

Nancy Stahl, MFH • President PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646 (540) 955-5680

COVERTSIDE EDITORIAL BOARD Emily Esterson • Editor-in-Chief Dennis J. Foster, ex-MFH Dr. John R. van Nagell, MFH Patrick A. Leahy, MFH Leslie Crosby, MFH

DIRECTORS

Canada • Laurel Byrne, MFH Carolinas • Fred Berry, MFH Central • Arlene Taylor, MFH Great Plains • Dr. Luke Matranga, MFH Maryland-Delaware • Sheila Brown, MFH Midsouth • Orrin Ingram, MFH Midwest • Keith Gray, MFH New England • Dr. Terence Hook, MFH New York-New Jersey • Marion Thorne, MFH Northern Virginia-West Virginia • Tad Zimmerman, MFH Pacific • Terry Paine, MFH Pennsylvania • Sean Cully, MFH Rocky Mountain • Mary Ewing, MFH Southern • Mercer Fearington, MFH Virginia • Bob Ferrer, MFH Western • John P. Dorrier Jr., MFH At Large • Daphne Wood, MFH At Large • Mason H. Lampton, MFH At Large • Dr. G. Marvin Beeman, MFH At Large • Ed Kelly, MFH

COVERTSIDE (ISSN 1547-4216) is published quarterly (February, May, August and November) by the Masters of Foxhounds Association, 675 Lime Marl Lane, Berryville, VA 22611. Periodical Postage Paid at Winchester, VA 22601 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MFHA, PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646. COVERTSIDE READERS: Direct all correspondence to the same address. Tel: (540)955-5680. Website: www.mfha.com

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

FALL 2016

Find a New Member

ROBERT KORNACKI

few days ago, we were driving to the kennels to exercise hounds and complaining about the heat. We laughed, reminding ourselves that in six months’ time we’d be making the same drive, only complaining about the cold. Where I live in New Mexico, autumn is the most special season — the sky fills with hot air balloons and the aspen trees

turn bright yellow against the evergreens in the mountains that surround us. The heat abates and the weather is a perfect 65 degrees. And of course, foxhunting begins. If you’re like me, I’ve missed my hunt friends, those cool mornings out in nature, the hounds, the whole spectacle of it all. I’ve written many times about the nature of our community of foxhunters. We’re crazy, some say; we’re bonded to each other by our eccentricity; we’re similar in our love of nature and horses

and going fast, fast, fast over rough terrain. We’re even a bit elitist (yup, admit it!) in that, while we want to introduce our sport to others, we may not want just anybody to join the proverbial club. Be that as it may, as the publisher of your magazine and enewsletter, I want more Covertside readers, and that means more subscribing members to MFHA. I know there are a lot of foxhunters who are not members, so I’m going to challenge every reader of this magazine to recruit one new subscribing member to MFHA. It could be a fellow field member who just hasn’t subscribed. Or it could be a landowner, local feed/tack store owner who serves foxhunters, or even just a rider you feel may love the sport but knows nothing about it. Covertside is the sport’s ambassador, and if you love this magazine and want it to keep coming to your mailbox (your real mailbox, not your electronic one), we need to grow our reader base. So do that today. At your autumn hunting meets, grab two people who aren’t members and tell them to sign up. And while you’re at it, consider contributing to the magazine — send us a good story or a photo, a profile of a fun junior or a recipe from hunt breakfast. Community works best when everyone contributes.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER EMILY ESTERSON publisher@covertside.net 505-553-2671 ART DIRECTOR GLENNA STOCKS production@covertside.net

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR SANDRA MCGINNIS sandy@covertside.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JOHN J. “JAKE” CARLE, II MARTHA DRUM AMY GESELL JOANNE MESZOLY CHRISTOPHER OAKFORD KATIE BO WILLIAMS

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SALES MANAGER CHERYL MICROUTSICOS sales@covertside.net 434-664-7057 PENNSYLVANIA/MID-ATLANTIC KATHY DRESS

Happy hunting,

kdress@ptd.net Covertside is the official publication of the Masters of Foxhounds Association

Emily Esterson Editor-in-Chief/Publisher

Published by E-Squared Editorial Services LLC 2329 Lakeview Rd. SW Albuquerque, NM 87105 Telephone: 505-553-2671 Web Address: www.ecovertside.net www.mfha.com

4 | COVERTSIDE

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Fully customized blankets Our quality, your style. Choose binding

Custom Design

Choose piping

MFHA NEWS

4 DURING THE MAY MEETING

who hunted with Red Oak

OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Foxhounds.

held May 26 in Leesburg, Vir-

The Challenge Award, in its tenth year, encourages U.S.

elected to MFHA membership.

Pony Club members to try the

Gina Arcate, Smithtown Hunt

sport, and rewards members

(NY/NJ); James Athon, Full Cry

for acting as mentors to the

Hounds (S); Judy Barr, Welling-

less-experienced. The top six

ton Waterloo Hunt (CA); Hugh

pony clubs receive a total of

EMILY ESTERSON

ginia, the following people were

Brown, Rockbridge Hunt (VA); Ryan Broyles, Tennessee Valley Hunt (MS); Michael Campeau, Tejon Hounds (PC); Carol

$10,000 through the program, which was established by Marty and Daphne Wood to encourage youth participation. Marian

Champion, Fraser Valley Hunt

4 ALSO AT THE BOARD MEETING, another class of Professional

Wahlgren, USPC development

(CA); Douglas Christy, Sewick-

Development Program students graduated. Sam Andrews, Codie

director, reports, “We had a

ley Hunt (CE); Frederica Davis,

Hayes, Trey Bennett, Aleigh Taber, John Dean, and Lori Townsend

total of 68 Pony Club mem-

Whiskey Road Foxhounds (C);

received their certificates of completion, presented by Andrew

bers compete this year, and

Daun DeFrance, Wentworth

Barclay (left) and Tony Leahy. The Professional Development

that counted for more than

Hunt Club (NE); Midge Wilson

Program is entering its 10th year of educating professional hunt

705 days out in the hunt field.”

Ellison, Longreen Foxhounds

staff about the intricacies and best practices of foxhunting.

The winning Arapahoe Pony Club District Commissioner,

(MS); Timothy Harmon,

Elizabeth Gillmor, explains,

Middleburg Hunt (N. VA); Alice Jernigan, Misty River Hounds

Maza, Huntingdon Valley Hunt

Moore, Battle Creek Hunt (CE);

“Our riders aren’t big into horse

(W); Ryan Johnsey, Tennes-

(PA); Susan McIlwain-Presson,

Jean Mutrux, Bridlespur Hunt

shows, so the challenge gave

see Valley Hunt (MS); James

Traders Point Hunt (MW); Linda

(GP); Deborah Bates Pace,

them a tangible goal to work

Metamora Hunt (CE); Katie

towards. Certificates were

Parker, South Creek Foxhounds

posted in the clubhouse so the

(S); Dr. Joanne Robert, Lake

kids could see their progress,

of Two Mountains Hunt (CA);

and hunt members could cheer

Thomas Santelli, Traders Point

them on.” To read more about

Hunt (MW); Beattie Williams,

the winning Arapahoe program,

Chula Homa Hunt (S); Jim

visit ecovertside.net/features/

Wooldridge, Camden Hunt (C).

feature-articles/juniors.

4 THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S Live Oak Hounds United States Pony Club

4 TRYON INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTER in North Carolina will host a Field Hunter

Foxhunting Challenge Award

Championship November 9-12,

included: first place — Arapa-

2016. The MFHA Board of

hoe Hunt Pony Club, Colorado,

Directors voted to support the

whose members hunted with

event, which is open to Sub-

Arapahoe Hunt; second place

scribing Members. Competition

— Cedar Knob Pony Club,

will be limited to participants

Tennessee, who hunted with

from recognized hunts, who will

Cedar Knob Hounds, Longreen

have three days’ live hunting

Foxhounds, Hillsboro Hounds,

with four mounted judges, says

and Marlborough Hunt; third

organizer Carolyn Caudier. On

place — Elkridge-Harford Pony

the final day, there will be a

Club, Maryland, who hunted

mock hunt on the derby field

with Elkridge-Harford Hunt;

at the equestrian center, fol-

fourth place — Spring Valley

lowed by a handy hunter round

Hounds Pony Club, New Jersey,

to choose the champion. The

who hunted with Spring Valley

$5,000 prize money will be

Hounds; and fifth place — Buf-

split equally between the win-

falo Creek Pony Club, Virginia,

ner and his or her hunt club.

6 | COVERTSIDE

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PHOTO BY BILL HECHT

THE CLUB latter unbeaten in the show ring, were offered at auction with the proceeds indicated for support of the nascent HSBF. Furrier’s top bid was recorded at $1,000, but the winners graciously donated him back to the auction, and a second round of bid-

presented a third time, finally

drawing a top offer of $1,050.

Caza Ladron (Rocky Mountain

Following the gavel’s drop, his

District), honoring the work of

new owners gave him to Norfolk

member Deirdre Monroe in se-

Master Henry Vaughan, first

curing a $100,000 federal grant

secretary/treasurer of the MFHA,

to improve Bureau of Land

who hunted him with his drag

Management/National Forest

pack southwest of Boston. Fur-

territory and develop and share

rier even made an appearance

sophisticated mapping of Caja

years later at a formal dinner

del Rio fixture; Oak Ridge

honoring Mr. Vaughan’s 30th an-

Fox Hunt (Virginia District), in

niversary as Master.

recognition of their promotion

ding produced another $1,000 contribution. The charitable spirit

PHOTO REPRODUCED BY KIND PERMISSION OF NORFOLK HUNT CLUB

again took hold, and he was

Hound show champion Furrier was unbeaten in the show ring.

Today, the HSBF’s mission

FURRIER

Meet the hound that kick-started the Hunt Staff Benefit Foundation. BY MARTHA DRUM

MFHA NAMES CONSERVATION AWARD WINNERS HE FOLLOWING clubs and individuals received District Conserva-

tion awards earlier this year:

of our sport beyond territory;

remains to provide monetary

Lyell and Brian McMerty, Moore

assistance to current or former

County Hounds (Carolinas

hunt staff of MFHA recognized

District), acknowledging their

hunts (or close family members

donation of approximately

of deceased professionals).

$1,000,000 to save 27 acres

Eligible individuals who need

adjacent to the Walthour Moss

help complete a simple applica-

Foundation near Southern

tion, which is then considered

Pines, North Carolina; and

AS THE HOLIDAYS APPROACH,

approach to even recreational

by a committee. Assistance may

Frank and Elaine Ittleman, ex-

Masters begin to beseech their

pursuits, Massachusetts men

be granted in times of disability,

MFH, Green Mountain Hounds

members to donate toward

like Harry Worcester Smith, MFH

emergency, or financial hardship.

(New England District), for their

the annual Christmas gift for

Grafton Hunt, Henry Vaughan,

Distributions may be a one-time

contributions to acquire, en-

professional staff, and often to

MFH Norfolk Hunt, and A. Henry

sum or more regular payments,

hance, and preserve the Lemon

the MFHA’s Hunt Staff Benefit

Higginson, MFH Middlesex Hunt

depending on the specific cir-

Fair and Quiet Valley properties

Foundation (HSBF) as well. This

(and later the Cattistock), helped

cumstances.

in their hunt country.

season, when you prepare to

found the MFHA in 1907 and

write a check, consider that your

served as officers in the decades

dedicate their lives to the daily

awards, including an engraved

contribution is supporting a

following. The MFHA’s role

labor of hunt service, it seems

silver julep cup and sub-

charitable legacy established

expanded over the years to meet

fitting that one of the first

scription to Covertside, are

86 years ago by one fuzzy

various challenges facing mount-

benefactors of the HSBF was

presented at the discretion

hound from a drag pack

ed foxhunting, and by 1930, the

a hard-hunting, champion fox-

of each district director, and

outside of Boston.

need for an endowed fund to

hound. And his donation wasn’t

one recipient may be selected

support hunt servants in financial

merely symbolic — in today’s dol-

per district each year. The

straits had been acknowledged.

lars, Furrier’s auction proceeds

MFHA Foundation established

would total just under $42,000!

this program to inspire land

While foxhunting came to America through the traditions of the cavalier planters in the

At the MFHA’s annual dinner in

southern colonies, much of the

New York that January, two ex-

impetus to organize and regulate

ceptional Welsh foxhounds were

at a national level came from

donated by David Davies, MFH

Yankee sportsmen. Perhaps

of Mr. David Davies Hounds (UK).

reflecting their industrious

“Ringwood” and “Furrier,” the

As a safety net for those who

The District Conservation

conservation efforts within the For more information about the Hunt Staff Benefit Foundation, go to mfha.com/hsbf.html.

foxhunting community. Nominations may be sent to your district director. (Visit mfha. com/conservation-district award.html for contact details.)

8 | COVERTSIDE

PHOTO COURTESY OF WLS PHOTOGRAPHY

ANGIE PELL AGE: 77

Deep Run Hunt Club

HUNT:

GOLDEN AGE Hunting past the age of 75 BY KATIE BO WILLIAMS

Meet older foxhunters who still passionately follow hounds. THE KEY TO SURVIVAL,

York. She recalls hacking to a

according to Angie Pell, is to

meet with the whipper-in, late,

know your country and know

and being forced to jump a

your game. If you listen for

gate when they heard hounds

hounds and know how to get

speak.

around, you can often skip

“He just forgot about us and

some unnecessary running and

he went to hounds,” Pell says.

jumping.

“Both my sister and I thought,

“If you take a shortcut and

‘That was a big gate.’ We went

you don’t cross the line, your

back and measured it later. The

Master may be a little annoyed

gate was 5’2’’.”

at you, but they’ll let you get away with it,” she says. Pell follows up that very

But what hooked her wasn’t the running and jumping: It was the music.

reasonable-sounding philoso-

“It’s the same as hooks me

phy with a story about racing

now: Listening and watching

her MFH back to trailers after a

hounds is fascinating to me.

quiet day.

Watching them do the work

“Racing your Master to the

they were bred for is fascinat-

trailers is not exactly what you’re

ing and that’s what keeps me

supposed to do,” Pell says.

coming.”

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Never let the weather keep you indoors!

12, on a 12.3-hand pony in New

Washington, D.C.

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Pell has been pulling off

FALL 2016 | 9

10 | COVERTSIDE

SUSAN MONTICELLI

MARVIN BEEMAN, DVM, MFH, talks about his lifetime involvement with the Arapahoe Hunt and his unflagging passion for the sport.

SEVEN DECADES IN

Scarlet Many Masters and huntsmen share a love of foxhunting that harkens back to childhood. Often, these lifelong devotees were placed on ponies as toddlers and rack up decades of hunting experience. But few boast the level of staying power and dedication of Dr. G. Marvin Beeman of Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arapahoe Hunt.

BY JOANNE MESZOLY

FALL 2016 | 11

COVERTSIDE: Your childhood sounds like the stuff of novels: You grew up on a sprawling ranch, though you lived in a small house with no electricity for several years. You attended a one-room schoolhouse and sometimes rode a horse to school. How does a kid in cowboy country get roped into foxhunting? BEEMAN: In 1929, my father was hired to work for Lawrence C. Phipps Jr., who had

12 | COVERTSIDE

foxhunters and polo ponies on the Highlands Ranch, a property with about 28,000 acres, just south of Denver. Actually, a friend asked my father if he was available for two weeks, and Dad said, “I’ll help you with the horses, but I don’t want anything to do with those damn dogs.” But he did work with the horses and hounds, getting his start as a whipper-in. Then in 1934, the year after I was born, Dad was named huntsman for the

Arapahoe Hunt. He finished the job 56 years later. COVERTSIDE: What are your earliest memories of hunting? BEEMAN: I still remember the first time I thought I should go hunting. I was four years old, riding a little mare, following the hounds. They had the puppies coupled. A coyote was sighted. Dad decided to take the puppies off couples and go hunting. He put the couples on my saddle and sent me home. I was mad because I wanted to keep hunting. By the age of six, I was riding to school and sometimes we’d exercise the hounds along the way. Then someone would lead my horse home and my mom would get me after school in the car. When my sister was old enough for school, we rode double. There was a barn by the school, so we’d leave the horse there and then ride home. COVERTSIDE: A few years later, you began skipping school to hunt on Wednesdays. I’m sure your absence didn’t go unnoticed. How did your teacher take it? BEEMAN: The most kids we ever had in the eighth grade was 13, and we got down to just three kids on a couple of occasions. I never had a classmate for a full year. But I do remember the day my father talked to my teacher. On that particular day, we were exercising 40 or 50 couple, and we decided to see what the scent was like in really cold weather. It was excellent for a four-mile point.

ZINA BALASH

T AN AGE WHEN some hunt members have moved to retirement locales, or at minimum, run up their stirrups, Beeman, MFH and huntsman, is still galloping along. Right up front. At age 83 he holds the distinction of being the oldest actively hunting Master and huntsman in North America, according to the MFHA. And he’s not ready to hang up his spurs just yet. “He hunts on a regular basis in some of the worst weather conditions, where most hunts wouldn’t think of going out,” says Dennis Foster, MFHA executive director. “Ice, snow, rain, heavy winds, nothing deters him. We send our young Professional Development students to hunt with him, and they all come back ‘born again,’ raving over his ability to hunt hounds. His knowledge of hunting coyote in highdesert conditions is without par. And his bond with his pack is truly the golden thread few huntsmen ever have.” From the outset, Beeman received a favorable advantage: He grew up at Highlands Ranch, home to the Arapahoe Hunt for nearly 60 years, and shadowed his father, George Beeman, Arapahoe’s huntsman, for five decades. To his credit, Marvin Beeman earned the title of whipper-in by age 10. When his father retired in 1987, Beeman stepped in as huntsman and three years later was named Master as well. Do the math: Beeman has worn scarlet for Arapahoe for 73 years. Growing up on the ranch, Beeman learned to ride both English and Western, he trained green-broke horses, he played polo (he’s a three-goal player) and, he foxhunted — a lot. Beeman received a veterinary degree from Colorado State University and quickly earned the reputation of being an equine vet with an expertise in diagnosing and treating lame horses. Nowadays, he still works part-time as a vet at Littleton Equine Medical Center, which he founded, and full-time as huntsman. In April I interviewed Beeman to discuss his passion for foxhunting in a region where the quarry is coyote and Western disciplines and cowboy life reign supreme.

As we were hacking home, my mother drove by and asked my dad if he planned to take me to school. She said, “If you want that boy to be a dummy, that’s your business, but I’m taking our daughter to school.” So dad took me to school and explained that it wasn’t my fault that I was late. But he also asked the teacher if I could hunt on Wednesdays — he needed me as a whipper-in. I was up on my schoolwork, so it was okay. COVERTSIDE: Your father needed you because he was short-staffed during the war. BEEMAN: Yes, I became a whip in 1943. My father had a horse fall on him on a rocky incline in February 1942. He broke his shoulder quite badly so he couldn’t serve, but many others, including his two whippers-in, went into the service. COVERTSIDE: What was the hunt club operation like on the Highlands Ranch? BEEMAN: Mr. Phipps kept 50 couple of classic English hounds. He also maintained around 50 head [of horses] during hunting season, and he stabled 47 hunters every night. Thoroughbreds were by far the most popular and useful because we galloped a lot, and there’s not much covert. Those coyote get to running. COVERTSIDE: Did Arapahoe ever hunt fox? The Indian summer days of early fall are some of the best scenting in Arapahoe country, says Dr. Beeman (foreground).

BEEMAN: In this country, I only saw two credible foxes in my life, and the hounds weren’t interested in them. Mr. Phipps tried to establish

a fox population, but it didn’t work. Either the coyotes killed them or they ran off. COVERTSIDE: You eventually left the ranch for college and earned your veterinary degree in 1957. How did you continue foxhunting while practicing as a veterinarian? BEEMAN: That’s why I came back to the area after I graduated. I practiced in Littleton, and while I couldn’t exercise hounds, I’d take off Wednesday afternoons and Sundays to hunt. George Beeman hunted the hounds for 52 years, until his retirement in 1987. Dr. Beeman, who’d whipped-in for 42 years, took over as huntsman. That same year the hunt moved its kennels from Highlands Ranch, which had been sold and was slated for development, to territory 35 miles east, in Arapahoe County. COVERTSIDE: Aside from relocation, have there been other changes in recent decades ... to the hound breeding? BEEMAN: Originally, we had a classic old English hound pack. We have bred in the new English hound, drafting in hounds from England and the United States that are bigger and faster. COVERTSIDE: I understand that your hounds haven’t drawn a blank since 1972. How can that be? BEEMAN: We have lots of coyote, and the hounds stay really eager. The whippers-in

FALL 2016 | 13

COVERTSIDE: Huntsmen often describe their optimum hunting conditions. Given your region, what is ideal? BEEMAN: The best scenting days are when we have eight to 10 inches of new snow and the temperature is 36 to 38 degrees, so the snow is a little wet. Those days, the hounds just fly, and you seldom have a check. It helps because the coyote is wet, too, so the body scent sticks around. Indian summer days in autumn hunting season are good — just when the sun comes up and the air is colder than the ground. Then the scent stays right where the coyote has been. In the winter, we cancel if there’s more than a foot of snow because the drifts can get up to four feet. And with any snow, you have to be careful. If you don’t see grass sticking up, there could be a ditch, so it’s best to avoid it. COVERTSIDE: Speaking of ditches, I’m reluctant to ask about injuries. I don’t want to jinx you. BEEMAN: My worst injury was when my mare stepped into a hole and it caught her just right and held her foot. We both slammed down, and

14 | COVERTSIDE

I broke all of my ribs of my back on the right and disarticulated my collarbone. And I broke my neck seven years ago when my horse fell on some ice on a bad snowy day. COVERTSIDE: Last year, I interviewed you for an article about equine first aid and you said that, in all of your years as a vet in the hunt field, you never used your stock tie and pin. BEEMAN: That’s right. Never had to. COVERTSIDE: Well, can I have your permission to stop wearing mine? I hate tying my stock. BEEMAN: What? No! The stock tie helps to protect your neck. I didn’t have one when I broke my neck. Of course I was exercising hounds that day. The fact is, we had a lady break her neck, and the surgeon said the stock tie helped stabilize her neck. So, no, you better keep wearing yours. COVERTSIDE: Okay, I will. You hunt 60 to 70 times a year and you still work some and you just turned 83. Seriously, how do you manage to do so much? BEEMAN: I try to stay in good shape. And I don’t have to go to the gym. But I go out with the hounds five days a week during hunting season and six days in the summer. I get up early, go out with the hounds and then go back and look at lame horses. I’m crazy. COVERTSIDE: : Any plans to retire?

ZINA BALASH

work as scouts, depending on the wind and weather. We try to have three, but I’ll have at least one on my left and one on my right. They range from 300 yards to a half-mile and communicate a tally ho with caps. We take the hounds to the tally ho and put the hounds on the line because the scent is short-lived, especially in windy conditions.

The Arapahoe Hunt’s main fixture is frequently quite windy and cold, but nothing deters Dr. Beeman, who is known for hunting in bad weather.

BEEMAN: I think about it. I’ve set some parameters for myself and try not to be silly about it. COVERTSIDE: Given all the hounds and horses you’ve known, can you name your favorites? BEEMAN: The smartest hound had to be Pommel. He caught two coyote in one day. He caught the first one and then caught the second after running 14 miles. As for horses, I’ve kept track of the top 10 in my life. There was a wonderful Thoroughbred we bred, named MLR, and he’d do anything you’d ask him to do. In addition, my son-in-law, who had barely ridden, rode him on a scorching autumn hunt and had no trouble. He beat all the Quarter Horses in a gymkhana. He was the best we ever raised. COVERTSIDE: What about your most memorable hunt? BEEMAN: I think it was around 2006 when Mason Lampton brought his hounds to Colorado to hunt with us. We mixed our hounds. We had 33 couple out, 174 riders in the field and 10 staff and a bunch of vehicles following.

For some reason the coyote ran in a big circle — I think he became confused with all the traffic. Well, you could feel the ground shake with all those horses. We got on another coyote and the hounds were working so beautifully together. They’d settle on the line and then one pack would pass the other — those hounds were leapfrogging each other. By the time we got home, the moon was out. It was the most exciting day of my career. COVERTSIDE: When you’re leading the field, what do you think people are saying behind your back? BEEMAN: They’re probably saying “He’s crazy,” and “He rides too fast.” That’s what I hear. At our last opening hunt, we set out with 100 in the field, and at the end, there were only seven left. I guess when someone outruns me or says, “We’d like to stay out longer.” The day I hear that, I’ll know it’s time to retire. Joanne Meszoly is a Marylandbased freelance writer and a member of the Potomac Hunt. She is a frequent Covertside contributor.

International saddle + girth Stirrup leathers + Irons Flash bridle + reins Branded saddle pad

Fox

Race on

Battle Mountain

Keswick Hunt delivers an ideal foxhunting experience with good friends, food, perfect weather and a worthy adversary.

BY JOHN J. “JAKE” CARLE II, EX-MFH

it seemed a natural move. Her father, the ATURDAY, November 21, 2015, late Wade H. Massie, owned Hampton, and was suddenly and sharply cold, Wiley grew up there, riding and huntsweater weather, after a lengthy ing over the farm spell of and surrounding unseasonable heat. countryside. For The sky was a “There are times when you visiting Huntsman washed-out, British find yourself willing hounds Tony Gammell blue, decorated and his pack, the with a scribble of to find. … You watch their day presented a clouds, suggestive every move and listen unique challenge: of moisture aloft the intently for the slightest This rugged part stunning Blue Ridge of Rappahannock vista surroundwhimper. As time slips by, County has far too ing Toni and Mike you watch and listen ever long been a coyote Massie’s Hampton more intently, hoping that stronghold — and Stock Farm. Here, Keswick hunts only Old Dominion and by so doing you will help red fox. But GamRappahannock, in hounds do their job.” mell has unwavering their shared section faith in the honesty of hunting country, PATRICK MARTIN, and perseverance of were hosting the FORMER BICESTER HUNTSMAN, his pack, saying, “If Keswick pack of INTERVIEWED BY WILL CURSHAM there’s a fox about, American hounds these hounds’ll and the more adfind him!” venturesome of their Drawing northward along the foot of members. It seemed to some an unusual twist when visiting Master Nancy Wiley was rugged and rambling Googe Mountain, hounds appeared headed around the asked to lead first flight; but to the locals,

16 | COVERTSIDE

Huntsman Tony Gammell of Keswick Hunt listening closely in Schoolhouse Woods for the cry that would soon come to signify the chase.

COURTESY JAKE CARLE

FALL 2016 | 17

The red fox did not disappoint. It’s a frenzied pace to keep up with Charlie.

round lump of a foothill at the north end, toward the complex of houses and stables in Crossmolina next door. But Gammell’s guide, Rappahannock Huntsman Michael Brown, led them across a low gap here and avoided the buildings, trying instead the open pastures, while also bypassing the wooded cliff overhanging Crossmolina’s long lake, over which a pair of ospreys hovered. On then to the Easthams’ Crusher Woods to the east. Named for the rock crusher that, in days gone by, worked the small quarry nearby, this was not too long ago a citadel for a number of sportingminded gray fox. If any were about, the 18 | COVERTSIDE

Keswick pack ignored them, considering them too plebian to acknowledge. They also ignored an enormous black bear sow and three cubs that lumbered down a trail ahead of them. Returning to Crossmolina, hounds drew southward into Battle Run Farm — a huge sprawl of land now divided into fancy farmettes — that the locals still call John Lyle’s, after its long-time owner, the late colonel, WWII ace pilot, entrepreneur, endearing eccentric and ladies’ man extraordinaire. This parcel, too, drew blank. Traversing the old grass airstrip, it seemed as if the red fox had boogied out of these

environs, fleeing the flashing fangs of Canis lutrans. Yet neither hounds nor huntsman were deterred, and their determination was soon to be rewarded. THE CHASE IS ON

Hunting across Red Payne’s Locust Hill, hounds poured into Schoolhouse Woods, where, instead of being swept through by their guide, Gammell let them hunt more closely. A good move, for from behind the small cottage in the woods’ depths, a red fox unkenneled. Harked to a view, hounds immediately drenched the woods with a torrent of music, and out flew Charlie,

COURTESY JAKE CARLE

straight and fast as an archer’s arrow as he crossed Richmond Road. Small in size, he proved huge in courage and stamina, racing across the eastern portion of cousin Jim Massie’s Meadow Grove toward the looming heights of the mountains Battle. Glued to his line, the pack was a pied wave, breaking across a greensward of winter wheat, “teeming with tongue,” as wrote Sir Newton Rycroft, MFH. Racing like greyhounds and, when their pilot jumped through a hedgerow, turning together with the choreography of a flock of starlings, they increased the heat until their quarry was forced to seek refuge in the steep, rock reaches of Little Battle Mountain. Charlie flew up the slope with undiminished speed and grace as only red fox possess, that quickly puts most packs in arrears, but 17 and a half couple of light, lean runnin’ machines checked not a bit, matched him stride for stride, cloaked him in a mantle of desperation. Following hard, the Thoroughbreds upon which the lucky were mounted had to call on every drop of hot blood in their veins to keep in touch. The cold bloods were soon cooked; for their riders, hunting by ear became an act of faith. Up, around and over Little Battle, the pace never slackened, the lilt of the huntsman’s voice and occasional sweet

music of his horn blending with the battle cry that has for generations danced upon these rugged ridges. Like the true descendants they are of those superb creatures hunted in days of yore by Burrell Frank Bywaters and his clan, during fox races in pursuit of the relentless and unrepentant chicken-killin’ hill fox of the day, the Keswick pack made ring the welkin of music best described by Somerville and Ross in “The Sweet Cry of Hounds.” “Well, if it was the Divil and all his companions in it, there wouldn’t be more roaring out o’ them than them dogs had!” Now, driven by dire necessity, the red raider turned his mask to the seriously steep, nearly unassailable slopes of Big Battle. Car-following, Rappahannock’s senior Master and former long-time huntsman Oliver Brown remarked that, in all his years, he’s never seen a pack push a fox over Battle Mountain. Well, he saw it today: not only over, but over, around and back, with a relentlessness not seen since the halcyon days when Ben Hardaway first brought his hounds up from Georgia. A WORTHY ADVERSARY, INDEED

As hounds came pouring off Big Battle, a strong wind came whistling out of the south like a mistral blowing down the Rhone Valley, flattening the broomstraw in Billy Fannin’s bird field (a quail restoration project), and their pilot, like a racing yawl, sailed downwind. In his wake, hounds flew like sharks on a chum line, closing the gap. Hard pushed now, brave Charlie once more circumnavigated Little Battle, tiring but ever game. He sped off the mounts, crossed the broad floodplain along Battle Run, then labored up the clifflike hill to the west. Atop the slope, he was taken aback by part of the much-scattered field perched there, and paused to peruse the throng with calm curiosity. A wild view-holloa hustled him on his way, and hastened hounds ever closer. Below, a great gathering of round bales abuts a small tenant house, and there among the bales and amidst a scourge

of housecats, Charlie took (apparently familiar) refuge. Caught his breath, but that was all, for hounds quickly had him over Richmond Road, streaking toward the lowering sun, across the back pastures of Meadow Grove. Briefly running twenty yards downwind of the line in the open, the pack pushed their pilot into Googe Mountain, veering northward in the general direction of Schoolhouse Woods. With cry like distant thunder as it echoed off the precipitous flanks of Googe looming over the meanderings of Battle Run, hounds drove with renewed purpose. Again, Somerville and Ross: “They had quickened their pace … and that unmistakable throb of purpose had come into their researches which … lifts the Huntsman’s heart.” Suddenly, it was the hair on the back of Tony’s neck that lifted, as into their cry grew that unmistakable, growling pitch. And shortly thereafter, an eerie silence. Then down a rocky cliff came tumbling a happy pack, all a-wigglin’ and a-grinnin’, their job well done. So the Keswick hounds came home to the country where once their Bywaters ancestors set so high the standard for the sport of foxhunting — and came proudly home, perhaps even nudging that standard up a notch. When British hunting correspondent Rebecca Jordan wrote, “It was a pure example of how horse, hounds and huntsman should work together,” she could have been in the field on this magical day. Hounds and huntsman had served their followers a generous portion of excellence and a hunt we will long remember. Tom and Mike Massie had waiting a spread so lavish as to turn La Julie, High Priestess of Indulgence, broccoli-green with envy, and amber Kentucky restorative did well its work. As shadows lengthened, the question on most minds was, “Just what will this pack do for an encore?” Indeed … come to Keswick and find out! Jake Carle is a former MFH, professional huntsman and past recipient of The Julian M. Marshall Award.

FALL 2016 | 19

TRAVEL GUIDE

Crossing the Pond Covertside’s guide to hunting over there.

WWW.BLENCATHRAFOXHOUNDS.CO.UK

BY CHRISTOPHER OAKFORD

Blencathra Foxhounds are one of six fell packs; because of terrain, mounted hunting is not feasible in the Lake District.

“T

ake plenty of Advil and muscle relaxers! And make sure you’re fit!” That’s the advice of Christy Clagett, Master of the Marlborough Hunt in Maryland, to any foxhunter contemplating a hunting holiday overseas. Clagett, who has hunted in England and Ireland, remembers her first trip to the County Clare in Ireland, which came about when her team won the now-defunct Foxhunters Championship. The prize was a week’s stay at Kilcolgan Castle and several days’ hunting with the County Clare and the Galway Blazers. “On the first day, we hunted the Burren in

20 | COVERTSIDE

the southwest corner of Ireland. It was like landing on the face of the moon!” At one point the fox led the hounds, huntsman, and field up a precipitous rocky outcrop. “So, we had to jump off a cliff,” says Clagett. “It was literally like jumping out of your hayloft. On the way down, I remember thinking about what the liveryman had said to me before we left: ‘He’s a youngster. Take care of him.’ The horse landed like a cat and just bounded off. He was absolutely awesome.” Her souvenir from the trip? The horse. She bought him and hunted him for 14 seasons.

RIDE RIGHT

It goes without saying that you should hire the right horse. You might also consider hiring a local to accompany you. “They know the countryside, can help if there is a problem, and they know the way home. The hunt often doesn’t end where it began,” Clagett says. If hounds are your thing, there’s also some wonderful hunting to be had on foot. Buck Wiseman, Joint-Master of the Clear Creek Beagles of Louisville, Kentucky, describes hunting with the fell hounds of the Blencathra Foxhounds in northwest England: “The fell packs are very different from

mounted packs. They’re much more casual. Only the huntsman and the whipper-in are in hunt livery; everyone else wears whatever they feel comfortable in.” Wiseman always wanted to hunt with a fell pack. “Finally,” he says, “I just wrote a letter to the Blencathra hunt secretary and got back a reply putting me in touch with the huntsman. The first thing I would say to an American is you have to be fit. The hills are steep and you stay out quite a long time. But once you are up there you can see everything the hounds are doing. It is a wonderful way to watch hounds. You do see some glorious work and you tend to

OUR FUTURE

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OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,

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• Easy access to public to provide foxhunting information & history

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MFHA REPRESENTS FOXHUNTING FOR ALL US! Whether you give $5.00 or $5000, you can be a part of our new headquarters, building on our mission to Promote, Preserve, Protect mounted foxhunting for future generations!

• In Historic Middleburg, a quaint civil war town in the heart of Virginia horse country.

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ELEGANCE AND HISTORY

Fitness is a key when hunting with a foot pack such as the Blencathra Foxhounds in northwest England.

North Americans help to celebrate 350 years of unparalleled foxhunting BY LAUREL BYRNE, MFH TORONTO AND NORTH YORK HUNT

WWW.BLENCATHRAFOXHOUNDS.CO.UK

be with very knowledgeable people about hounds.” Wiseman discovered that there are two essentials for fell hunting: a top-quality pair of hiking boots and an ability to sing. “The night before we first

22 | COVERTSIDE

went out with the Blencathra, we went to dinner and a hunt sing at a pub,” he recalls. “The singing was terrific. The huntsman sings the first song, and there’s always some rollicking chorus that everyone joins in.

The Charlton Hunt, circa early 18th century, is the earliest recorded foxhunt in the world, its fame drawing the elite of British society, including the Dukes of Monmouth, St. Albans and Richmond, illegitimate sons of King Charles II. The Duke of Richmond bought nearby Goodwood as a place to stay and entertain his friends during the hunting season. Almost every noble family had a representative at Charlton, including half of the Knights of the Garter. When the hunt was moved to Goodwood in the mid 18th century, it was known as the Duke of Richmond’s Hounds. Architect James Wyatt built magnificent kennels with an ingenious central-heating system a century before Goodwood House itself had heating. The Charlton Hunt was synonymous with some of the best sport in the country. “In those days, hunting was just about the chicest thing you could do,” says the present Lord March, known for maintaining Goodwood as a living, working, sporting estate. “Sport in all its forms has been part of Goodwood since the beginning and it was in order to be able to hunt in the nearby Charlton forest that the 1st Duke of Richmond originally bought a Jacobean house at Goodwood. That makes the Charlton Hunt extremely important to my family. It was one of the first properly organized foxhunts in the country and became very illustrious.” We received a personal invitation from the Earl of March, son of the current Duke of Richmond and heir to Goodwood, to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the famous Charlton Hunt and its one-off return to the estate. Cameron Sadler, MFH, her husband Lincoln, along with John Dorrier, MFH, represented America while my husband, Mike, and I represented Canada on behalf of the MFHA. Saturday’s hunt began with a meet in front of Goodwood House. We had beautiful views of the hounds crossing amazing countryside on a nine-mile drag that took us over some 35 jumps. There was a group of ladies sidesaddle, including our two nieces from Ireland. Two hours later we stopped for a second stirrup cup at Fox Hall, a lodge built in 1732 for the 2nd Duke as a resting place after a long day in the saddle. On Sunday we all assembled in front of Goodwood House for the Duchess of Richmond’s Chase, presented by Hermès. The timber race featured 24 riders and wound its way through the park at Goodwood. The entire weekend was a spectacular experience to which it was a great honor to be invited. For more information about Goodwood and the Charlton Hunt, visit www.goodwood.com.

68 ACRE FARM And then the whipper-in sings next. It goes on for hours!” The hunting ban of 2005 added a layer of complexity to trips to England. “You’re going to have to know someone or have some way of establishing your good faith,” says Wiseman. “Four years ago,” he says, “I called Barry Todhunter to see if Blencathra was going out on the day I’d set aside. They weren’t, so he told me to call the huntsman at Ullswater. I called him and got a somewhat evasive response. I told him Barry had told me to call and he said he’d get back to me. Five or six minutes later a call comes back. ‘Yes, we’re meeting at this particular spot and here are the directions.’ I knew

exactly what had happened. He’d called Barry and Barry had said, ‘He’s fine.’” TO THE CONTINENT

England and Ireland are not the only countries with a proud sporting tradition. If elegance is your thing, France might well be the destination of choice. Karen Ewbank of Ewbank Clothiers in Berryville, Virginia, went stag hunting with friends in the Fontainebleau forest. “Hunting in France is extremely different from hunting in the states and England,” Ewbank explains, “because there is no field. There’s no field master. People go, usually in groups of three or four, with someone who has their bouton (hunt col-

FALL 2016 | 23

ors or buttons). He has a horn and when he sees something he blows a tune to the huntsman to signal what he sees.” The hunting takes place in what were royal forests that have paths running through them in a spoke-and-wheel pattern. “Only the staff are allowed to leave the trails,” says Ewbank. “We were hunting stag, but each hunt has several packs, one for stag, one for wild boar, and one for chevreuil (roe deer).” Wiseman, who has also hunted in France, recalls: “In one sense, the organization is quite structured and the livery is grand, even outdoing the English. But at the same time, there are lots of car followers, lots of people on bicycles and motorbikes. The horses

24 | COVERTSIDE

are almost all trotters. If you’re an American, when you hire your horse, you want to ask for what’s called a reformed trotter. That’s one that’s been taught to canter and gallop.” Wiseman’s first experience of stag hunting was by car in the company of La Société de Vènerie’s (equivalent to MFHA) president. “It was like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!” he laughs. “We went flying down these alleys at 45 miles an hour, zipping in between horses, to stay up with the hunt. We’d stop, get out and listen, then hop back in and go flying off in another direction depending on what the horns were saying.” Be prepared to hunt in worse conditions than you might experience in the United States.

WWW.HIGHPOINTETOURS.COM

Foxhunters take a break in the sunshine during a hunt in Galway, Ireland.

Clagett recalls of her first day with the Duke of Beaufort’s hunt, “When I woke up, it was pouring with rain. I came downstairs for breakfast and said, ‘Well, I guess we won’t be

hunting today.’ Everyone looked at me and said, ‘Why?’” Clagett says to take two pairs of boots and two coats so you don’t have to wear wet clothing. Above all, you are likely

to bring home memories that will last a lifetime. Clagett’s day with the Duke of Beaufort ended in a solo ride by moonlight along the Fosse Way, an old Roman road running

through southern England. For Ewbank, attending Mass in the Chateau of Fontainebleau’s chapel on St. Hubert’s feast day with hounds at the altar was something to savor.

What will be your legacy? Leave a Legacy Gift and have a lasting impact on the future of foxhunting. For more information, or to request a phone call regarding leaving a Legacy Gift, write to us: Name: Address:

Phone: Email: Mail to:

MFHA Foundation, Attn: Legacy Program PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646

MFHA Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 54-1999844

FALL 2016 | 25

ASK THE HUNTSMAN

Adapt and Grow

Mill Creek’s Huntsman Brenda Yost talks about tailoring hounds for her country. BY AMY GESELL

RENDA YOST STARTED HER CAREER as a groom with Mill Creek, in Old Mill Creek, Illinois, alongside Richard Buswell, and whipping-in under the tutelage of Peter Howe. She took the horn in 1995 and is now heading into her 21st season as huntsman. Yost, who spoke at the 2016 MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar, presented an inspiring discussion about changes in the development of her pack. Like many hunts today, Mill Creek is in a developed area, and the hounds encounter traffic circles, stores and even the occasional soccer game. Given this environment, Yost has focused on building a deliberate and very focused pack.

Yost: During my second season, we were hit with a blasto epidemic (blastomycosis infection) that wiped out our kennel. Through generous hound contributions from other huntsmen, I was able to rebuild a hunting pack, accounting for nine coyotes out of 40 days that season. I consider that pretty good for a new pack! In the next three seasons, with development inching closer, I started thinking there might be another approach to hunting our territory. It took some time, but as I began to gain confidence in my decisionmaking, I started heading in my current direction. Covertside: Was it difficult implementing a slower, deliberate pack? 26 | COVERTSIDE

Yost: First, I had

to shake off the thought that I needed to “keep up” with other hunts. I don’t have the country that others have! A pep talk from another huntsman gave me the extra push I needed to make the changes I felt necessary. The support of the Masters and of other huntsmen has been extraordinarily valuable. From a technical standpoint, I started culling from the front of the pack. We always hear about culling from the back ... and it’s true. However, I wanted to take out the lonely frontrunners in addition to the stragglers. I looked for hounds that stayed with each other, functioning as a pack. I kept handy, biddable hounds that still maintained drive. I also

like a heavier type of hound with a little more mass, thicker in bone ... a Quarter Horse-type hound, if you will. I wouldn’t call them slow. I would call them deliberate!

Covertside: Other than encroaching development, what challenges have you addressed with the changes in your pack? Yost: Our season is short compared to many others. We hunt 40 days a year, compared to others’ 100 or more. Though it’s a challenge to get new entry to learn what I need them to learn in such a short period

RICK MYSLINSKI

Covertside: How did the evolution of your pack begin?

THE SUPPORT OF THE MASTERS AND OF OTHER HUNTSMEN HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY VALUABLE. of time, they manage to do it! Because of that and because these hounds are hunting the way I ask, it makes a more enjoyable hunt for all involved. I have to think of our membership. They need enjoyment, too. With our hounds working the way they are working now, it makes for a very pleasant end of the day. It’s very tidy, not having to run around looking for hounds. Staff and members are content, and we all go home together. Amy Gesell resides with the horses, hounds and huntsman of Wiggins Hounds, in South Carolina. She is groom, road whip and de facto kennelman for the hunt.

In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery

Featu ring Fine Spor ti ng Ar t, Ame r i can Pai nti ng s and S culp ture KEENEL AND RACECOURSE | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

Harry Hall (British, 1814-1882), GEORGE MURE OF HERRINGSWELL, Oil on canvas, 40 ½” x 60”

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BETTER HUNTING Bringing out the dapples requires good nutrition, regular coat care and a lot of elbow grease.

use a stiff brush, which flicks off the dirt, then I curry with one of those mitts and follow up with a softer brush.”

PHOTO BY ZINA BALASH

KICK-START YOUR TAIL CARE

Top Grooming Hacks

Need a clean horse in a hurry? Here are some shortcuts and makeover tips for your grubby mount. BY JOANNE MESZOLY

HERE’S NO MAGIC LACQUER that will instantly provide your field hunter with a glossy, dappled, shiny coat. Those results come with time and elbow grease — lots of currying, brushing and rubbing. (Sound equine nutrition and a wash bay with hot water and good pressure will also help the cause.) But even the most wellgroomed horse is bound to get dirty. And life is messy, too. We all get busy, and if you’re juggling work, family and barn life, it’s easy to skimp on horse grooming. Throw in some bad weather or a few canceled hunt meets, and days may pass before your horse sees a brush. Of course, with ample time and a wash stall, tomorrow’s meet 28 | COVERTSIDE

Here’s a quick-action cleaning and your field hunter’s grungy applan to maximize turnout on a pearance may pose no problem. tight deadline. (And if you happen to employ a full-time groom, and you’ve made it this far, you can stop reading DON’T DITCH THE CURRY. after the next paragraph.) If anything, curry your horse But what about the rest of from head to toe — twice. Aside us? Or what from the obviif your wash ous benefit of Do you have any bay is out of breaking up order or you mud clotted grooming tricks to lack hot wato the hair, curshare with Covertside ter? What if rying also loosreaders? Post your your full-time ens and lifts recommendations and groom is beddust, hair and tips on Covertside’s ridden with a dander that are Facebook page. wicked case normally disof whooping patched with cough? daily groomIt’s possible to make your mud- ing. “I’m a big fan of the olddy mount presentable and avoid fashioned round, rubber curries,” dirty looks about your dirty horse says Molly Greene, a longtime — even if you’ve been a slacker in groom with Green Spring Valley the grooming department. Hounds. “After the round curry, I

A horse-show groom might be fired on the spot for brushing or raking a comb through a tangled tail, because this hasty approach pulls and breaks lots of hairs. Fortunately, you are not a show groom; this is your own horse and time is of the essence. Liberally apply a detangling product — Showsheen or whatever brand you prefer (we’ve been told that WD-40 is a great substitute in a pinch. It’s mostly mineral oil) — and pay special attention to sections that are badly tangled or matted with burrs. For the best results, let the product soak in. We’ll return to the tail shortly. Do you have a vacuum on hand? If so, now’s the time to use it. Remove as much hair, dirt and dander as possible from the neck, back, hindquarters and other vacuum-tolerant areas. (In other words, steer clear of the head, legs and other bony points.) TOWEL AND HOT-WATER TREATMENT

This is the pièce de résistance. All you need is a small bucket of hot water from a sink, or a heating coil. You’ll also need some towels; think dish-towel or hand-towel size, or tear old bath towels into smaller pieces. Submerge a towel into the water, then wring out all the excess water. Wipe the damp towel on your horse’s coat, and you’ll quickly notice that the mud and grit will cling to the cloth. As you work from head to hoof, be

sure to rotate the towel with each swipe, allowing the clean fibers to catch the dirt and hair. Or, as some grooms prefer, you can use your hot, damp towel in conjunction with a dry, clean towel in a “wax on, wax off” fashion. This hot-towel technique is a time-honored approach to cleaning a horse in a jiffy, but there are lots of variations; you should experiment to get the best results. Marlene Allen, a Potomac Hunt member and a veteran horse show rider and trainer, adds white vinegar to hot water at roughly a 1:1 ratio. In addition, she squirts in a bit of baby oil. “The vinegar will help raise the dander, and the baby oil gives the skin some shine,” she says. “You’ll be amazed at how much dirt you’ll pick up with the rag.” Greene’s personal recipe calls for a product called Calm Coat Topical Spray. “I’ll add four or five squirts to the water,” she says. “It’s

A BIT ABOUT BRUSHES INEVITABLY, your grooming supplies will collect dirt, which means that you are frequently spreading dust and dirt, not removing it, from your horse’s coat. Raking bristled brushes against a curry comb will displace some of this clinging grime, but periodic washing will keep brushes clean. Some grooms recommend soaking brushes in a soapy solution overnight or scrubbing them and rinsing them several times until they are suds-free. I have a cleaning short cut: On a sunny day, dump a liberal splash of bleach into a bucket and add water. (Cold water is fine.) Submerge

antifungal and does a really good job of pulling the dirt out. It also helps to use really hot water — as hot as you can stand. And make sure you wring out as much water as you can.”

the brushes, bristles down, in the water. No need to swish the brushes around or rinse them. Leave the bucket alone; find something else to do for 10 minutes. Then remove the brushes, or drain the bucket, and set your grooming tools outside in direct sunlight. The sun will bake off any residual bleach and leave your brushes nice and clean. One cautionary note: Reserve this brush-cleaning technique for your horse’s day off or after grooming is done to guarantee that the brushes are completely bleach-free before they are used on a horse again.

ALLOW 10 TO 15 MINUTES FOR THESE FINAL STEPS:

• Follow up with a soft brush or rub rag. Your horse isn’t wet, because you wrung out your towel, right? Give your horse

a once-over with a brush or an unused rub rag. • Comb or brush the tail. Start from the bottom and comb or brush it in sections. If the tail looks scraggly and it FALL 2016 | 29

You’re Invited To

HUNT NIGHT

Monday, Oct. 17, 2016

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HUNT NIGHT RECEPTION

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HUNT NIGHT COMPETITION Begins at 6:30 pm

Field Hunters, Parade of Foxhounds, Gentleman’s and Ladies Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Teams and new this year, PONY RACES!

www.PAnational.org 30 | COVERTSIDE

is very long, you can bang it: have a helper hold the tail out horizontally from the end of the tail bone and use sharp scissors or shears to cut the end of the tail evenly and straight. Just an inch or two will do. • Take a moment to trim your horse’s muzzle and jawline if his whiskers are long. • How does his mane look? There’s no time for a massive mane-pulling mission, but if he’s looking unkempt, you can tidy the mane with an old clipper blade (removed from the clippers). Take small sections of the mane, tease it up a bit and use the blade to cut the ends. This technique will shorten, but not thin, the mane. • Water brush the mane, whether you’ve shortened it or not. Take a stiff-bristled brush and dip the bristles in water — a water bucket, a dog dish, whatever’s handy. Flick off the excess moisture, then run the bristles over his mane and forelock. These moist strokes will encourage the mane to lay flat on one side. • Finally, slap on a bit of hoof oil or hoof polish. That should do the trick. If you’re still not entirely confident about your horse’s slap-dash turnout, lay low until the field moves off and hope for an early run. With any luck, your mount and all of those immaculately groomed horses will soon be mud-splattered or sweaty and dirty. Everyone’s hard work will be erased. And no one will be the wiser. Joanne Meszoly hunts with the Potomac Hunt, is a freelance writer and frequent Covertside contributor. She freely admits to using many of these quick grooming tips, and owns only bays and chestnuts.

SPEED CLEANING A GRAY What’s the simplest solution to cleaning a dirty white or gray horse? Don’t own one. (I’m kidding — sort of.) Any owner of a gray horse or a pinto with lots of white will confirm that these guys require significant grooming and bathing. Guaranteed, a hose with hot water and an arsenal of shampoo products are vital. It is possible to quick-clean a gray horse without a wash bay. It just isn’t easy. Use one of the many spot removers and stain-lifting products. A cloth soaked with rubbing alcohol will also lift stains. Cornstarch and baby powder can conceal stained hocks or cover white hair that’s yellow. For body cleaning, you can employ the hot, damp towel technique mentioned in the article and add a bit of shampoo to your towel, but avoid the bluing shampoos that are designed to whiten; without a hose to thoroughly rinse the coat, it might leave a purple residue. As an alternative, consider toweling with Dawn; although it is marketed for dishwashing, it’s a popular bathing product in many horse show barns.

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BETTER RIDING John E. Fernely (English, 1782–1860) Count Sandor’s Hunting Exploits in Leicestershire: No. 5: The Count on Brigliadora is Displaced from His Saddle, but Is Carried Hanging at His Bridle, 1829 Oil on canvas 15”H × 18 1/4”W, framed. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Paul Mellon Collection.

CONFIDENCE BUILDERS • A bombproof horse and a guide you trust. • Break daunting things down into smaller tasks. • Ride as much as you can and take advantage of off-season events, such as hound walks.

Eyes Up and Breathe

Covertside offers techniques for the new and nervous rider.

ONFIDENCE is the secret ingredient all good riders possess. For some, such as the eventers who sail effortlessly over the jumps at Rolex, it seems to be an inexhaustible resource. But for most, it is finite and often elusive. UNCERTAINTY

Anne Gage, author of “Confident Rider, Confident Horse,” suggests that there are two areas that affect rider confidence — technical skill and mindset. And the biggest factor in getting the right mindset is to avoid focusing on what could go wrong. That’s something Betsy Burke Parker, owner of Hunt32 | COVERTSIDE

BY CHRISTOPHER OAKFORD

er’s Rest Farm in Flint Hill, Virginia, and third field leader for the Old Dominion Hounds, knows well. As someone who brings new riders out hunting, she says, “Most confidence issues are ultimately to do with uncertainty about what is going to happen.” Whether you’re taking out a new foxhunter for the first time, or working on boosting your own confidence, having a safe and seasoned horse is key. “My first piece of advice for a first-time foxhunter is to hook up with a reputable stable that will send you out on a seasoned hunter with a guide you trust. Do not under any circumstance go out on your own horse if it has never hunted. Green plus green

equals black and blue!” Before attending their first meet, Parker’s students are taken on a series of trail rides through the hunt country so they are familiar with what they are likely to encounter. It’s a technique also employed by Maggie Wright, the owner of Champagne Run in Lexington, Kentucky, who has introduced dozens of riders to hunting via the Iroquois Hunt. “The No. 1 thing is to put the rider on an absolutely steady horse. Actually, you want them to be on something that’s almost a bit too slow for them because the thing most nervous riders fear is speed. Then, once they have gained some confidence in the ring and you think

• Improve balance through exercises and strengthening your core. • Remember to breathe! • Focus on what has gone well, not on what could go wrong. • Understand exactly what it is that makes you nervous.

they are secure enough in the saddle, you can begin to practice things outside. Break everything down into manageable pieces. Cantering downhill, for example, shifts the horse’s and the rider’s balance, so that’s something we take quite slowly — then we go out for trail rides and hound walks in the summer to get them used to riding in a group. And the third field is great for anyone suffering from confidence issues. Every time, you want to leave the rider feeling they could do just a little bit more, rather than over-facing them.”

BALANCE, FITNESS, AND REMEMBERING TO BREATHE

As far as technical skill is concerned, everything, it seems, comes back to balance. “Fear comes from lack of balance, lack of balance comes from lack of alignment. Fix the alignment and you fix the balance. Fix the balance and you fix the fear. It’s not easy, but it is simple,” says Parker, who uses a variety of exercises, such as riding in the ring without stirrups, to help students focus on finding their balance. “One of the exercises I do with my inexperienced riders is to take them on a trail ride and then have them drop their reins to the buckle,” says Parker. “We then pick up the trot. They’re accustomed to balancing themselves on the horse’s mouth, so at first they get jostled. It forces them to find their core and get

themselves properly balanced.” Strengthening your core is an essential step to improving balance. So as well as recommending hours in the saddle, trainers often advocate taking up a separate exercise regime, such as yoga or Pilates, to improve core strength. It has the added value of introducing riders to another way of combatting nerves — breathing. “It might seem obvious,” says Susan Gentry, owner of Cloudline Equestrian Center near Celeste, Texas, and MFH of the Cloudline Hounds, “but how many times do you see a rider go over jumps and only breathe when they get over the last one? We have six little mini coops and as they go over the first one I say ‘Breathe!’ Then they go over the next and I say ‘Breathe!’ It’s easy to do. You forget. You don’t even know you’re doing it. But I have

some mature riders and they can’t afford to hold their breath for the whole string. At the end of it, they’ve got to go home!” The breathing exercises associated with disciplines such as yoga help to lessen tension in the mind and, as a result, reduce tension in the muscles too, making balance easier. Experts also agree on the importance of identifying exactly what makes a rider nervous. “Some people worry about jumping, others about speed,” says Wright. “If it’s an experienced rider who’s had a fall, we can practice jumping in the ring and at the fence in the hunt country. But first you have to be honest about what’s bothering you, because you can’t fix it if you don’t know what it is.” Not all problems are easy to discern, however. “For one of

my clients the big fear is time,” says Gentry. “At 35 minutes, everything’s fine. At 45 minutes, her breathing starts to get tense and the fear kicks in. So, I let her tell me when she’s had enough and gradually we’re building it up, five minutes at a time.” Nerves can blight anyone’s enjoyment of hunting, experienced or inexperienced. Fortunately, there are practical steps to take to help deal with them. And, as Gentry points out, “one thing on which we all agree is if you don’t feel safe, you don’t have fun. And hunting is supposed to be fun.” Christopher Oakford lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and is the author of the book, “The Iroquois Hunt: A Bluegrass Foxhunting Tradition.” He and his wife Glenye are currently writing a biography of Joseph B. Thomas.

FALL 2016 | 33

LIBRARY

The Good Neighbor EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from the book “The Red Fox in Art” by John Orrelle, Skagit River Press.

he universal fascination with the red fox conveys an ancient and unconscious connection with an animal evocative of thousands of years of cohabitation. Cave paintings, petroglyphs and other primitive artifacts are all evidence of permanently embedded animal images in the human brain, and of the early bonding and kinship they suggest. This notion of kinship has continually asserted itself throughout history in a succession of generational links and manifestations, none more telling than images found in art. In his book “The Tiger” (Knopf, 2010), John Vaillant writes perceptively on the nature of human-animal relations, noting that objective science misses an important point when arguing that there is no empirical evidence that lower animals are capable of exhibiting recognizable emotions and motives. In his words “ . . . feelings of transspecies understanding and communication have less to do with animals being humanized or human beings ‘animalized’ than with all parties simply being sensitized to nuances of the other’s presence and behavior. If you spend most of your life with the animals around you, you will undoubtedly — neces-

sarily — feel a certain kinship with those creatures, even if you have no conscious notion of doing so.” This sensitivity to animals is nonverbal as neurologically dictated. Often characterized by intense visual impact, encounters are rarely forgotten. Two of my own are as fresh today as when they first occurred: Once when I was a boy, my father and I were squirrel hunting on a frigid December day. I had separated from him and sat with chattering teeth and numb feet beneath a large hickory tree, watching for any movement overhead. The movement came not from above, but on the ground in my peripheral vision. As in a dream, a red fox materialized, ghosting silently over the frosty earth. When almost past me, he stopped, sat back on his haunches, and looked directly at me with his head cocked like an inquisitive dog. I was struck by his nonchalant gaze and a fleeting, unconscious connection. In subsequent years this image would appear with indelible intensity. Years later I was in Oregon and it was winter again. I was sitting in the kitchen in front of a wood stove, reading and enjoying the stillness that falling snow always brings. My chair was close to a patio door and a large outside deck. After reading the same sentence two or three times, and sensing a strong presence, I glanced to my left and there was my old friend, sitting catlike Bob Kuhn, Like The Down Of A Thistle - Red Fox, acrylic, 17 x 28 in.

34 | COVERTSIDE

Reproduced with permission from “The Red Fox in Art.” Bored to Tears, by Bob Kuhn.

with a lush and beautiful tail wrapped about him — a dandy out for an evening stroll. With a half-smile on his face, he looked quite pleased with himself at the trick of surprising me again with the incarnation of an old memory. An arresting picture of rust-red on white, he remained seated in the snow for another five minutes, then like a good neighbor who doesn’t overstay his visit, he quietly slipped into the night. Memories of such meetings are solid and unchangeable, resisting intellectual dissection. It seems we cannot always know the why of things, only that they are. A long way around to make a point. Perhaps. But the degree to which the image of the red fox has invested itself in art speaks loudly of kinship. Anchored in a very large body of work, the iconic spirit and persona of Vulpes vulpes has proven forever alluring. Whether seen as rapscallion chicken thief or the embodiment of pure, unfettered freedom, he is with us to stay, one way or another. His ancient voice is undeniable and insistent and doubtless always will be. Indeed, the last thing the last human on earth sees may well be the face of a red fox. Smiling.

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FARE & FLASK

WHAT’S IN YOUR FLASK?

ALL HUNT SEASON preparation involves repairing and replacing tack, conditioning your horse for blazing runs, and fixing that torn lining in your hunt coat. And, don’t forget finding new recipes to wow your fellow field members when sharing your flask. In that spirit, Covertside ran a Facebook contest asking for your favorite flask recipes. Thank you to DelVal Engraving for providing engraved flasks for first, second and third place prizes.

COURTESY OF TOM MACKELL, MFH

First place winner: Kelly Hurley

BACON-INFUSED BOURBON

The Fall 2016 Hacking Jacket Collection is Available at these Fine Retailers

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Takes a bit of prep ahead of time, but it makes a whole bottle’s worth! DIRECTIONS: REMOVE 1/4 c bourbon from a bottle of bourbon. POUR 1/4 c warm bacon grease into bottle.

REPLACE THE CAP ON THE BOTTLE and let stand 4 hours, shaking occasionally. CHILL 3 to 7 days. LINE A STRAINER with a paper coffee filter. Pour

bourbon through the strainer into a bowl. CLEAN the empty bourbon bottle and re-fill with strained bourbon. Perfect in the flask on a chilly morning!

Second place winner: Sharon Russell

Third place winner: Carla Babcock

BLACKBERRY TOSS

PAINSWICK PUNCH

Named for a horse named Blackberry that tossed its rider.

Discovered in Painswick Village in the Cotswold, UK

DIRECTIONS:

MIX 2 parts chocolate vodka with 1 part blackberry liqueur

MIX 2 parts scotch with 1 part cherry brandy

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FALL 2016 | 37

THE FIND

Eclipse Mock Tunic Length Polo PRICE: $80

This long-sleeved, color-blocked Bette & Court polo with mock neck and mesh underarms is sure to keep you warm and dry on those chilly hunt mornings. Has thumbholes on cuff for comfort and is made with UPF 50 for sun protection. Buy yours at www.bette-court.com.

Contemporary Fox Hook PRICE: $45

Cast in brass, measures 2 1/8” wide by 2” tall; 3 1/2 inches tall overall with hook. This hook easily holds a halter or bridle, leads and so on. Hand crafted in the USA. Purchase at www.tempidesignstudio.com.

PRICE: $54

Gatorbootz have an adjustable neck for a better fit no matter the size of the horse. Their lightweight design makes them perfect for any use, and the specially designed polymer construction means they won’t retain moisture, which is perfect for turnout in wet weather or working in soggy conditions. Buy them at www.thinlineglobal.com.

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LAST RUN OF THE DAY Photograph by Tammie J. Monaco

In the Corn GREEN SPRING VALLEY HOUNDS members Jay Griswold, Sarah Griswold Johnson (Jay’s daughter) and Betsy Harrison, hacking home from Duck Martin’s Snow Hill Farm, in Glyndon, Maryland. The farm is also home to the Maryland Hunt Cup.—Tammie J. Monaco

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a photo, story or essay to share with Covertside? Send high-resolution, 300 dpi photographs or essays to editor@covertside.net, or snail mail to Covertside, 2329 Lakeview Rd. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105 40 | COVERTSIDE

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Peter Pejacsevich Scott Buzzelli

540-270-3835 540-454-1399

MT. PLEASANT | STRASBURG

RUNNYMEDE FARM | ROUND HILL

MILLVILLE RD | MIDDLEBURG

C. 1812. Federal manor home of brick crafted on-site. Original heart pine floors, magnificent staircase & beautiful millwork. 5 BR, 5 BA, 8 FP. High ceilings, great flow for entertaining. 107 Ac. Country kitchen, tenant house, bank barn, spring house. Weekend retreat, year around residence, or B&B. 1+ hr to DC. On National Register. $1,200,000

C. 1777 is totally updated for today's lifestyle. Spacious stone manor house sits on 20 beautiful acres. 4 BR, 2 FB, 3 HB. Interior stone walls, terrace. Gourmet kitchen, separate dining room with FP, tavern room with built-in wetbar, walk out to huge terrace with spa overlooking fields. Old springhouse, small barn. Entire property fenced. Very commutable, yet feels a world away. $1,170,000

LOCATION! Lovely 4BR/3.5BA home with spacious rooms on 18+ acres just minutes from Middleburg. Two-stall barn/tack with four stone/board-fenced paddocks, terrific rideout. Middleburg Hunt. Enhanced by high-speed Internet, whole house generator, extensive Invisible fencing. Mountain views, soaring magnolias, $995,000 wonderful gardens. Walter Woodson 703-499-4961 Alex Woodson 703-608-1776

Carole Ta ylor

703-577-4680

Carole Taylor

703-577-4680

HEREFORD CT | HUME

WINDWOOD LN | PARIS

QUAIL LN | MIDDLEBURG

Stunning custom colonial on 10 rolling acres with lush paddocks & manicured lawns in an idyllic setting. Gracious 4BR/4BA home with high ceilings, wood floors, 2 FP, gourmet country kitchen & 6000 sq ft of living space on 3 levels. Six stall stable & board fenced paddocks included & easy commuter access to I-66. $920,000

Fantastic Custom 4 level Grand Victorian with 4 BR/3.5 BA on a peaceful 29-acre lot! The main floor features an open concept kitchen, dining, and living area with FP and huge windows. A suite of rooms with its own entrance provides office space or can be repurposed as a main floor master. Room to expand upper 2 and basement. Seller not responsible for roll-back taxes. $817,000

Incredible property with rolling hills and views. 3 stall barn and board fencing, perfect for horses or other animals. Great home for entertaining with spacious recreation room with stone FP, Florida room & indoor pool featuring hot tub and waterfall wall. Multi textured terraced patios. 4 car garage +2 car carport. Great ride out! $695,000

Peter Pejacsevich Scott Buzzelli

540-270-3835 540-454-1399

Mary Roth

540-535-6854

Marcy Cantatore

540-533-7453

115 NORTH 21ST STREET PURCELLVILLE, VA | 10 E WASHINGTON STREET MIDDLEBURG, VA | 1 S KING ST LEESBURG, VA