Covertside Fall 2018

RIDING WITH GEORGE • SAFETY FIRST • NEW KENNELS, NEW ERA

THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING

FALL 2018 • $5.00

sJ o h n C o l e s 2 018 s

“A Virginia Horseman Specializing in Virginia Horse Properties” cLereMoNT fArM

The historic 1511 Acre Estate and Cattle Farm offers hardwood forest on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 33 verdant pastures and the largest flatland timber stand in Loudoun County. It has abundant natural water resources. Residences include 2 manor houses, the original patent house and 3 tenant houses. $19,750,000

oAkeNDALe

The epitome of an exquisite Virginia hunt country estate in prime Orange County Hunt territory. From the William Lawrence Bottomley designed Manor house to the meticulously manicured gardens, grounds, dependencies and the hundreds of acres of surrounding pastures with protected view-sheds.

333 acres @ $8,990,000 or 837 acres @ $17,990,000

rALLywooD

oATLAND ViewS

ALDIE – OATLAND VIEWS off of Oatlands Road - 271 ACRES divided into 11 Parcels ranging in size from 13 – 41 Acres with private road frontage on Clear Creek Lane. 10 of the 11 parcels have wells and Certification Letters for 4 Bedroom septics. Land protected by Loudoun County Open Space Easement. $5,500,000.00

greeN gArDeN

wAVerLy fArM r de

t

ac

ntr

Co

r de

Un

Un

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 $4,400,000 houses and large heated equipment barn.

a

ntr

Co

ct

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. $3,200,000

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. $2,950,000

DeSTiNAire fArM

MiDDLeburg LAND

creek riDge

Impeccably maintained, this exquisite 118 acre horse farm has 10 fields and paddocks of 4 board fencing, gently rolling land & panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mtns. In addition to the stucco and stone main residence, there are guest and tenant homes, numerous barns and run-ins to house 25 horses comfortably, an indoor dressage ring, outdoor arena and pond. $2,450,000

145+ acres of land in sought after location on Mountville Road near Foxcroft School. Several home sites with wonderful views and vistas yet extremely private, half wooded and half pasture with over 2,000’ of Goose Creek frontage. Minutes from Middleburg with easy access to Dulles International Airport and Washington DC. Middleburg Hunt Territory. $2,465,250

Exquisite custom home designed for indoor and outdoor living and entertaining on 23 private acres minutes from Middleburg. Grand rooms with 12’ ceilings and beautiful moldings, elegant main level master suite with fireplace and French doors to terrace. Nearly ¼ mile of frontage on Goose Creek.

Charming Guest Cottage. $2,249,000

LAND

SToNeHAVeN

riDgeView

BLACK ROCK - Great elevation, fantastic views, open land, woodlands and river frontage on the Rappahannock. 726.66 acres in 14 parcels, all 50 acres or larger. Accessed from Hume Road & Black Rock Ford. Mixed game for hunting.

Great opportunity for tax credits. $2,979,300

A tranquil retreat nestled on 158+ acres in pristine Rappahannock County. At the end of the private drive is the historic Stone residence, c. 1745 with additional stone cottage for guests or office and tucked into the woods, beyond the home, is a charming and beautifully restored 2 bedroom log cabin. Gardens, lawn, barns, paddocks and tremendous ride out. $1,845,000

FRED WARREN LANE - 137.74 acres with frontage on Little River, Open Space Easement, rolling fields with mature hardwood forest, Orange County Hunt Territory, great ride out, very private, within 5 miles of the village of Middleburg. 3600 view. $2,534,500 BEARS DEN - Enjoy the pastoral views from this prime 151.61 Acre Hunt Country Property. 3 parcels of open land, pond, stream & woods. Desirable Leeds Manor Rd. $1,060,000

The lovely 22.8 Acre Ridgeview Farm offers a private, 4 bedroom residence sited on a knoll, with spacious rooms and views into the trees that border Little River. Located in prime Orange County Hunt territory the horse facilities include a 6 stall barn with tack room and wash stall, machine shed, run in shed and 4 beautiful board fenced paddocks, fields and round pen. VOF Easement. $1,095,000

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 2018 • VOLUME 9, NUMBER 3

Features 12 THE HILTON OF HOUNDS

BY SUSAN HOFFMAN

A peek at the process of building Andrews Bridge’s new kennel.

16 IN PRAISE OF ST. HUBERT

BY OCTAVIA POLLOCK

Our UK correspondent visits three Blessings of the Hounds.

20 RIDING WITH GEORGE

Page 12

Andrews Bridge built a new kennel.

BY PHILIP SMUCKER

This excerpt from “Riding with George: Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America’s First President” explores the founding father’s affinity for the hunt.

IN EACH ISSUE: From the Executive Director p.2 From the Publisher p.4 MFHA News p.6 Last Run of the Day p.32

8

24

OF HISTORY AND HOUNDS Biennial Seminar recap WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN What to do when injuries happen.

28

30

HOUND PROFILE

Aiken Hounds’ Euro, performance trial champ

ON OUR COVER: Goldens’ Bridge hounds leaping a stone wall.

ASK THE HUNTSMAN Brian Quinn, huntsman and Master at Smithtown Hunt, reflects on Long Island hunting over the decades.

Photo by HELEN H. HOUGHTON

FALL 2018 | 1

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Crowning Glory

W

2 | COVERTSIDE

www.mfha.com

OFFICERS Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • President Leslie Crosby, MFH • First Vice-President Penny Denegre, MFH • Second Vice-President Bill Haggard, MFH • Secretary-Treasurer David Twiggs • Executive Director

MFHA FOUNDATION Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • President PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646 (540) 955-5680

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

COVERTSIDE EDITORIAL BOARD

LIZ CALLAR

e have had a tremendous summer within MFHA. Foxhunters from all over North America gathered for the Biennial Seminar at Mt. Vernon to discuss current issues of foxhunting today, all while reveling in tradition and the history of Mt. Vernon and George Washington’s love of hounds! We are moving along on the headquarters’ renovation in Middleburg, and as we move into our last phase of fundraising, we ask those of you who have not yet participated to join in building this legacy to hunting’s future.

As we move closer to the start of another hunting season, we are anticipating great opportunities for coming together as a sport. The Hark Forward Tour and headquarters fundraising efforts will culminate in the North American Grand Championship Performance Trial. Hosted

by Midland Fox Hounds, this historic event will be held on the site of the first Hardaway Performance Trial in Fitzpatrick, Alabama. This Grand Championship invitational pits the top six hounds from each of the 12 Hark Forward performance trials of last season against each other.

The premier field will be very limited so inquire now.

In our educational efforts, we held a very well received hound conformation seminar prior to the Virginia Foxhound Show and a great Masters’ Seminar in the Canada District. Our plans are to do more MFHA gatherings and seminars throughout the districts and we are receiving many ideas and offers from hunts to host these events.

I have had the opportunity to visit many kennels over the summer season.

MASTERS OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

Leslie Crosby, MFH Penny Denegre, MFH Emily Esterson, Editor-in-Chief Patrick A. Leahy, MFH David Twiggs, Executive Director

DIRECTORS

I appreciate the welcome from each and have enjoyed the discussions about what each is doing to improve the performance and breeding of its pack. I hope to visit all our member kennels over time and I appreciate all the invitations received. It is very exciting to feel the energy and commitment of all the hunts I am privileged to visit. It is our people who make the MFHA a strong voice for our sport. As always, we appreciate your membership.

Good hunting,

W. David Twiggs Executive Director and Keeper of the Stud Book, MFHA

Canada • Charlotte McDonald, MFH Carolinas • Fred Berry, MFH Central • Arlene Taylor, MFH Great Plains • Dr. Luke Matranga, MFH Maryland-Delaware • John McFadden, MFH Midsouth • Eleanor Parkes, MFH Midwest • Keith Gray, MFH New England • Dr. Terence Hook, MFH New York-New Jersey • David Feureisen, 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 • Mrs. Coleman P. Perrin, MFH Western • Susan Denny Gentry, MFH At Large • Dr. John R. van Nagell, 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

Enjoy the view We’ll protect you #Safety365

#Safety365 isn’t just about wearing your helmet or body protector every day, every ride. It’s about being prepared so you can enjoy your ride from start to finish.

Charles Owen is committed to making every day safer for equestrians.

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN PROTECTIVE HEADWEAR MANUFACTURERS WREXHAM

Kitemarked to PAS015:2011

Kitemarked to VG1 01.040 2014-12

VG1 01.040 2014-12

Certified by SEI to ASTM F1163-15

M38 FEB2015

www.equestriansafety365.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER

FALL 2018

A Safe New Season

I ROBERT KORNACKI

T’S NOT EVEN AUGUST as I write this, and in some parts of the country it feels too hot to think about hunting. Nonetheless, we’re all getting ready: conditioning, checking the condition of our kits, and exercising the hounds more rigorously.

This issue includes the serious topic of accident preparedness: It’s something we don’t address often enough in Covertside, because it’s a difficult topic to write about for a number of reasons. Foremost, every

step by taking a first aid course. And by all means, make sure you and your horse are as fit and ready for the season as possible. The article on page 24, written by two Masters who have considered accident and safety protocols for their hunts, just scratched the surface of a very broad topic.

Use the information as guidelines — a place to begin making your hunting experience safer.

On to other topics! I had three people tell me about Philip Smucker’s Riding with George (see the excerpt page 20) long before I knew Smucker would be speaking at the Biennial Seminar (see page 8). Smucker, a journalist with a venerable resume, spent a lot of time with Dennis Foster, and is a Fellow at Mt. Vernon. His deeply researched book is readable and fascinating.

And, this issue, we’re starting a new column: A hound profile. See Martha Drum’s piece on Aiken Hounds’ Euro (page 28). Each issue we’ll feature an extraordinary hound.

Send your suggestions to me at editor@ covertside.net. We’ll also feature a great horse story. So if you have one, send that along, too.

As always, comments, suggestions, stories and photographs are always welcome.

Kick on! hunt has different territory and different considerations, and even different protocols. At the start of this season, we feel it’s important to be prepared: take a small step of adding your ICE (in case of emergency) info to your cell phone. Take another small

4 | COVERTSIDE

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

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley M. Biggers ashley.biggers@gmail.com STAFF WRITER/ ECOVERTSIDE.NET EDITOR MARTHA DRUM martha@mfha.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MARY EWING, MFH KEITH GRAY, MFH SUSAN HOFFMAN

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SALES MANAGER CHERYL MICROUTSICOS sales@covertside.net 434-664-7057 PENNSYLVANIA/MID-ATLANTIC KATHY DRESS kdress@ptd.net NORTHEAST TOM KIRLIN Tkirlin@covertside.net

Emily Esterson Editor-in-Chief/Publisher

Covertside is the official publication of the Masters of Foxhounds Association 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

SUPERIOR riding apparel that lasts

a lifetime

OutbackTrading.com

MFHA NEWS

4 NEWLY ELECTED MASTERS

4 SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR

We are delighted to announce

OUR HUNTING HABITAT

for this award have been held

history of Limestone Creek

the following new Masters,

for future consideration: Arapa-

Hunt. Established in 1939 and

elected at the May board

CONSERVATION AWARD The deadline for nominations is

hoe Hunt, Deep Run Hunt, Gos-

recognized in 1954, the hunt

meeting: Bonnie Barr-Briggs,

approaching! The award recog-

hen Hounds, Long Run Hounds

will celebrate its 80th season

Old Dominion Hounds (VA);

nizes those foxhunting clubs,

and Midland Fox Hounds,

in 2018. Their informal season

Timothy Colgan, Old Dominion

individuals and organizations

Middleton Place Hounds,

begins in July, and formal sea-

Hounds (VA); Wendy Collins-

that have made significant and

Woodbrook Hunt, Kimberton

son opens in September with a

Gutfarb, Aiken Hounds (CAR);

enduring contributions toward

Hunt and Myopia Hunt. Santa

parade of hounds down Albany

Brian Daniels, Sewickley Hunt

the preservation of rural coun-

Ynez Valley was the winner of

Street in Cazenovia, New York.

(PA); Edwin Fry, Wicomico

tryside and its flora and fauna.

the 2018 Award. If any of these

Several previous nominees

Hunt (MD/DE); Laura Hillary,

Nominee data must be

Ottawa Valley (CAN); George

provided to the MFHA Con-

accomplishments since sending

4 STAFF CHANGES ROLLING ROCK, Huntsman

Massie, Old Dominion Hounds

servation Committee, care of

your application, please send

Hired Sam Clifton

(VA); Dr. Amber Morgan,

the MFHA Office, PO Box 363,

details to the MFHA office at

Beaver Meadow Foxhounds

Millwood, Virginia, 22646, or

office@mfha.com.

(CAN); Stephanie Phillips,

office@mfha.com no later than

Rocky Fork Headley Hunt

Friday, September 28, 2018.

vation Committee Chair Daph-

(CE); Grace Stelling, Middleton

Visit the MFHA website (mfha.

ne Wood, dfwmfh@gmail.com,

LOUDOUN FAIRFAX HUNT,

Place Hounds (CAR); Sandy

com), click on Conservation

or Billie-Jo Pearl at the MFHA

Huntsman

Studer, North Country Hounds

then Hunting Habitat Conser-

office, office@mfha.com.

Hired Neil Amatt

(NE); and Sarah Wildasin,

vation Award for all the details.

Aiken Hounds (CAR).

hunts have made significant

the United States and the local

Direct questions to Conser-

LOWCOUNTRY, Huntsman Hired Tony Gammell

4 LIMESTONE CREEK

PRINCESS ANNE, Huntsman

CELEBRATES 80TH SEASON The Limestone Creek Hunt in

Hired Martyn Blackmore

New York brought five couple

CHAGRIN VALLEY, Huntsman

of hounds to the Cazenovia

Hired Colin Brown

Summer Kick Off show in June and delighted the spectators

EGLINGTON, Huntsman

with a demonstration of hound

Hired Mark McManus

work in the grass ring. Huntsman Kathryn Butler and whip-

MR. STEWART’S CHESHIRE,

pers-in Bill Day, Carly Hazer

Huntsman

and Evie Smith put the hounds

Ivan Downing Returning

through their paces while joint Master Barbara Lindberg spoke

GREEN CREEK, Huntsman

briefly on hunting to hounds in

Hired David Railey

The Limestone Creek Hunt marks its 80th season in 2018.

For all your Hunt Attire

Finest British made Stocks and Hunt Shirts

6 | COVERTSIDE

COURTESY LISA CAMERON-NORFLEET

www.huntingstockmarket.co.uk

OF HISTORY AND HOUNDS

Saturday featured a panel

Foxhounds return to Mount Vernon for Biennial Seminar.

of acres to Moingona Hunt in

discussion titled “Opening

Kansas and Iowa, advised the

New Territory — Making the

audience to “be respectful,

Most of a Finite Resource,”

be polite, be visible — and do

moderated by Ginny Per-

your homework,” with regard

rin, MFH Deep Run Hunt

to cultivating landowners.

(Virginia). A common prior-

David Moyes, ex-MFH Loudoun

ity among panelists was the

Fairfax Hunt (Virginia) and an

THE 2018 BIENNIAL SEMINAR

National Historic Landmark

importance of being selective

attorney specializing in land

at Mount Vernon and Alexandria,

(including a relatable anecdote

about properties to pursue,

use, explained the need for

Virginia, June 22–24, connected

about Washington’s hound,

thereby increasing the hunt’s

perpetual open space ease-

MFHA members with history,

Vulcan, stealing a ham from the

visibility and community value.

ments, vigilantly monitoring

hounds and one another.

kitchen table just before an el-

Panelist Sean Cully, MFH Rose

when hunt properties become

Friday evening featured

egant dinner). Keynote speaker

Tree-Blue Mountain Hunt,

available for purchase and en-

private mansion tours and a

Philip Smucker, author of “Rid-

delineated his system for

couraging hunt supporters to

cocktail party, with welcoming

ing with George: Sportsmanship

identifying prospective terri-

buy land in the terrritory.

remarks from seminar organizer

and Chivalry and the Making of

tory, approaching landowners,

Penny Denegre, MFH Middle-

America’s First President” (see

discussing hunt permissions

afternoon live seminar, “Differ-

burg Hunt. Douglas Bradburn,

page 20), discussed foxhunt-

and maintaining landowner

ent Hound Breeds and Their

Ph.D., president and CEO of

ing’s influence over George

relations. Ken George, now at

Conformation: Which Breed

Mount Vernon, spoke about

Washington and his early lead-

Midland but previously respon-

is Best for You?” with mod-

preservation of the 500-acre

ership style, among other topics.

sible for opening thousands

erator Marty Wood, MFH Live

18 P a r k -L i k e a c r e s

with

A highlight was the Saturday

U n Pa r a L L e L e d V i e w s 5789 Free Union road • Free Union, Va $1,395,000 • MLS# 575964

An ideal contemporary on 17.6 park-like acres with unparalleled views in the heart of Free Union and Farmington Hunt Country. Nestled at the base of Buck Mountain, this small horse farm comes with spectacular vineyard and mountain views. Enjoy fabulous one-level living with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Property includes 5-6 paddocks, an updated 8 stall barn, Geothermal HVAC, whole house/barn generator and walking and riding trails surrounding the property.

Liz Raney REALTOR®

cell:

(434) 242-3889 liz@loringwoodriff.com To view videos of the hound conformation seminar, please click on the “Videos” tab at our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ MastersofFoxhounds

W W W. L O R I N G WO O D R I F F. C O M 8 | COVERTSIDE

The 2018 Foxhunting Collection is Available at these Fine Retailers

FoxHuntingHorse.com

Tried and True Fox Hunting Horses Marketing Site Ethical Ads

Experience Verified • All Types of Country For Sale ~ Wanted Rosemarie Merle-Smith, Proprietor

Huntsville Horse Sport • Huntsville, AL The Equestrian Connection • Rogers, AR Big Horse Feed • Temecula, CA Stanbridge Master Saddlers • St. Charles, IL Barrington Saddlery • Barrington, IL CM Tack • Shawnee, KS Tricolor Tack • Bucyrus, KS Maryland Saddlery • Butler, MD Cabin Branch Tack Shop • Southern Pines, NC Waxhaw Tack Exchange • Waxhaw, NC Manhattan Saddlery • New York, NY Carousel Horse Tack • Cabot, PA Shady Acres Saddlery • Pittsburgh, PA Oak Manor Saddlery • Aiken, SC The Tack Room • Camden, SC The Farm House, Inc. • Landrum, SC DreamShine Tack • Crozier, VA The Tack Box, Inc. • Middleburg, VA The Saddlery, Inc. • Great Falls, VA Tri-County Feeds • Marshall, VA Horse Country Saddlery • Warrenton, VA Horse N Hound • Flint Hill, VA Saddlery Liquidators • Madison, VA State Line Tack • Online

•

www.rjclassics.com

©2018 R.J. Classics. All Rights Reserved.

FALL 2018 | 9

MIDDLEBURG PHOTO

Huntsman and Masters during the hound conformation clinic.

County (Virginia).

cry is unbelievable.” Cameron

He pointed to

Sadler, MFH Moore County

hound show

Hounds (North Carolina), noted,

champion Kermit

“What really sold me on the

as an example of

Penn-Marydel was their ability

the balance and

to go with very low-scenting

size desired. Tony

situations,” she explained.

Leahy, MFH Fox

Other seminars included

River Valley and

“Retooling the Thoroughbred

MFHA presi-

Racehorse — Using the Almost

dent, examined

Unlimited Source of Prospec-

Elkridge-Harford’s

tive Foxhunters,” and “Mas-

(Maryland) Cross-

ters’ Responsibilities: The Buck

breds: “There’s

Stops Here,” in which panelists

Oak. Each of four Masters, plus

he explained. “If you’ve got

another very important part

noted that effective Masters

Wood, performed a conforma-

very level conformation inside

of the Crossbred as a breed,

are present in kennels, in the

tion and temperament analysis

the pack of hounds, which is

and that is developing a hound

field, and at hunt and local

of hounds from a pack other

what you breed for, it will allow

that’s sustainable geneti-

social events.

than their own. Wood analyzed

that pack of hounds to run up

cally, Crossbred to Crossbred.”

Thanks to presenters, to

Blue Ridge Hunt’s (Virginia)

together. That allows the pack

Daphne Wood highlighted the

Penny Denegre and her fellow

English hounds. “Good confor-

to put pressure with a capital

important angles of shoulder

organizers, Philip Smucker, and

mation will allow a foxhound

‘p’ on the quarry.” Irvin L. Craw-

and hip, as well as the voice, in

the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Asso-

to go farther, faster, with less

ford, II, MFH Potomac Hunt

the Penn-Marydel from Marl-

ciation for their help in creating

stress, than bad conformation,”

(Maryland) evaluated Orange

borough Hunt (Maryland).“The

this fantastic event.

fIoRE fARMs is For Sale Premiere Gated Equestrian facility, 92 Ac.

Turnkey operation, Commercial, ADA compliant, 150' x 250' lighted arena, bleachers, 60' covered lighted round pen, two barns, 2 wash stalls H/C water, tack rooms, lounge, 3 bathrooms, H/AC, feed room, hay room, shaving room, wrap-around porch.

Multiple pastures for rotation, 10 run-in sheds (5 w/hay lofts), two wells, pond, creek, gorgeous trails & hay fields. Horse capacity: 30-45. Plenty of room for additions. Renovated farmhouse with independent entry. Extra 25 acres of wooded lots available.

Central to Pinehurst, Tryon & WEG. 3 miles to Interstate 73 exit.

All-inclusive with farm equipment: $4.75 M

www.fiorefarms.com

FIORE FARMS, LLC. • GREEnsboRo/suMMERfIElD, nC - usA

Lori Greene • (502) 888-7855 • bestroad2horse@gmail.com

10 | COVERTSIDE

In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery

Fea tu ring Fine Spor ting Ar t, Ame r i can Pai nti ng s and S culp ture KEENEL AND RACE COURSE | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

Andre Pater (Polish/American, born 1953) | MEAL TIME (HUNGRY HOUND), Pastel, 24” x 30” | Est: $25 – 35,000 Exhibited: Andre Pater: In a Sporting Light, National Sporting Library & Museum, Middleburg, Virginia. April-August 2017

For more information visit: www.thesportingartauction.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 The Sporting Art Auction 4201 Versailles Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40510 Phone: 859 233-3856 | info@thesportingartauction.com

Andrews Bridge opened its new kennel in May. The Masters conducted a lot of research, incorporating best practices in the design.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS • 2,400+-square-foot interior

• 250-square-foot feed room

• Timber frame structure

• 8-foot main aisle

• Concrete block walls

• Four, 14-by-16-foot interior hound lodges

• Fire, sound and temperature insulation in walls and roof • Wood-pegged beams • Two vented cupolas that can be opened and closed

• Epoxy- and grit-coated floors in lodges • Water hydrant in each lodge • Spacious exterior hound runs

• Interior bead board wood ceiling

• Custom, aluminum, powdercoated windows and doors

• Office with attached infirmary/whelping area

• Hand-welded, galvanized steel fencing in runs

• Utility room

• Handicap accessible

• Multi air fan system

• Internal and external drains

• Radiant heated concrete floors

• Septic system with drain field

12 | COVERTSIDE

ANDREWS BRIDGE BUILDS A NEW KENNEL, WITH ALL THE AMENITIES.

The Hilton of Hounds

BY SUSAN HOFFMAN

PHOTOS BY STEVEN J. BERKOWITZ, VMD

A

NDREWS BRIDGE SIRI, A PENN-MARYDEL FOXHOUND, gazes out at the blooming maple tree across her new home’s yard. She smells the fresh air circulating through facility, aided by an abundance of windows, industrial-grade fans and vented cupolas. Later in hunt season, when those maple leaves turn brown and cool winds hint at winter, she’ll be just as comfy, thanks to the radiant heat located throughout the interior and exterior concrete floors. This highly functional yet decidedly attractive “Hound Hilton” even has insulation in the walls and roof for temperature, sound and fire control. If you ask Siri, there’s probably not a more well-designed foxhound kennel in North America.

A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING

As Andrews Bridge Foxhounds, members, friends and neighbors assembled at the Harris Farm, in Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, on Opening Day in November 2017, they

14 | COVERTSIDE

had much to celebrate. It was the beginning of the club’s 100th season and the groundbreaking for its new kennel. That autumn, the bulldozed terrain only held the promise of what the new, state-of-the-art facility would be. Construction continued through the fall and winter (as much as weather conditions would allow), and the kennel was move-in ready in spring 2018; the club’s pack of Penn-Marydel foxhounds settled into their innovative home in May. “Building is really a key word here,” says Betsy Harris, Andrews Bridge Foxhounds Joint MFH. “We have spent the past ten years carefully rebuilding the pack. Over the past few years we’ve also been continually building relationships with landowners, especially our Amish neighbors on whose lands we regularly hunt. We’ve also made huge strides in improving our existing fixtures with new paneling and gates as well as reopening fixtures we haven’t hunted in quite some time. The new kennel is just the latest example of all the ‘building’ we’ve done. In return, we are grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received from our community.”

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Kennel construction relied on the talents of many local businesses and services. And while using locally sourced labor is not unusual, what made this building project unique is the tremendous amount of community involvement at every stage of the project. Harris explains, “Amish neighbors would often just stop by and start to pitch in with the hired work crews, almost like an Amish barn raising! Even teenage kids from neighboring Amish farms would sometimes come over after school and volunteer to help out.” She laughs about the time an Amishman came to the property and decided to help but first had to secure his buggy and horse. “He unhitched his horse and turned him out in our horse field with the animal’s harness collar and traces still on him. Our ‘English’ horses must have thought ‘who and what in the world is in our pasture?!’”

Other community contributors included architect Townsend Moore of Tick Hill Studio, right down the road from the Harris Farm. He worked closely with Harris on layout after layout. They also consulted the

larger foxhunting community for design inspiration. Harris visited with Middleburg Hunt and Piedmont Fox Hounds to discuss what worked, what did not, and what they wish they would have done and did not.

Both clubs mentioned the issue of ease of cleaning. So, the new Andrews Bridge kennel incorporates thick, easy-to-hose-down epoxy surfaces on all walls and floors. The flooring is also covered with industrial grit for slip prevention, much like the floors in commercial kitchens. Another idea contributed by other hunts was having an external overhang over the exercise areas. The overhangs not only provide a bit of shade in the full sun, they keep the entryways free from precipitation, providing an extra element of both comfort and safety for humans and hounds in nasty weather.

AESTHETICS AND EFFICIENCY

Harris says she took great pains to make sure everything in the kennel looks aesthetically pleasing, while being as functional and utilitarian as possible. The overall exterior design parallels that of the recently renovated hunt horse barn located nearby. Both buildings have the same general look, from the roof angles and materials to the exterior board-and-batten wood siding.

The dramatic kennel interior features attractive architectural details throughout, including: a bead board pine ceiling throughout; a vaulted, multi-angle cathedral overhead area in the central feed room that’s fascinating to look at; heavy-duty, peg-fit, rough-hewn timber framing; and bright, eco-friendly industrial lights.

The windows are all custom made.

Harris says they tested several prototypes to ensure the windows were functional and heavy-duty. “We went with tempered glass and frames that fold and lock to wall.

They’re located high enough so the hounds can’t jump out but still provide a lot of light and a lot of air.” Two, copper-topped, working cupolas with movable louvers and trap doors help with circulation; they allow hot air to escape in summer, and conversely, keep warm air contained in the winter. Huge ceiling fans over each of the four hound lodges, plus the industrial agricultural wall fan, also circulate air in the building. The kennel’s physical location also contributes to its energy efficiency.

Built into the hillside like a bank barn, the

surrounding earth provides the natural insulation benefits of coolness in summer and warmth in winter.

Harris says she’s particularly proud of the lighting system. “The LED lights in the aisle are really neat. They have adjustable dimmers and prism shades to maximize brightness and efficiency. In other places we selected different lighting, like the industrial sconces for the feed room and the pendant lights in the office, which also contains an infirmary and a whelping area. The exterior is well-lit with lanterns that run length of the building under the overhang. We didn’t go with one-size-fits-all lighting. Everything has a reason for being.”

FUTURE PLANS

Even though the kennel is relatively complete, Harris considers this phase one. Phase two includes additional landscaping and possibly a rainwater runoff garden. She nicknames this project “Andrews Bridge 101,” explaining, “We built this in our 100th year and it will be home to our hounds for our 101st season and years to come.”

Anyone is welcome to visit the new kennel and hunt with the club. There is room in the adjacent stable to board guest horses.

Hunt horses can be rented, too.

Susan Hoffman is a retired copywriter who now substitute-teaches in the Chester County, Pennsylvania, school system. She hunts with Andrews Bridge Foxhounds in Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, and occasionally contributes feature stories to Covertside.

RADIANT-HEATED FLOORING Andrews Bridge chose a heating system in wide use through Amish commercial buildings. In winter, when heat-conservation is the goal, the radiant-heated concrete floors generate heat where it’s needed most — at hound level. The adjustable thermostat setting allows staff to keep the hounds comfortable but not overheated. The exterior radiant-heated concrete runs prevent dangerous ice from building up and help prevent snow accumulation. That’s not only safer for humans and hounds, it’s a tremendous work-saver for staff who would otherwise need to shovel out the runs.

Ease of cleaning and hound comfort were two important elements of the construction. Far left, the kennel has thick, easy-to-hose-down epoxy/grit surfaces on all floors. Lodges include windows high enough so hounds can’t jump out. Comfort and aesthetics for humans were also considered in the design.

FALL 2018 | 15

The son of the Duke of Aquitaine, Hubert sought solace after the death of his wife by hunting day after day in the forests of northeast France. Neglecting church on Good Friday, he was pursuing a magnificent stag when the stag turned and faced him, a crucifix appearing between the stag’s antlers.

The stag told the astounded hunter: “Unless thou turnest to the Lord and leadest an holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into Hell.” Hubert obeyed, taking instruction from Bishop Lambert of Maastricht and devoting his life to the poor and pagan. He became known as the “Apostle of the Ardennes.” More than a thousand years later, he is remembered in blessings around the world.

Leading 17th century Flemish painters Jan Brueghel the Elder and collaborator Peter Paul Rubens capture St. Hubert’s momentous meeting with a stag in The Vision of St. Hubert. Source: Wikimedia Commons

16 | COVERTSIDE

IN PRAISE OF ST HUBERT Opening meets offer reverence and reflection.

BY OCTAVIA POLLOCK

Last autumn, our UK correspondent visited three Blessing of the Hounds ceremonies, in three very different places: a Jacobean palace in the heart of England, the high Californian desert and a South Carolina forest.

This is as disparate a trio of places as one could imagine, but they are united in one thing: honoring hounds in the grand tradition of St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters.

FALL 2018 | 17

OCTAVIA POLLOCK

Father Lambert begins the Blessing at Apethorpe.

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

Fittingly, Father Stephen Lambert, former chairman of the British MFHA, led the Mass for St. Hubert at Apethorpe Palace, Northamptonshire, last year at opening meet. The low, melodious notes of an 18th-century fanfare played on eight French horns punctuated the service. Fr. Lambert paid tribute to the wild animals of the world and acknowledged man’s role in their preservation, not least through hunting: “Give us a due sense of thanksgiving for all the wonders of nature, and endue us with the wisdom to manage and conserve wildlife in accordance with your will.”

The Elizabethan chapel was the ideal setting for the Mass, since the history of Apethorpe is bound up with the chase. The easternmost of three courtyards, which display English architecture’s progress from Tudor to Edwardian, is crowned by a rooftop walkway from which King James I would watch stag hunting when he became too infirm to ride. The palace’s current owner is a man after the king’s own heart: Baron von Pfetten, MFH, who hunts roe deer with his Equipage de Selore in the forests of Burgundy, France. His pack mixes French and English hounds, drafts from the Duke of Beaufort and Brocklesby working seamlessly with historic blanc-et-noir hounds. The Baron and his wife, Nadia, an architect, intend to turn this once-neglected palace into an international center for hunting and had brought 3½ couple to be blessed before taking them on an historic progress, the first time in 400 years that a pack from the continent had hunted in England (see Spring 2018 issue of Covertside). With huntsmen John Holliday of the Belvoir, Oliver Dale, MFH of the Ludlow, and Gareth Bow of the Brocklesby, the hounds mixed superbly, proving themselves worthy of the blessing.

18 | COVERTSIDE

All Blessings share similar rites, including this one in southern California.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

A month later, I attended an altogether more modern affair when the Santa Fe West Hills Hunt met at the Garner Ranch amid the San Jacinto Mountains of California. Dust rose under horses’ hooves as the sun beat down from a cloudless sky, a far cry from the grey skies and lush green grass of England. It was the opening meet of the pack, and the early morning mist was a distant memory by the time hunters donned formal attire. Terry Paine, MFH, who hunts this attractive pack of English and Crossbred hounds, gathered followers promptly for the blessing at 9:45 a.m., paying tribute to the hosts, the Garner family. Deacon Dennis Malkowski of St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church in Temecula, California, drew on St. Francis of Assisi’s Blessing of the Animals: “The animals of God’s creation inhabited the sky, the earth, and the sea; They share in the fortunes of human existence and have a part in all our human life.”

He prayed that “we be always under the protection and intercession of St. Hubert,” sprinkling the hounds with holy water that swiftly evaporated in the sun.

Despite St. Hubert’s and Paine’s best efforts, it proved too hot and dry for the hounds’ noses to perform with their usual efficiency, so after a couple of hours’ gallop around the sagebrush, the hunters removed to the long tables groaning with pulled pork, Deviled eggs and salads galore. A breeze from the surrounding mountains brought welcome relief, and the contributions of the generous members ensured it was an opening to remember.

A POIGNANT AIKEN MOMENT

Leaves rustled underfoot and cool winter sunlight slanted through the trees when the Aiken Hounds hacked through Aiken, South Carolina’s Hitchcock Woods to its Thanksgiving Day Blessing at Memorial Gate. It was

OCTAVIA POLLOCK

OCTAVIA POLLOCK

Deacon Jane Hostetter and Father Joseph Whitehurst bless the Aiken Hounds.

“Keep forever safe the souls of those who have galloped these forgiving trails in the past, in the present, and in the years to come.” the 104th time hounds and horses had met in the clearing below the longleaf pines.

Hundreds of followers, fortified by bloodies and bagels before the pillared portico of the Aiken County Historical Museum, thronged the glade’s slopes. Together with several dozen riders, they eagerly greeted the hounds’ arrival with huntsman Katherine Gunter and bowed their heads as Rev. Joseph Whitehurst and Deacon Jane Hostetter from St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church read the service. This blessing is unique, written for the Aiken Hounds in 2003 by M. Warfield, and acknowledges the “infinite wisdom and prescience” of the Hitchcocks.

It was Louise and Thomas Hitchcock who began the hunt, and their children Thomas and Helen who set up the Hitchcock Foundation in 1939. Louise had been tragically killed out hunting in the Woods five years before, and the foundation has ensured her memory and beloved woods would live on.

Today, the public may access 2,100 acres with 70 miles of trails.

Writing of Louise has a special poignancy, because only 10 days after the

blessing in winter 2017, Joint Master Joey Peace was also killed out hunting. She was the first person I spoke to on Thanksgiving and could not have been more welcoming. I have no doubt that her spirit will live on. In the words of the blessing: “Keep forever safe the souls of those/Who have galloped these forgiving trails in the past/In the present, and in the years to come.”

The ever-present danger of foxhunting is part of the thrill and a swig from a hip flask all the sweeter after a challenging run, but the Blessing of the Hounds, wherever it takes place, is a chance to pause, reflect and give thanks to the myriad components, quarry included, that make for a successful day in the field.

A BLESSED EXTRA

Such is the hospitality of the South that, over a swig of Angry Badger (American honey and Fireball whisky) after an Aiken line, Juliette O’Donnell insisted I attend a fourth blessing the day following the Aiken Thanksgiving Blessing, with the Middleton

Place Hounds near Charleston, South Carolina. A couple of phone calls later, I was mounted on the well-named pinto Fancy behind Willie Dunne and his Crossbred hounds, some of which trace their bloodlines back to George Washington’s own pack. The blessing, given by Doug Farmer of the Circular Congregational Church, was held on the smooth sweeping lawns of Middleton Place, steps leading to an empty space where once the plantation house stood, lost to the Civil War. Afterward, we proceeded to enjoy a tremendous party with the odd gallop interspersed. It was a new experience to scamper over a row of logs and be greeted with a glass — not plastic — flute of Champagne from the hordes of tally-ho wagon followers. It may not have borne much resemblance to a long, muddy day in England or France, but fellowship and spirit of foxhunting are shared across the world in this most indelible tradition.

Octavia Pollock writes about hounds and hunting in the United Kingdom. She is a regular contributor to Covertside.

FALL 2018 | 19

excerpt

R IDING WITH GEORGE SPORTSMANSHIP & CHIVALRY IN THE MAKING OF AMERICA’S FIRST PRESIDENT

BY PHILIP SMUCKER

I

N 1747, BY GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MIDTEENS AND JUST BEFORE HIS FIRST WILDERNESS FORAY,

Lord Thomas Fairfax, an enthusiastic English sportsman, unloaded his foxhounds on Virginia soil. Though Fairfax was not the first to hunt foxes in Virginia, he took special care of his English foxhounds. He sent, via one Captain Cooling of the ship Elizabeth, “two dogs and a bitch” in advance of his own arrival on this occasion, his second visit to the colonies. Another British visitor to Virginia, Andrew Burnaby, was impressed with Fairfax’s demeanor. He observed that

20 | COVERTSIDE

Lord Fairfax was a polite man of “modest and unaffected” manners, whose “chief, if not sole amusement was hunting,” and that he also “carried his hounds to distant parts” of Virginia. Despite Burnaby’s sense that Fairfax was mainly in Virginia to chase wild animals, the Sixth Baron of Cameron also had pressing and massive financial interests and was keen to pursue them, whether on horseback, in a simple chariot, or in a fancy coach.

The sprightly, at times cranky, aristocrat did not have to try hard to impress colonists.

He was an accepted paragon of authority in Virginia by virtue of his control of the Northern Neck Proprietary, a Crown land grant bestowed on his mother’s relatives and inherited by him in 1719. Still, if you looked

at his portly and truncated stature, or his gawking brown eyes and long nose set above a double chin, it would have been hard to tell that Lord Fairfax was an accomplished horseman. (Fortunately, foxhunting is a bit like golf in that, although special skills are required, it is not prohibitive to have a strange physique.)

With no children of his own, the fiftyfour-year-old baron — who was the only British peer residing in America at this time — had already taken an interest in the upbringing of his own extended Virginia clan.

While visiting his lands in 1735, he helped ship his cousin’s eldest son, George William, off to England, with instructions that he be taken in by “the Cornet of Leeds Castle, there to be disposed of as thought proper,” for a

decent education. In this formal and deliberate way, Fairfax gave George’s future friend and surveying partner an introduction to a courtier’s life, with all the manners, mindfulness, and movements that implied.

In 1747, while at Belvoir with his cousin Colonel Fairfax, Lord Fairfax took a direct liking to the fatherless adolescent George, a frequent visitor who was also — from the collective viewpoint of the Fairfax family — in need of serious edification. He apparently saw in George the making of a young gentleman, and he weighed in with his support almost immediately. This included the idea of providing the young Virginian with pastimes that would assist in his growth as a suitable Englishman. In this way, George also became an obvious choice as a sporting companion. For a man who had misspent much of his youth hunting stag and drinking port at cricket matches, George presented a charming New World project.

PLUNGING AHEAD

The first hunts that George participated in took place in and around the Fairfax home

at Belvoir Manor and his brother Lawrence’s home at Mount Vernon. The foxhunting season — as it does even today — began in the autumn, a half dozen English foxhounds sniffing the fresh air, licking their snouts, and jumping up and down, excited for the thrill of a morning run through the fields and woods that stretched across hills and down through the small streams that run into the Potomac River.

Lord Fairfax, or Colonel Fairfax if he was present, led the hunt. Typical hunting gear in this day included a knee-length coat, often black or blue with embroidered cuffs, a vest inside, lengthy kid gloves, a tri-cornered hat, leather riding boots, and a requisite whip for some or a stag-horn riding crop for others.

Lord Fairfax, who would have performed as master of the hunt, was known to shun overly formal dress.

“He would have shouted, ‘Hounds, please!’ as the huntsman, the keeper of the hounds, unleashed the dogs,” Dennis Foster, former executive director of MFHA, explained to me. In an instant, the horses

THE EXCERPT IS FROM “Riding with George: Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America’s First President”

By Philip J. Smucker Published by Chicago Review Press Incorporated

PHILIP SMUCKER is a Fellow at the National

A map of General Washington’s farm at Mount Vernon.

Library for the COUTRESY THE AUTHOR

Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon and is related to George Washington as a fifth great-grandnephew through George’s favorite younger brother Jack, whose direct heirs lived and worked at Mount Vernon until it was sold in 1858 by John LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, GEOGRAPHY AND MAP DIVISION/99466780

A. Washington to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.

Philip is a seasoned reporter with over thirty years of experience abroad and on the front lines. He has worked and written for numerous publications including The Atlantic Monthly, McClatchy Newspapers, the International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, Asia Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Daily Telegraph, London.

His greatest loves are history, horses, and humans.

FALL 2018 | 21

Mount Vernon. Referring specifically to Lord Fairfax’s wishes a few years after George had begun his rides with the British peer, Cage penned the following slightly cryptic sounding note: “His Ldship proposes drawing Mudd Hole tomorrow, first killing a fox; and then turn down a Bagged Fox before your door for ye diversion of ye Ladys.” In other words, Fairfax — in a poignant example of his wry and theatrical British wit — planned to spook the ladies with a live fox upon the hunting party’s return from the woods and Mudd Hole. This bagged fox in question, the note goes on to express, had been captured a day earlier “without hurt.”

NETWORKING

Painter John Trumbull captures the founding father with his horse in Washington at Verplanck’s Point. Image courtesy Philip Smucker.

would have plunged ahead, hooves thumping the earth as birds scattered in the skies above. When the lead hounds, running along, muzzles to dirt, caught a solid whiff of the fox, the Master lifted an arm and shouted out the order “Hold hard!” as his hounds huffed in anticipation of closing in on the fox.

The end game of most hunts, of course, was ugly, often bloody, a day’s denouement aptly described by Richard Beverley, a Virginia planter and historian from near Fredericksburg: “And then they detach a nimble Fellow . . . after it, who must have a scuffle with the Beast, before they can throw it down to the Dogs; and then the Sport increases to see the Vermine encounter those little Curs [hounds].”

In such a scenario, the “nimble Fellow” could well have been George. Foxhunting 22 | COVERTSIDE

also could be a perilous sport, according to Dr. William Beebe, who resided in nearby Maryland, noting: “Frequent instances have occurred, where in leaping the fence, or passing over gullies, or in the woods, the rider has been thrown from his horse, and his brains dashed out, or otherwise killed suddenly. This, however, never stops the chase — one or two are left to take care of the dead body, and the others pursue.” Beebe added presciently, “I have seen old men, whose heads were white with age, as eager in the chase as a boy of 16.” It was at about the age of sixteen that George would have engaged in his first foxhunting. But Fairfax was in charge, and I discovered a letter (circa 1749) from a close Fairfax associate and business agent, Col. William Cage,writing from Belvoir Manor to George’s distant cousin and future overseer Lund Washington at

George’s first hunts with the Fairfax clan offered him an opportunity to, as we now say, “bond” with his new male mentors, including Colonel Fairfax, his half brother’s father-inlaw. Foxhunting, as much as any sports in the pre-Revolutionary era, offered an exclusive realm for gentlemen to put their contentiousness on display. The rules of the game were written by the gentry with a mind to exhibit their power and stature. In a purely Darwinian sense, the requirements of being a proper sportsman in colonial Virginia also left those incapable of these performances somewhat in the lurch and with no real path to power and money. There were other ways to get ahead of the pack, of course, but hunting with the movers and shakers was one of the best. It was a great way to include an honored new guest like young George and exclude the uncouth masses.

George was competitive and acquisitive, not unlike his diligent and short-lived forefathers, but even in his teens he had managed something that the three previous generations of Washington family members had failed to achieve: through careful study, charm, and some good luck, he had managed to form an unusual bond between Old World interests and New World ambitions.

There was luck involved, but the relationship was mostly driven by a confluence of interests. The Fairfax clan and George wanted both land and the raw power that property implied. Based on these shared interests, they had common ground.

RIDING

WITH

GEORGE

Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America's First President

Commonwealth Foxhounds (Private Collection) as featured in the Museum of Hounds & Hunting Exhibit - 2018 Virginia Hound Show

MICHAEL TANG

A MERICA ’ S P REMIER S PORTING A RTIST NOW ACCEPTING COMMISSIONS WWW . MICHAELTANGART . COM F R .M ICHAEL .T ANG @ LMU . EDU 310.849.1345 FALL 2018 | 23

SAFETY

preparation before any accident happens.” Despite these measures, if an injury does happen, having a plan in place to react effectively is vital.

ASSIGN THE JOBS

DAVID TRAXLER

Air vests, such as the one Jack van Nagell, MFH Iroquois, wears, are becoming more popular and acceptable in the field.

When Accidents Happen

How to stay safe in the field — and what to do when injuries happen. BY KEITH GRAY, MFH, AND MARY EWING, MFH

I

NJURIES … NONE OF US LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THEM, but they are a reality of equestrian sports.

And accidents can happen anywhere and anytime. Witness the strange accident at a southern Wisconsin show recently, when a rider lost two fingers after a horse spooked and spun while the rider was picking shavings from its tail.

Accidents happen.

Foxhunting is, of course, different from arena-based horse sports where EMTs are often onsite and ready for emergencies.

The vastness and unpredictability of the hunt area presents unique

challenges for getting help to an injured rider in a timely manner.

Fortunately, helmets have mostly replaced the top hat, derby and hunt cap, such that protective headgear is commonplace in a sport that promotes tradition, sometimes over safety.

We can give ourselves a pat on the back since the addition of helmets has undoubtedly prevented many sports-related head injuries. Deemed acceptable by the MFHA, air vests are now seen with greater frequency in the hunt field, too. They undoubtedly provide an additional measure of safety.

Beyond safe equipment and following the hunt rules (provided for your safety), riders have an obligation to be correctly mounted (a horse that is fit and is trained to do what a rider asks of it), and to behave in a manner that does not endanger themselves, other riders, or their mounts. Most hunt clubs work hard to maintain trails with good footing, and to clear limbs and clearly mark or protect obstacles, such as wire. Says Jack van Nagell, M.D., and Master of the Iroquois Hunt in Kentucky: “My view on safety in the hunt field is that it all relates to organized

One of the most important aspects of emergency management is designation — assigning specific people to specific tasks in the event of an emergency. That might be a “medic” in the field — someone assigned at the beginning of the hunt, who carries a radio or phone to convey information. At Arapahoe, someone — generally the field master — must carry the emergency phone. He/she can receive the call and, as necessary, either turn the field over to another person or designate another person to be responsible for the emergency, including meeting the first responders. When not hunting, the emergency phone is kept in the Arapahoe clubhouse on a charger so that it is available for use regardless of whether there is a change in field master.

A designated person(s) for each hunt has to be aware of the phone number to call for emergency care (including air EVAC services, which may not be available without a subscription) and how to describe the location in the hunt field to emergency personnel so that they can get to an injured rider. “Some hunts insist on certain riding members having CPR training so that they can be available immediately

TIPS AND TOOLS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS • Have hunt members load the Where Am I At app on their phones. It gives GPS coordinates which make it easier for emergency personnel to use to find you.

Emergency personnel can also find a location by triangulating a phone signal.

24 | COVERTSIDE

• If you have road whips, have them carry a first aid kit.

• Encourage members to take a first aid and CPR course.

• Encourage everyone to have an ICE contact in their phones.

• Have a designated emergency responder who makes the calls and speaks with emergency personnel.

• Have field masters, or those responsible for the injured in the field, take a wilderness first aid course: www.redcross.org; www.nols.edu; www.wildmed.com

ARAPAHOE’S SAFETY PROTOCOL • Do not move injured person.

• A board member is priority for following protocol; if no board member, proceed with protocol.

• If injured person is unconscious, call 911.

• If injured person is not breathing, perform CPR and call 911.

• If injured person is conscious and breathing, determine whether he/she knows name, date, location. If unable to answer any of these questions, call 911.

• Ask injured person if he/she is capable of sitting/standing/ riding.

• Otherwise, ask the injured person whether an ambulance is wanted. If not, ask injured

person if there is a vehicle available for transport.

• Carry cell phone while hunting.

• Know territory address.

• Know emergency hunt number: [the card includes the local number].

• Call emergency cell number to alert for ambulance arrival or to ask if vehicle available for transport.

• Return to clubhouse with injured person if he/she is being transported by vehicle or on horseback or arrange for someone else to return with injured person.

• Do not leave the injured person alone. Do not let the injured person ride back alone.

FALL 2018 | 25

HUNT NIGHT

Monday, Oct. 15, 2018

PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL HORSE SHOW

Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA

when someone gets hurt,” adds van Nagell. Those in the field can provide valuable patient information to first responders.

Elizabeth Almeyda, M.D., fulfills this role for Goldens Bridge Hunt in New York. “What I check first when I’m running over: Is he conscious, then pulse, then breathing. If conscious, asking ‘what hurts?’ Then, [I] look to see if there is an obvious distortion of arms, legs, and if there is any blood. The purpose is not to diagnose, but to suspect a possible major injury so an ambulance can be called. In the event of a neck injury the person [assisting] should tell the injured not to move until help arrives.”

MEMBER OF THE FIELD

Believe it or not, it’s not always easy to contact an injured person’s family: At Arapahoe, there

was a new member down with a head injury. Efforts to call her home phone were unsuccessful. No one knew how to reach her husband or her children.

The problem was finally solved when someone remembered her son’s name and contacted him through Facebook! Had she been carrying her cell phone and maintained the information in it, contact could have more easily been made.

Clubs should encourage members to include emergency contact information in their cell phones under the heading “ICE” (in case of emergency) and record medical information, such as primary care physician, insurance information and any drug allergies or medical conditions — information that would be crucial if someone was unconscious. Another option is to

©AlCookPhoto.com

HUNT NIGHT RECEPTION • 5:30-7:00 pm: Cash Bar & Buffet • 6:30-8:00 pm: Desserts “The Trump Landscaping Garden”

Upper Concourse between Sections 8 - 11

Reception Tickets $15 includes free admission to Show Tickets available Online (beginning in August), or on-site at The Trump Landscaping Garden or call 717-770-0222

HUNT NIGHT COMPETITION

Tweed Jackets

FOR WOMEN & MEN

Hunting, Showing & Riding Attire • Country Clothing • Estate Jewelry Saddlery • Stable Requisites • Books, Rare Books • Antiques • Gifts

Begins at 6:30 pm Field Hunters, Gentleman’s and Ladies Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Teams, Parade of Foxhounds

www.PAnational.org 26 | COVERTSIDE

(540) 347-3141 800-88-2-HUNT (4868) 60 ALEXANDRIA PIKE WARRENTON, VIRGINIA 20186 SHOP ONLINE! www.HorseCountryCarrot.com STORE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY 9 AM - 6 PM, SATURDAY 9 AM - 5 PM (ET)

WHEN CALLING FOR HELP KNOW THE FOLLOWING:

F I- C O U N T

Y

• Is the injured conscious or unconscious?

• Is he/she bleeding?

• What is the type of injury (symptoms, vitals) • What is his/her age and sex?

TR

• What is the location? How responders will gain access. If the responders will need an escort to the victim, where will the escort will meet them? Make sure the escort has a radio or phone.

• Emergency contact information for the injured person.

purchase and wear a medical ID bracelet with emergency contact information.

And, it’s a good idea for members take a first aid course.

And some hunts might consider sending field masters and others in leadership positions to more extensive Wilderness First Aid classes.

Most MFHA hunts work very hard to create a safe riding experience. It is a rider’s responsibility to ride safely. Learn all you can to be calm and useful in case of emergency.

Keith Gray is Joint Master of the Mill Creek Hounds.

Mary Ewing is Joint Master of the Arapahoe Hunt.

We thank our customers and community.

Come celebrate with us!

OCTOBER 20, 2018 Family Fall Festival

Equestrian & Sporting Life Jewelry

— snacks & swigs — — live tunes — — your favorite vendors — — stuff to do — — door prizes & giveaways — FOLLOW US FOR UPDATES

7408 JOHN MARSHALL HWY M A R S H A L L , VA 2 0 1 1 5

www.marklexton.com 843.662.1971

540-364-1891 TRICOUNTYFEEDS.COM FALL 2018 | 27

EE

D

HOUND PROFILE

Aiken Euro is a champion performance trial hound

NICK BRIDGES PHOTOGRAPHY

and a serious hunter.

Her Majesty

Aiken Hounds’ Euro tops performance trials.

BY MARTHA DRUM

W

ith last season’s performance trials success of superstar hound Euro — who whelped her first litter in June — Aiken Hounds have an exciting future ahead.

Huntsmen love to sing their hounds’ praises and boast how well they can find, track, and speak; performance trials are an opportunity to prove whose hound is the best on a given day. Aiken Hounds’ Euro (Keswick Rasher ’06 x Essex Euro ’08) originally entered at Middleburg in 2013, impressed huntsman Katherine Gunter from their very first run on a coyote. (To read more about Gunter, see Ask the Huntsman in the Fall 2017 issue.)

Gunter’s instincts about the hound’s talent were affirmed last season, when Euro emerged 28 | COVERTSIDE

a consistent and versatile star of the southeastern Hark Forward performance trials.

At the Moore County (North Carolina) performance trial in October, Aiken’s bitch was rated top hound on the first day and third overall. Three months later, Euro was overall champion and guest huntsman Kami Wolk’s Huntsman’s Choice winner at Aiken’s Hark Forward Drag Performance Trials, held in Belle Meade’s Georgia country. Back at Belle Meade for its performance trial in January, Euro again earned the Huntsman’s Choice nod from guest huntsman Charles Montgomery of Bull Run. “Euro is a very neat hound!” Wolk says.

“My reason for choosing her was her drive, cry and biddability — in drag hunting, the latter is even more desired. Euro exhibited

the ability to find the scent line and hold tight while giving full cry. I watched her pick many checks, and she was able to pull other hounds onto the scent to honor her cry. She was a real pleasure to hunt.”

Euro is as sociable as she is keen. Gunter describes her as a “great ambassador for foxhunting and foxhounds.” The hound has never met a stranger during a parade or other public event, seeking out children along the route for licks and sniffs. “Last opening meet, there were probably 800 to 1,000 people to see us off, and Euro stopped to nose everybody on our way to the start! She’s always wagging her tail and letting the kids pet her.”

Gunter says she hopes Euro will have an impact on sport in the Hitchcock Woods for generations of hounds to come. As an American outcross to bloodlines presently in kennels, Euro will be a valuable brood bitch for her program. The first stallion hound selected for “Her Majesty,” as Euro is known at home, is Aiken Lacrosse ’13 (Aiken Ladykiller ’09 x Andrew’s Bridge Janet ’09), a Penn-Marydel. While not as personable as Euro, Lacrosse is just as versatile and keen in the field: He finished just ahead of her in the scoring at Moore County, and just behind her at the Aiken drag trials.

Right before Father’s Day, Euro delivered seven puppies — five dogs and two bitches.

“I’ll get to keep three,” Gunter says. “I have so many people who have helped me develop my pack, a lot of people are going to get pups from this litter. And I have a waiting list for future breedings.” She says the cross of Penn-Marydel and American is her favorite and she is excited to watch the development of this first litter from the pack’s champion.

For the new mother, though, weaning will be followed by a return to hunting. “I’ll get her back in shape, and hopefully she and Lacrosse will be at the performance trials championship in Fitzpatrick, Alabama, in November.” That invitational competition among the top hounds in the country will be one more opportunity for Euro to prove her uncanny ability.

BONNIE LINGERFELT

Fine Equestrian Properties & Country Homes

VIRGINIASPORTHORSES@YAHOO.COM

Tryon, North Carolina Home of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games at TIEC

TryonProperties.com

(804) 514-0595 8am-9pm ET

828-817-0166

Advantage Realty 177 N. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782

1559 River Rd. W Crozier, VA

(804) 908-1625

estdn8@aol.com FALL 2018 | 29

ASK THE HUNTSMAN

Singing on the Island

Brian Quinn, huntsman and Master at Smithtown Hunt, maintains the history of hunting on Long Island.

T

Smithtown’s Huntsman, Brian Quinn, MFH.

HE LAST REMAINING HUNT ON LONG ISLAND, Smithtown has endured for more than a century even as New York City’s sprawl and development spread eastward. Now organized as a charitable corporation with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS, the club’s mission includes habitat conservation, stewardship of public lands, and educational activities. Brian Quinn first hunted with Smithtown in the 1970s, then took an extended break to pursue successful careers riding, training and coaching in the racing and showing worlds. He returned to Long Island, rejoined the club, and became huntsman more than 20 years ago. In 2015, he accepted the invitation to become Joint Master as well.

Covertside: Some of our readers might not associate hunting with the greater New York City area where you grew up.

Did you hunt as a child?

with the Brooklyn Beagles, on the former Ambrose Clark estate in Old Westbury [Long Island]. Clark was an oldschool sportsman, the father of steeplechase racing in America. We’d also travel to Ireland to visit family every year, and I’d always have a couple of black-and-tan pups from the Scarteen to raise with my uncle, James Quinn. So hounds and hunting, and a sense of the history, was always a part of it for me. I hunted with Meadow Brook in the 1960s and then Smithtown, but left to work for racing trainer Don Combs.

I was away for more than a decade, working up through all the jobs at the track, riding 30 | COVERTSIDE

FRANK D BRADFORD III

Quinn: As I kid, I used to hunt

timber horses for Pat Murphy in the Midwest, and ultimately starting my own stable. When I moved back to Long Island with my family, I joined Smithtown again, and eventually was asked to be huntsman.

Covertside: Where do you find new members in your area?

Quinn: We look to the Pony Club and the eventing people.

Something we have to offer is a number of different fixtures — at least eight — mostly wooded, but a couple of them are open and exquisite. The old Ambrose Clark estate, where I followed beagles as a kid, is a huge part of the history of horses and hunting on the Island and has great meets.

The former J.P. Morgan estate at Asharoken runs all the way down to Long Island Sound, and you’d never know you were so close to the city.

Covertside: What type of hounds suit your country?

Quinn: We’re a drag hunt in mostly wooded, hilly country, so I need biddable hounds with good voice, but not too fast.

Everyone thinks drag hunting is about the scent, but it’s about getting the right hounds.

To compare it to baseball: when you think you need a new pitching coach, the fix is to get better pitchers. I love Penn-Marydels, they’re so true and biddable. I just toot the

horn and they look right up at me and say, “What can I do for you?” And I love their voice.

My favorite part of hunting is listening to hounds. I just love the sound of hounds in full cry, running through the woods and being there with them. ­ ­—Martha Drum To learn more about Smithtown’s history and mission, visit smith townhunt.com. To read our online articles about their activities, visit ecovertside.net and search “Smithtown.”

covertside_autumn_17_Layout 1 27/07/2017 10:25 Page 1

HOOD ORNAMENTS

L ouis L ejeune L td.

info@louislejeune.com

Experienced Horse Folks – We Understand Your Needs.

www.louislejeune.com

SADDLERY • CLOTHING • GIFTS EVENTING - FOX HUNTING - PONY CLUB - SHOWING

Many leading Brand Name Products for Horse and Rider at Competitive Prices.

Call today for a private tour of “Horse Country” & our Walthour-Moss Foundation preserve of 4,000+ acres to ride and carriage drive!

FOR YOUR PETS: ALL NATURAL PET FOODS

Pet tags engraved while you wait.

Jo-an DeSell Owner/Broker

910.692.0770 | www.DeSellandCo.com

667 Zachary Taylor Hwy (Rt.522) Flint Hill, VA 22627 • 540-675-1650 Store Hours: Monday thru Saturday 10am - 5pm

For your online needs visit: www.horsenhound.com

Overnight accommodations for horse and owner provided by DeSell & Co • Limited opening • Book ahead

Fox Hunters for Sale Cathy Carr Taber

(229) 403-4554

Carrdian.com

FALL 2018 | 31

LAST RUN OF THE DAY Painting by Louisa Davidson

Dr. Beeman This painting was commissioned by Mary Ewing, MFH, and Arapahoe hunt members and presented to him at his retirement dinner. Dr. Beeman was inducted into the Huntsmen’s Room at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting earlier this year.

—LOUISA DAVIDSON

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 32 | COVERTSIDE

RIDING WITH GEORGE • SAFETY FIRST • NEW KENNELS, NEW ERA

THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING

FALL 2018 • $5.00

Which Hound is Best?

North American Grand Champion Foxhound Performance Trial November 4 – 7, 2018 • Fitzpatrick, Alabama Regional Hark Forward performance trial winners from California to New York compete against each other. Thirty-six couple from 37 hunts qualified for this historic event.

The week includes hunt breakfasts, dinner parties, and a hound show, as well as legendary hunting. Experience Midland Fox Hounds’ sporting camraderie and hospitality.

Proceeds support the Masters of Foxhounds Headquarters and Museum currently under construction in Middleburg, Virginia.

JOI N TH E FU N!

CALL (706) 322-3274 x314, EMAIL: MIDLANDFOXHOUNDS@GMAIL.COM

ALLISON HOWELL

The field will be limited. Ensure your space buy purchasing a Benefactor package at $5000, with the option of two guests at $250 per guest (guest stabling not included). Email midlandfoxhounds@gmail.com for information on Benefactor packages. $4000 will be credited as a tax deductible donation to the Foundation to support the Headquarters project.