POCKET ROCKETS • TINY TOTS’ INTRO TO FOXHUNTING • MFHA’S NEW HQ
THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING
FALL 2019 • $5.00
THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687- 6500
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Upperville ~ The Impressive & Historic 1511 acre Estate & Prize Winning Cattle Farm of Cleremont is an assemblage of 3 contiguous farms, which can be purchased separately. Through exceptional management, which is willing to stay, this is some of the most magnificent farmland with 33 verdant pastures, natural water resources and forest, which creates a haven of tranquility. $13,000,000
LEESBURG LAND
Rare, 760 Acre Working Farm, 5 minutes north of the Town of Leesburg, currently in crops, hay, cattle and sheep. Four residences include the historic main house and 3 tenant homes. Substantial Rt. 15 road frontage. This open land features streams and pond and is currently in 2 large tracts and 1 small parcel. Potential for Conservation Easement Tax Credits. $8,600,000
MUSTER LANE
The Plains ~ 108 Acres. This Stately and Historic Estate with its grand rooms is in prime Orange County Hunt Territory, minutes to Middleburg. It also features a pool and pool house, 5 bay garage with office, 2 tenant houses, newly remodeled 11 stall center aisle stable with apt. & office, riding arena and exceptional ride-out to $8,250,000 wooded trails and open pastures.
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Upperville ~ 474.26 Acres. The Manor House with first floor master suite, sits high on this land and enjoys gorgeous views overlooking Loudoun County. This land has been home to both horses and cattle, plus the southeastern facing slope also lends itself to grapes. Find peace and serenity in this historic and sought after corner of Loudoun County. $5,500,000
TULEYRIES
Boyce ~ Exquisite Federal Style Mansion, c. 1833, features 12’ ceilings, dramatic curved stairway and 5 en-suite bedrooms. Sited on 406 Acres in 3 parcels with Easement Potential. Built by Joseph Tuley, Jr., it was later purchased by Graham Blandy, who bequeathed over half of the original estate to the Univ. of VA (State Arboretum of Virginia). Estate includes 3 tenant houses, 12 stall stable with renovated 3 bd. apt. & numerous historic structures. $5,000,000
HIDDEN TRAIL
The Plains ~ Magnificent horse property in the midst of the serene countryside. From 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. $4,900,000
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The Plains ~ Finely built custom residence on 16 Acres minutes from Middleburg in Prime Orange County Hunt Territory. Designed for Grand Entertaining both inside and outside. The rooms graciously open into one another and lead out to the deep porches, which wrap the home and overlook the pool, grounds, gardens and conservatory. $3,500,000
CLEARWATER FARM
Marshall ~ Handsome custom built Residence with first floor Master Suite and perfect mix of open and traditional floor plan beautifully sited on 50 Acres. Special features: Swimex Swim Pool, 2 Stocked Ponds, High Speed Internet, Whole House Generator and Geothermal Heating and Cooling. For the equestrian: located in the Orlean Community Trail System and adjacent to a Premier Equestrian Center with stables, riding arenas and trails. $2,900,000
DESTINAIRE FARM
Hume ~ 118 Acre Impeccably Maintained Horse Farm with Indoor Dressage Arena and Stunning Blue Ridge Mountain Views. In addition to the historic main residence, there is a guest and tenant home. Numerous barns, stalls and run-ins to house 25 horses.10 Fields and paddocks w/4 board fencing. Prime Old Dominion Hounds Territory. Potential for Conservation Easement Tax Credits. $2,000,000
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.
JOHN COLES 540-270- 0094 REBECCA POSTON 540-771-7520
“Specializing in large land holdings”
Please see our fine estates and exclusive properties in hunt country by visiting THOMASANDTALBOT.com
FALL 2019 • VOLUME 10, NUMBER 3
Features 18 NO BLANK DAYS BY MICHAEL STERN
A drag seminar in Aiken talks technicalities.
22 START ’EM REALLY YOUNG BY OCTAVIA POLLOCK
These barely-more-than-toddlers are galloping with the field.
Page 18
26 OUT OF AFRICA
The “fox” lays the line.
BY CARINE STAVA
North Hills Hunt goes on safari.
IN EACH ISSUE: From the Executive Director p.2 From the Publisher p.4 MFHA News p.6 Last Run of the Day p.36
8
10
GIVE VOICE Generosity is one reason we hunt.
16
PONY CLUB Melanie Smith talks about life as a whipper-in.
30
34
HOUSE HOUNDS The ambassador of foxhunting
14
AROUND HUNT COUNTRY Steeplechaser Senior Senator is extraordinary.
Reg Spreadborough in mid-leap at Barton Oaks in January 2019.
THE HOUND Rambler for the win
THE FIELD HUNTER In praise of pocket rockets.
ON OUR COVER: Liz Callar captured Orange County Hounds Huntsman
YOUNG ENTRY Sammy and Saphire
32
12
ASK THE HUNTSMAN Huntsman Kami Wolk on changing disciplines
FALL 2019 | 1
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Our New Home
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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
HANK YOU FOR THE MESSAGES about my last column, relating how so many of you had come into the sport through a personal invitation. In looking at the preliminary data from our membership survey, the top answer for the question, “How did you get interested in foxhunting?” was “A friend introduced me.” This share-our-sport attitude is so important to the future. The MFHA has made big strides recently. The opening of the headquarters building gives us a public face to work against negative legislation, a place to develop professionals necessary for the future of our sport, and a space to use to educate the public on the good work of our hunts in the local communities. Also, we are planning events in different districts to bring foxhunters together to celebrate our sport and strengthen those personal relationships that keep us a part of this great hunting family. Defending our sport against anti-hunting efforts and educating the public about our values and efforts to preserve the countryside on a national level are extremely important responsibilities of the MFHA. While big-picture responsibilities are vital, a hunt is an extremely local experience. We know our forests and fields. We know our landowners and locals. We experience excitement, adventure, and those lifelong relationships locally. Very few foxhunters say, “I called the MFHA office and asked how to start hunting.” People we know want to try foxhunting, but it is up to us to invite them. Lend them
MASTERS OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
clothes and a safe horse, introduce them to everyone, and make them feel like they belong. Our sport is not just an activity in which we participate. It is a community to which we belong. That feeling of belonging works on all generations and experience levels. Without it we are just another thing on a busy schedule. Make your hunt a place of belonging. Good hunting,
W. David Twiggs Executive Director and Keeper of the Stud Book, MFHA
Leslie Crosby, MFH Penny Denegre, MFH Emily Esterson, Editor-in-Chief Patrick A. Leahy, MFH David Twiggs, Executive Director
DIRECTORS
Canada • Dr. Charlotte McDonald, MFH Carolinas • Fred Berry, MFH Central • Arlene Taylor, MFH Great Plains • Dr. Luke Matranga, MFH Maryland-Delaware • John McFadden, MFH Midsouth • Eleanor Menefee Parkes, MFH Midwest • Keith Gray, MFH New England • Suzanne Levy, MFH New York-New Jersey • David Feureisen, MFH Northern Virginia-West Virginia • Anne McIntosh, MFH Pacific • Terry Paine, MFH Pennsylvania • Sean Cully, MFH Rocky Mountain • Mary Ewing, MFH Southern • Mercer Fearington, MFH Virginia • Ginny Perrin, MFH Western • Susan Denny Gentry, MFH At Large • Dr. G. Marvin Beeman, MFH At Large • Ed Kelly, MFH At Large • Mason H. Lampton, MFH At Large • Dr. Jack van Nagell, MFH At Large • Daphne Wood, MFH COVERTSIDE (ISSN 1547-4216) is published quarterly (February, May, August, and November) by the Masters of Foxhounds Association, PO Box 207, Middleburg, VA 20118 Periodical Postage paid at Winchester, VA 22601 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MFHA, PO Box 118 Middleburg,, VA 20118. COVERTSIDE READERS: Direct all correspondence to the same address. (540) 883-0883. Website: www.mfha.com
SAM ROBINSON FINE ART
WWW.SAMROBINSONFINEART.COM Paintings and Commissions Available. Please contact the studio.
SAM@SAMROBINSONFINEART.COM 443-224-3339
FROM THE PUBLISHER
FALL 2019
25 Years
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER EMILY ESTERSON publisher@covertside.net 505-553-2671
T
HIS IS A MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY YEAR for Covertside. I admit it snuck up on me. In 1994, Norm Fine and the MFHA leadership conceived the very first issue. It was printed on plain paper with black ink and splash of red — two color, as we say in the publishing business. It was free to anyone who wanted it. The first issue went to 4000 addresses, and its popularity was proven by the rapid increase in subscribers. At one time, Covertside was mailed to 15,000 addresses. Fine’s first Letter from the Editor noted that improved communication cannot help but strengthen the unity of our foxhunting community. “We will bring you news of recognized and registered hunts; information about foxhunting — practice, management, tradition, history, literature, art — that we hope will delight both newcomers and old timers; and important issues that bear upon the well-being of our sport,” he wrote. The content outline presented in the letter pretty much remains true today. Perusing the old magazines, I realize that we still present content that entertains, educates, and informs, whether about land conservation, juniors, hunting lifestyle, anti-hunting activities, or technical articles about hounds and horses. There’s another anniversary to celebrate: Ten years after the launch, the MFHA and Fine took the next step, putting out the first glossy magazine. This allowed more and better-quality images, longer-form articles, and raised the profile of Covertside. I remember attending American Horse
ART DIRECTOR GLENNA STOCKS production@covertside.net
EDITORIAL STAFF WRITER/ ECOVERTSIDE.NET EDITOR MARTHA DRUM martha@mfha.com
Publications conferences around this time and being impressed by how many editorial awards Covertside won. It was a groundbreaking publication at the time. Today, our staff works hard to maintain those high standards, and improve the magazine with each issue. This year, we’re including articles from the United States Pony Club (celebrating 65 years); we’re adding more club travel adventure stories (see page 28—North Hills travels to Africa), and we’re continuing to search out the best foxhunting imagery we can find. We’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversary in our next issue. Send us your anecdotes about Covertside, and we’ll include them. Happy Hunting,
KEITH GRAY, MFH OCTAVIA POLLOCK CARINE STAVA MICHAEL STERN
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
CORRECTION: In the last issue, we incorrectly credited a photo of The Hobbit to Andrew Towell that was actually taken by Geoffrey Tyson.
4 | COVERTSIDE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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
FALL 2019 | 5
MFHA NEWS Former MFHA presidents and the mayor of Middleburg cut the ribbon. From left: Tony Leahy, Bridge Littleton (mayor), Mason Lampton, Ed Kelly, Dr. Marvin Beeman, C. Martin Wood, and Daphne Wood.
and Warrenton and Middleburg, Virginia. Once the committee narrowed the choice down to Virginia, Van Nagell says it was clear that Middleburg was the right location. Auspiciously, during a party for Hunt Staff Seminar attendees hosted at her home near Middleburg, Foster and Dr. Betsee Parker discussed a building Parker had donated to the Middleburg Museum
A Home for Foxhunting The MFHA’s headquarters building opens in Middleburg.
Foundation. The museum was willing to sell the 1830s stone building, which was large enough for the MFHA’s needs. The building needed a lot of work, and although the com-
BY EMILY ESTERSON | PHOTOS BY LIZ CALLAR
mittee originally considered an historic renovation, that proved too costly and time consum-
4 ON MAY 26, THE MASTERS
Foster’s farm], it was extremely
“Jack sold the idea to the board
ing. “We did look into it,” says
OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION held a ribbon cutting to
difficult to get there,” says van
and did everything in his power
Penny Denegre, MFH, second
Nagell. “I felt like if we were
to find the right place, listen to
vice president, who was on the
celebrate the opening of the
going to have people visit and
everyone, and get it done,” says
interiors committee. “There was
new headquarters building in
have it be truly a headquar-
Dennis Foster, former executive
one wall that had to come out
Middleburg, Virginia.
ters, it needed to be far more
director. “I believe the location is
to create a board room. If we
accessible to the public. At the
perfect, since it has loads of his-
had done an historic renovation,
ate site and purchase a building
Kentucky Horse Park, there are
tory, it’s beautiful, and located
we couldn’t do that.” Nonethe-
began during the January 2015
many national headquarters of
in the mecca of foxhunting, with
less, the interiors committee
board meeting, when then-MF-
equine associations, and I felt
25 hunts within two hours. It
worked with experts such as
HA President Jack van Nagell,
that we really needed a true
gives our members a place to
Bill Stahl, who specializes in
MFH, Iroquois, and the executive
location like that. I asked Tony
go to with loads of other things
American antiques and knows
committee put together a wish
[Leahy, then-vice president] and
to do, all connected with fox-
furniture auctions, and Fred
list for a headquarters building:
others to be on the site commit-
hunting, from hounds, to horses,
Root, an interior designer based
It would be accessible to the
tee and try to come up with a
to some of the best traditional
in Middleburg, who has created
public, be an efficient working
good location.”
foxhunting country in the USA
several hunt-themed interiors
to see and hunt over. It took a
and maintained, as much as
The effort to find an appropri-
office space, be multi-use, and
Indeed, the cramped and
be the kind of facility that could
isolated building in Millwood,
lot of people to make it happen
possible, the original spirit of the
help to broaden the MFHA and
Virginia, no longer met with the
and it should be something we
property.
Foundation’s approach to fox-
MFHA’s strategic vision, which
can be proud to call our own.”
hunting education.
involved education, gathering
The site search committee
In 2017, a nationwide fundraising effort to pay for renovations
“Although we had a desig-
foxhunters together, and pro-
visited several cities including
involved many individuals and
nated headquarters [at Dennis
moting the sport more widely.
Lexington, Kentucky, Atlanta,
hunts. Hark Forward perfor-
6 | COVERTSIDE
mance trials, friendship tours, and
chase and renovation possible,”
joint meets around the country
says Denegre.
helped raise awareness and fund-
In its 100-plus years of exis-
ing. More than 70 hunts and over
tence, MFHA has never had a
600 members from across North
headquarters of its own — just
America donated from $20 to
office space. It has been worth
$250,000. “Many folks believed
the wait. Classic and convenient,
in this project and made the pur-
the building sits on Washington Street (Middleburg’s main street). “I’m really thrilled with the way it
SEARCH COMMITTEE: Jack van Nagell, MFH Tony Leahy, MFH Mason Lampton, MFH Orrin Ingram, MFH
turned out,” says Denegre. “When the building came on the market it was meant to be. It’s a lovely house with lots of history and it’s a great feeling for foxhunting to have a home.”
T. Garrick Steele, MFH
READ ABOUT
Bob Ferrer, MFH
THE BUILDING’S HISTORY
Leslie Crosby, MFH
in the Spring 2017
Dennis Foster, ex-MFH
RENOVATION COMMITTEE:
issue of Covertside:
Hunting, Showing & Riding Attire • Country Clothing • Estate Jewelry Saddlery • Stable Requisites • Books, Rare Books • Antiques • Gifts
(540) 347-3141 • 800-88-2-HUNT (4868) 60 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
issuu.com/ecovertside/docs/
SHOP ONLINE! www.HorseCountryCarrot.com
covertside_spring2017_issuu/24
Store Hours: Monday–Friday 9 AM - 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM - 5 PM (ET)
T. Garrick Steele, MFH Bob Thorsen of Thorsen Construction David Norden of Shepherd, Hinckley, Norden Architects John Coles, MFH Sean Cully, MFH Jim Davis Billie-Jo Pearl David Twiggs Tad Zimmerman, MFH
INTERIORS: Penny Denegre, MFH Daphne Wood, MFH Turner Reuter, Red Fox Fine Art William Stahl Fred Root, Houndstooth Interior Design *We are not able to list all donors and individuals involved in the project due to space limitations.
The decor is classic foxhunting, with paintings from the MFHA’s collection. The board room is large enough for all members to gather around the table. The back of the building includes an extensive lawn and garden.
FALL 2019 | 7
GIVE VOICE
Jennifer Taylor (L) and Erica Rhoad from The Plains, Virginia
The Art of Giving Foxhunters are inherently generous.
I
BY KEITH GRAY, MFH, MILL CREEK HUNT | PHOTO BY ALLISON HOWELL
HAVE OFTEN BEEN PUZZLED AS TO HOW ACQUAINTANCES
study that showed that giving “activates regions of the brain associ-
QUICKLY FIGURE OUT THAT WE HAVE HORSES AT HOME.
ated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. ...”
They also figure out that we’d be generous sharing them. Aside from horse odors that seem to have an affinity for the
Altruistic behavior releases endorphins producing the positive feeling known as “helpers’ high.” It lowers blood pressure, and a
soles of my footwear, our horse lifestyle must be much more obvi-
number of studies on giving show that, accounting for all other
ous than I realize.
variables, those who routinely give live longer than those who
It’s happened countless times. “Oh….(fill in the blank here: wife, kids, visitors from France, etc.) always wanted to hunt/ride…” is a common conversational volley that usually leads to my mouth engaging before my brain has a chance to catch up, eliciting a response along the lines of “Well, why don’t you come out? I have a quiet horse that would be prefect.” This leads to arranging the experience within an already tight and ambitious schedule. On the surface one might wonder why I’d volunteer at all. I know I’m not alone in this behavior. It’s how I (and countless others) got introduced to foxhunting. The Lane family willingly made multiple trips to and from
routinely receive. Nonetheless, I doubt that’s our mo-
WHY WE HUNT A continuing series on the spiritual, emotional, and practical reasons behind our captivating sport
the hunt club each Sunday with my horse in their
tivation. I think we do loan our horses, tack and time because we feel intrinsically better about ourselves and the world around us. To me, part of foxhunting’s draw is that it affords so many ways for us to give: helping new riders, hauling that extra horse, hosting guests, stirrup cups and breakfasts, maintaining the hunt country, walking hounds, building jumps, picking up road trash — the list is seemingly endless, so many ways to be constructive and feel good. Another positive aspect to being a part of the foxhunting family is that our giving is contagious. When you are continually around certain behaviors,
two-horse trailer until I bought my own. What’s a mystery to me is
it is instinctual to conform and I can say with confidence foxhunt-
why many of us go out of our way, spend money on fuel, risk legal
ers’ generosity is unrivaled.
exposure and/or injury to our horses, and wind up cleaning even more tack for relative strangers. The answer is the premise for the “Why We Hunt” series. There
As we approach another season exploring nature, testing our limits among friends, know that supporting your club leads to a longer and healthier life, and perpetuates the sport we love.
are a variety of reasons behind the “why.” I’d say it’s because giving makes us feel good, according to a 2008 study by the Harvard Business School. In 2006, The National Institutes of Health published a
8 | COVERTSIDE
Keith Gray is Master of the Mill Creek Hunt in Illinois. He is a regular contributor to Covertside.
In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery
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From Pony Club to Hunt Staff Whipper-in Melanie Smith uses her Pony Club-learned skills every day. BY MARIAN WAHLGREN
T
HE UNITED STATES PONY CLUBS CELEBRATES ITS
Pony Club maintains a close relationship with the Masters of Fox-
65TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, and since the begin-
hounds Association.
ning, there has been a strong relationship between USPC and the foxhunting community. In the early years,
Pony Club News interviewed Melanie Smith, a Pony Club A graduate, who has made foxhunting her career. She is a professional whipper-in
when a volunteer wanted to start a local Pony Club chapter,
for the Bear Creek Hounds located near Atlanta. She also runs MJS
she would have likely contacted the local hunt to ask if the hunt
Equestrian, where she coaches, trains, and competes.
would sponsor the new club. That usually meant a letter from the Master of the hunt recommending that the club be allowed to form. Foxhunting was a regular activity for clubs throughout the
PC: How were you first introduced to foxhunting, and at what age?
even though most clubs are not closely associated with a recog-
MS: I was introduced to foxhunting through the Huntsville Pony Club,
nized hunt. Through the USPC Standards of Proficiency, all Pony
in Huntsville, Alabama. Our Pony Club was very involved with the
Club members continue to learn the traditions of foxhunting, and
Mooreland Hunt Club. Harry Rhett was senior Joint Master at the time and loved having the juniors and Pony Club members around. Every year our Pony Club was invited to participate in designated junior hunts with Mooreland, and we would go out five or more times a season. Our Pony Club summer camps were often held at the Mooreland Hunt kennels and barn, where we would bring our horses and ponies and stable them there for a week. We would help with kennel chores and walking the hounds so we were introduced to all aspects of hunting at a very young age. Every year our club members would help the Mooreland Hunt with their trail clearing and clean up days before the hunt season began. It was a great opportunity for our members to understand the importance of taking care of the land around us. We would help build or repair coops as well, which was a great team-building exercise for our members.
Back in the old days, hunts sponsored and endorsed Pony Clubs.
10 | COVERTSIDE
LEE HARRIS
early years, and today, many Pony Club members continue to hunt
Melanie Smith and her horse, Bling.
you probably will not need to use your belt as a backup, but if it does break you’ll be glad you were wearing your belt! I also keep a large tub in our hound trailer filled with extra equipment. Inevitably, someone will forget a piece of tack or something will break. I have a spare of everything in that tub except a saddle! That is all from my Pony Club upbringing — always be prepared and always be prepared to help your teammates. PC: As a professional whipper-in, how does your Pony Club background help you with your day-to-day tasks with the horses and hounds? MS: Pony Club instilled in me the importance of good horsemanship and how to assess the important needs of my horse. Taking care of our horses and ponies after hunting was always our first priority. I still give all my horses a full bubble bath after hunting, and check them all over PC: What did you learn in Pony Club that helped you as a young
for any lumps, bumps, and cuts. And, of course, all tack gets cleaned
member out in the hunt field?
after every hunt.
MS: We learned so much about hunting in Pony Club, but mainly
horses available throughout the hunt season. I am responsible for their
respect and manners in the hunt field — respect for the senior
care, fitness, and training. I use the horsemanship skills I learned in Pony
members as well as for the hounds, horses, wildlife, landowners,
Club, and I am constantly assessing each horse for their body condition,
Between myself and our huntsman, we try to keep four to six staff
and countryside. We learned why we needed to be quiet in the hunt field so that the hounds [would not be distracted]. Also, the hunt staff needs to be able to hear what is happening around them all the time. At our un-mounted meet-
their fitness level, how their tack fits, how their
MISSED OUT ON PONY CLUB? United States Pony Clubs accepts adult members: ponyclub.org/Discover/Horsemasters
ings, we would learn why certain articles of clothing are worn in the hunt field. I love how
legs look, and if I need to adjust their feed in any way. Many of our horses are established hunt horses and know their job, but I also have to train the young ones coming along. I also apply this knowledge to the hounds. Each day starts with assisting the huntsman by taking the hounds out on foot for about
Pony Club has kept some of the same attire traditions for certain
an hour. While out walking the hounds we look to see if any of them
aspects of competitions.
appear lame, or if they are not feeling well. Just as I do with the horses,
Safety checks in Pony Club were also a very important learning tool instilled in me at a young age. It has become such a habit that has
we keep an eye on which hounds may need a bit more to eat than others, or a bit more time if they are slow eaters.
been very useful with hunting. Tack and clothing are inspected at your Pony Club turnout for safety and cleanliness. This taught me to always check my tack and make sure it is all in good repair before I head out for a long day of hunting. If your stirrup leather is in good repair then
Marian Wahlgren is the development director for the United States Pony Club. A version of this article originally appeared in Pony Club News. FALL 2019 | 11
THE FIELD HUNTER
Megan Harris stands
ALICIA FRESE PHOTO
out on Emma.
In Praise of Pocket Rockets
T
The “hony” is a perfect choice for the hunt field.
HE IMAGE OF A STATELY, TALL, UP-TO-WEIGHT FIELD HUNTER is a traditional feature of sporting art and history, but smaller mounts may be just as athletic and game — with the added advantages of convenience, nimbleness, and easy keeping. Katy Carter of St. Bride’s Farm and their Tinkerbell, a Welsh/Thoroughbred pony, are regular field members with Piedmont Fox Hounds (VA). Carter admires the versatility and toughness of smaller mounts.
12 | COVERTSIDE
“Tinkerbell has no trouble keeping up with the field or jumping anything in the Piedmont country, and she is bottomless. She will go all day,” Carter says. “She is fast, athletic, and safe. Plus, she has great feet, and doesn’t need to eat a lot!” Carter praised smaller horses’ suitability for petite riders. “Frankly, there is no reason for small people to be hunting huge horses,” she says. “I am 5’2” and have ridden horses of all sizes, but I find it physically less demanding to hunt a smaller horse or a pony.” She also lists
the benefits of avoiding tree branches and being able to get gates and remount if needed. “It’s also just plain fun to ride a pocket rocket!” The pair finished eighth at last year’s Theodora A. Randolph North American Field Hunter Championships. Megan Harris hunts with Bear Creek Hounds (GA). Her 14.2hh Connemara/Quarter Horse mare, Sparrow’s Emma, led first flight her first time out and the duo eventually whipped-in for several seasons. Emma’s pony-quickness and Quarter Horse dexterity saved Harris following one encounter
BY MARTHA DRUM
with an unseen hole. “Emma went down to her knees from a full-out gallop. She somehow kept her hind end under her (probably the Quarter Horse), sank down on her hocks, and popped herself back up in a swift movement.” Allison Sams is a member at Blue Ridge Hunt (VA), and hunts a 14.1hh Welsh pony, with a 14.3hh Clydesdale/Hackney cross coming along. She also noted the importance of suitability for the smaller rider. “I had ridden some bigger horses, but since I am 5’2”, I don’t need that much horse to take up my leg.” Sams adds,
Wells points out that a taller rider shouldn’t dismiss trying out a well-built, shorter horse. “Just because you are tall doesn’t mean you can’t ride a smaller horse. I am 5’8” and when I am asked how tall my horse is, people are shocked when I say 15.1hh. It would be a shame for a person to pass looking at a talented field hunter based on size. So often, people have requirements based in part on height, and they may be overlooking some of the best hunters out there.” DILLON KEEN PHOTOGRAPHY
“One of the many benefits of the smaller horse or ponies is maintenance. They tend to be more thrifty and have fewer soundness issues, in my experience.” Sams dismissed any concern about speed or athleticism. “I think the misconception with smaller horses or ponies is that they are flat and don’t have much turn of foot — not the case. And they can jump the moon!” Roxane Wells also hunts with Bear Creek. “When I decided to start hunting, I intentionally looked for a smaller horse,” she says. “My horse, Durango, a halfConnemara, is very surefooted. Often the footing is sloppy, and I watch some of the bigger horses sliding around quite a bit. Durango is very sturdy and stable.”
Katy Carter on Tinkerbell at the North American Field Hunter Championships.
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AROUND HUNT COUNTRY Jockey Eric Poretz and Senior Senator at the
ROBERT KELLER
Maryland Hunt Cup
Not Your Ordinary Horse Once a racing rogue, Senior Senator continually dominates the country’s most difficult steeplechase. BY JOANNE MESZOLY
S
KIP AND VICTORIA CRAWFORD, Joint Masters at Maryland’s Potomac Hunt, have had astounding steeplechase success. For the uninitiated, steeplechasing and foxhunting are historically intertwined. In fact, most of the horses Senior Sentator’s trainer, Joe Davies, trains foxhunt as well. “If you look at the Maryland Hunt Cup, it’s natural hunt country, and the course hasn’t changed in 100 years.” Last April, the Crawfords’ 9-year-old gelding, Senior Senator, won the Maryland Hunt Cup, a four-mile race over 22 imposing timber obstacles, often dubbed the country’s most difficult steeplechase. This year marked the third Maryland Hunt Cup 14 | COVERTSIDE
win for Senior Senator and jockey Eric Poretz. That same month, Senior Senator also won the Grand National Steeplechase in Butler, Maryland — for the third time. “When the Senator first raced in the Maryland Hunt Cup in 2016, I would have been thrilled if he finished fourth,” says Skip Crawford. “We never ever expected all this.” Not bad for a racehorse known for his explosive behavior, often unseating jockeys before they reached the starting gate. It’s also a fantastic feat that this horse continues his reign of success after fracturing his neck in 2017. Davies admits that the Crawfords are an exception to the norm. “There are those who’ve had dozens of horses, trained for years, and never come close
to winning the Hunt Cup,” says Davies. “The Crawfords have been blessed with owning very few horses and have been wildly successful, which is annoying to some people,” he adds. Skip and Vicki Crawford hadn’t owned a steeplechase horse for years when Davies contacted them about a big, powerful 3-year-old, with talent and a questionable disposition. Davies warned them that “the horse could be really special or he could burst into flames.” Lots of racehorses carry mental baggage from the track, but Senior Senator exceeded the norm, with his highly claustrophobic behavior and panic attacks. Starting gates, trailers, and confined spaces often triggered violent outbursts, punctuated by bucking, leaping, spinning, and kicking.
Senior Senator started his steeplechase career over hurtles (unlike solid timber, hurtle fences can be “brushed” through), but his maiden race in 2014 at Fair Hill changed that trajectory. “I’ll never forget seeing him running down the track, all alone, with no jockey,” says Vicki Crawford. “He jumped the metal gate off the course and then jumped another gate to run back toward the barn.” “It was clear that he was an incredible athlete, who liked jumping,” says Skip Crawford. “With his stride, he eats up the ground. And he has a huge lung capacity.” Senior Senator’s sensational win at the 2016 Maryland Hunt Cup shocked his owners. The race in 2017 also proved intense, but horrifically so, when the gelding fell at the third fence. Diagnosed with a serious neck fracture, Senior Senator underwent a complicated surgery at Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, to repair his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. The Crawfords prepared for the possibility that their horse might never run again. However, he proved to be the perfect patient. After months of rest and rehabilitation, he returned to racing. And winning. So, while you are hunting this season, you might share company with a well-known steeplechaser, but it’s unlikely that it’ll be Senior Senator. Although Senior Senator has foxhunted a few times, his exuberant attitude is always a concern. The odds are far better that you’ll spot him next spring, in the Maryland Hunt Cup.
American Academy of Equine Art Fall Workshops Carriage Association Bldg., Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
Jill Soukup
Painting - Oct 7-11, 2019
Alexa King
Sculpture - Oct 21-25, 2019
Larry Dodd Wheeler, AAEA Painting - TBD
www.aaea.net for signup and further details Look for the American Academy of Equine Art fall exhibit Sept. 20 - Oct. 26, 2019 at the new headquarters of the Masters of Foxhounds Association Burrland Road by Booth Malone
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR 40 YEARS Complete design services and fine craftsmanship Custom barns, arenas, garages, and living quarters
Photo courtesy of Laura Luis Photography
1-888-354-4740 | www.kingbarns.com FALL 2019 | 15
ASK THE HUNTSMAN
Kami Wolk hunted aside
KEVIN GROTE
for closing meet.
From Eventer to Huntsman
A refugee resale project carried Kami Wolk to upper-level eventing, where she discovered foxhunting. Today, she carries the horn at De La Brooke Foxhounds W (MD).
Development Program class of 2013. Five years later, I decided to hang up my eventing career and move into a professional whipper-in position with De La Brooke Foxhounds W. I whipped-in for Master and Huntsman Tom Attick for a season, learning the country and the quarry. Coming from a drag pack, I had limited experience hunting live, so studying the way the live quarry ran was imperative to being able to take the horn the following year.
Covertside: What type of hound suits De La Brooke W best? Wolk: I started my career riding and training event horses. Bringing along young horses, I met Hurricane Bay, a Hurricane Katrina-survivor carriage horse from the French Quarter of New Orleans. I purchased him as a resale project but realized very quickly he would take me to the upper levels in eventing. Through this process, I was introduced to foxhunting by local friend Liz Esmiol, who 16 | COVERTSIDE
brought me out as her guest with Wentworth Hunt (NH). After only a handful of caps, I became a member and quickly moved to first whipper-in. The following season, the huntsman asked if I would hunt the pack on days she could not make it out. I knew then I was hooked! I took over hunting the Wentworth pack the next year and was honored to be chosen for the MFHA Professional
Wolk: I took a liking to PennMarydels while spending time in Southern Pines with Moore County Hounds (NC). I was able to draft hounds from both Moore County and De La Brooke while at Wentworth, so arriving at De La Brooke I had a very clear understanding of the bloodlines. We run both red fox and coyote. Our country here in
southern Maryland can be swampy and the quarry like to run along the river’s edge, so the cry and methodical tendencies of the PMD work very well. Once our hounds are able to draw the quarry out, their sheer speed across the open farmland is amazing.
Covertside: What are some aspects of your job that people might not know about? Wolk: Being able to live on site with the kennels, the huntsman develops a great appreciation for the hounds. I work with them every day and get to know their behavior as a pack, both in kennels and out hunting. Observing and understanding the hierarchy of the pack affects how I select which hounds to draw each morning for hunting. Knowing which hounds work better together and which do not is the result of a lot of interaction with them, not just on hunting days. Â
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To join, make check payable to the MFHA and mail to: Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646. To pay by credit card, call 540-955-5680. Call (540) 955-5680 or visit www.mfha.com to join today!
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Your valuable support of the MFHA and its foundations helps to promote and preserve foxhunting and countryside values. FALL 2019 | 17
No Blank Days A drag hunting seminar draws hound enthusiasts to Aiken. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL STERN
“I am a hound nerd,� confessed MFHA Executive Director David Twiggs as he opened a drag-hunting weekend seminar in Aiken, South Carolina. Discussions and events that followed made it abundantly clear that for pilgrims who came from all over the United States to participate, foxhunting is indeed a canine sport.
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The “fox” laying the scent at Tods Hill, Aiken, South Carolina
A
IKEN WAS THE RIGHT VENUE for a focus on drag hunting. Aiken Hounds is the oldest drag hunt in the nation, having recently concluded its 105th season, including two drags every week in the 2100-acre paradise of horse-friendly trails and fences known as Hitchcock Woods. The weekend was all about the hounds. “I love going through the stud book to trace the family lineage of outstanding hounds,” Twiggs said; and among those who shared their hunt-field experiences, enthusiasm for the skills of these creatures who lead us on the chase was radiant. Yes, they are the fundamental tool of the sport, but for many who spoke, they are its raison d’être. Randy Wolcott, who is Aiken Hounds’ “fox” (the person who lays down the scent for a drag hunt), said, “I love being at the checks, because there I get to play with the hounds and praise them. That’s my favorite part. It is so great to hear them echoing through the woods, to listen to their thunder. I wish I could see how the hounds run my lines, to make sure they stay true.” He is too busy laying the next line to stand back and observe, but at one point in the presentation, Wolcott beamed ear to ear as he watched a video made by a member of the hunt field that showed the hounds in full cry, running straight towards the camera then, suddenly, veering 90 degrees and charging off into the woods. “That’s exactly how I laid it,” Wolcott said. Some of the subjects covered during the seminar are not unique to drag hunting — they apply to live mounted hunting as
well. Participants spoke of pace and spacing among mounted riders — of not following too close but not leaving a gap; of how to deal with thrusters and other problem members of the field (“with a smile,” advised Aiken Hounds first flight Field Master Karl McMillan), as well as with problem horses. There were discussions about technology in the field (radios, collars, GPS) as well as about such very practical matters as fundraising, landowner relations, and ways to increase membership, especially among a younger crowd. On that last subject, Aiken Hounds huntsman Katherine Gunter said that hounds are an especially good way to get juniors involved. “They develop a bond with a hound, then they want to see it hunt,” she said. Elaine Ittleman, ex-MFH of Green Mountain Hounds, reminded listeners that one-third of a hound’s brain is dedicated to smell and that, “We’re not teaching them anything that they don’t already know. We’re just providing them the opportunity to do it.” Jeff Bates, who comes from a canine search-and-rescue background and is the fox for Sewickley Hunt, advised that the long, floppy ears of a foxhound (as well as of a basset hound, beagle, and bloodhound) serve the vital purpose of fanning scent up towards the canine nose as it moves along. Beyond such fundamentals of all hunting with hounds, issues unique to drag hunting were front and center. “Sometimes we need to remind members that we are hunting,” said Terry Hook, MFH of Green Mountain Hounds. “This is not a trail ride with FALL 2019 | 19
Above, Aiken Hounds heading home. Guests (including David Twiggs, executive director) enjoyed a traditional Low Country boil. Right: Presenters John Tabachka (huntsman from Sewickley Hunt), Katherine Gunter (huntsman from Aiken Hounds), and Ginny Zukatynski (MFH Old North Bridge Hounds)
20 | COVERTSIDE
dogs. People need to listen, not blab with each other. An unruly field is every bit as unsafe in a drag as in a live hunt.” Some talk was technical, such as the exact composition of the scent. Whereas fox urine is traditional, Ittleman recommends anisette: “It smells way better; it encourages good cry; not being an animal smell, it tends to prevent riot; and … you can drink it if you get thirsty while laying the line!” Bates advised how important it is to dilute the scent. If it’s too strong, it can pollute a hound’s nose. He noted that it is common — for just that reason — to see hounds following a scent to the side of precisely where it has been laid, thus maintaining their noses’ peak sensitivity. In his search-and-rescue work, he often follows trails that are 48 hours old or more; and several of the veteran hunters in attendance remembered when it was common for a drag huntsman to lay a line the night before, then hunt it the next morning. A few folks suggested that, in fact, some hounds really are following the scent of the human fox as much as the line of scent he is laying. On the other hand, too little scent — or scent that gets swirled away by wind or evaporated by hard sunshine — can lead to riot. “Leave too much of a gap in the line,” Bates cautioned, “and you suddenly can have a pack that’s hunting live.” What, exactly, makes a great drag hound? Voice, all agreed. “I want their cry to shake the leaves off the trees,” said huntsman Katherine Gunther. “PMDs [Penn Marydels] and American hounds have stunning voices. If a hound doesn’t speak, he won’t be with us for long.” Some hounds have good cry; others do not, but John Tabachka, Sewickley’s huntsman, said that confidence makes a tremendous difference. He described drafting young hounds who may hunt well, but don’t speak much. As they hunt more, learn their job, and are praised for good performance, the confidence they develop frequently results in resonating cry.
Tabachka also noted that soundness is essential, perhaps even more important than in a live-hunt hound. “Remember, live packs tend to go at a slower pace, at least some of the time. They’re walking, waiting to draw. But drag hounds don’t rest, except at a break. Once they’re cast, they are on the move.” Katherine Gunther added that because drags frequently are staged in tight territory, biddability is an essential quality in a drag hound. “When you say stop, they need to stop,” she said. “That is one advantage of drag over live hunting,” said Aiken Hounds MFH Larry Byers. “We can assure landowners that we won’t go where we’re not supposed to.” One peril unique to drag hunting familiar territory is that hounds learn to anticipate where they’ll be going. “We need always to change it up,” Wolcott said. “For the members, yes, but also for the hounds if we want to keep them sharp. You need to force them to question where you are going, not anticipate it. You need to create problems for them to figure out so they don’t get bored. Keep it interesting, try to outsmart them (not easy!) by extending a line beyond where they went last time, by taking them towards last week’s check, but then leading them off in a new direction.” “The whole idea of drag hunting is to see the hounds work,” said Karl McMillan. “We know where they’re going, so we can do that for all members of the field. After all, everyone is here for the same thing, which is to watch keen hounds at their best.” That night at a South Carolina Lowcountry Boil picnic on the grass of Sandhurst, a stately home from Aiken’s winter-colony heyday, one visitor reminded tablemates, “When you drag hunt, there’s no such thing as a blank day.” Michael Stern is an Aiken, South Carolina-based writer and foxhunter. He writes for Roadfood.com and is Covertside’s Fare and Flask contributor.
FALL 2019 | 21
SIGGY PHOTOGRAPHY
START ’EM REALLY YOUNG
FOSTER A LOVE OF SPORT AND FUN.
22 | COVERTSIDE
BY OCTAVIA POLLOCK
T
SIGGY PHOTOGRAPHY
HE AGE RANGE OF PARTICIPANTS IN FOXHUNTING IS WIDE, with venerable ladies alongside small boys with huge grins. Few are as diminutive as Kizzy, age 5, and Ettie, 3, whose English hunting exploits garner tens of thousands of views on Instagram. “I get asked, ‘How do you get them to that stage?’ more than anything else,” says their mother, Emily Lewis, who leads Kizzy off her horse as her husband, Jonathan, runs beside Ettie. “[It takes] time, work, money, and encouragement. We don’t have new clothes or holidays.” The family regularly hunts with Old Surrey Burstow & West Kent Hunt in England. The girls probably learned to ride in the womb, as Emily rode up until she was eight and a half months pregnant and was foot following three days after giving birth with baby Kizzy strapped Kizzy and Emily Lewis to her front. “At four months, love galloping together. she was mounted at the opening meet. They were properly riding at one year old.” Key to their success, as well as the sheer amount of riding they get in the fields around their home on the Kent/Sussex border in England, is lack of fuss. “Just get on with it!” advises Jonathan. “The minute you get tense, they start worrying,” explains Emily. “If they fall off, I wait a moment to see if it genuinely hurts, then off we go again. The only time Kizzy lost her nerve was when she fell off in front of lots of people, and they made a fuss, which made her think there was something to worry about.” PREPARATION IS VITAL
“I’m always calculating the risk,” notes Emily. Sarah Austen agrees. As head of Classics at the Elms School in Worcestershire, England, where country sports are practically part of the curriculum, Austen has instilled a passion for hunting in many generations. “It’s all about anticipation. Don’t get swept up in the melee when hounds move off. It’s better to have them want to go faster than to scare them.”
The saying goes that no one is a proper rider until they have fallen off more than seven times. Kizzy and Ettie have passed that milestone, but tumbles are minimized thanks to their excellent seats. “We seldom go in the school,” says Emily. “We ride bareback up and down the river, going up and down the bank, through woods, over ditches. They learn to sit, steer, and duck, to read the ground for the pony.” Out hacking and hunting, parents and children talk about where they are, crops, and wildlife. “It’s good to show them that it’s not competitive,” adds Austen. “It’s just as enjoyable to be at the back talking about the countryside.” Get beginners to work out where the quarry might be, suggests Virginia-based photographer Alice Porter. When she took her six-year-old riding student hunting in third field, “I engaged him with, ‘Where are they? Where should we go?’ He had a good sense of direction and usually got us to where we needed to be!” Emily notes that her kids watch hounds, adding ruefully: “Kizzy will point out their deficiencies, announcing, ‘If they’re not in trees they can’t hunt!’” THE RIGHT TOOLS: GEAR AND PONIES
Crucial to shepherding small children are sensible mounts that will stand still as people gallop past. “Take time to find one,” advises Emily. “And put the work in.” Grass reins can help, as Austen notes: “The worst thing is something that thinks it’s in the Gold Cup and then puts its head down mid-gallop to eat.” A neck strap or loop on the pommel is invaluable to hang on to. Good ponies will make the rounds, but sometimes the best pony is unexpected, such as Cinderella, Kizzy’s 10.2hh Shetland. “No one could make sense of her,” says Emily. “She bucked, reared, and even bolted pulling a cart. She came to us to sell, so we took her to a meet with tack, but no rider. She didn’t react
FALL 2019 | 23
Jo Meszoly and Brynn Miller (on Rocky) have been hunting together since Brynn was five.
K. KANDRA
to anything, but thought, ‘This looks fun, I’ll behave myself.’ She and Kizzy just clicked — she’s the only one who can ride her!” Ettie loves her little gray: “Frankie’s my pony,” she states proudly. In terms of clothing, staying warm is important, but exhilaration will conquer the coldest day. “Hunting is about being in the elements, feeling the blood rush and the bones chilled,” enthuses Tiggy Mallinson, whose children grew up with the Royal Artillery Hunt on windswept Salisbury Plain in England. “It’s about knowing good sport was had and earned, bedding down ponies with numb toes. After all, one must be deserving of hunting tea!” Jonathan agrees: “You’ve got to do all of it to get the good bits. Some of the best days are cold, wet, and miserable, but worth it!”
POTOMAC’S WILD CHILD “WHEN BRYNN JOINED ME AT OUR HUNT CLINIC IN AUGUST, I had no idea she’d become instantly hooked on hunting. She was only five, and I call that season her “purple Troxel phase,” because I scrambled to cobble together appropriate hunting attire. Her purple helmet was concealed by a velvet cover. We started in the back of the second field, but kept up with them. Hunting while ponying a kid is challenging, especially on a green hunt horse. Rocky and Brynn often felt like an anchor dragging behind me, especially
Above all, enjoy it all, from early starts and muddy tack to the first fence and a glimpse of the quarry.
when we cantered up hills. At times, the combined pull of a pony and gravity seemed destined to yank me right off my horse, and often I had to release the rope to avoid an unscheduled dismount. Keeping Rocky and Brynn on a lead allowed me to rate the pony’s pace, but when we crossed creeks and ravines, my green TB leapt across the creeks and bounded up the hills, while Rocky opted for a more sensible, conservative crossing. As a result, I’d often lose the lead, struggling to get it before it got snagged on something or wrapped around Rocky’s legs. For a time, I’d toss the lead to Brynn for those crossings but by November we decided to cut her loose. She wasn’t ready to be off the line — she couldn’t slow Rocky or stop him by herself — but it was better than possibly tripping her pony or having my arm pulled from its socket!” — Jo Meszoly
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KEEP LEARNING AND SHARING
As they grow older, brave children will give adults a lead over the biggest fences, and a chance to go up with the staff is not to be missed. “Weather and clothing are not deal breakers, but time spent with the huntsman or whip is,” points out Lizzie Case of the West Norfolk in England. “Find forward-thinking hunt staff who will take a child under their wing. We’ve been doing it for years, and it’s paid dividends.” Ashley Twiggs, wife of MFHA executive director David, extols the value of sharing the job: “We used to take turns watching each other’s kids so that mums could ride in first flight. The kids didn’t whine to another mom, and moms didn’t fuss
TOP TIPS BE PREPARED — If it’s a really early start, get the children dressed before bed, so all they have to do is climb onto their pony. KEEP THEM WARM AND DRY — However, don’t make a fuss if everyone’s covered in mud. CUT THE PONY’S TAIL SHORT — So it’s not slapping around its fetlocks when it’s wet, which can cause it to kick. DON’T LET THE CHILD CARRY A WHIP — They won’t need it, and they’ll probably lose it. MAKE CHILDREN FEEL USEFUL — Ask them to jump off and open and close a gate or hold a horse. GET THEM ENGAGED — Find a friendly huntsman or whipper-in who will show them life at the sharp end. HAVE COPIOUS SUPPLIES — Sweets and chocolates are a must.
at other kids!” If children are with a hunting “aunt,” they will be braver and won’t moan, then come back with lots of stories. A hunting education doesn’t stop when the season ends. “We take the children to kennels to practice the puppy show, which is good to get the hounds used to crowds, too,” says Austen. “The children choose their favorite hounds, and there’s a cheer if they pick the same as the huntsman.” Pre-season cross-country lessons that get children jumping in a group will prepare them for being in a crowd of excitable ponies. Above all, enjoy the whole experience, from early starts and muddy tack to the first fence and a glimpse of the quarry. Don’t make a fuss if things go wrong, always be encouraging and you’ll have children such as Kizzy and Ettie, who are tough, responsible, top-flight jockeys and, above all, love their hunting. Octavia Pollock writes about hounds, hunting, and country life from the United Kingdom. She is a frequent contributor to Covertside.
HUNT WEEKEND
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A cheetah hunts at sunset at the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.
Travel:
OUT OF AFRICA T H E C LU B T HAT HUNTS TOG ETHER, T R AVELS TOG ETHER. BY CARINE STAVA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNY WHEATLEY 26 | COVERTSIDE
Carmen Cowley, guide at Horizon Horseback, looks upon a herd of zebras near Camp Davidson in South Africa.
I
’VE LONG DESIRED TO RIDE IN AFRICA, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that it would happen. My friend and photographer Jenny Wheatley entered a contest with Horizon Horseback, an outfitter based in South Africa and Botswana, and won a free spot on Horizon’s African Explorer Safari. Upon hearing the news, five current and former North Hills Hunt members and two mutual friends — became her new best friends and joined her on this bucket-list trip. We made the trip to Johannesburg in early May 2019. Most of us came from Nebraska, one from Japan and one from Los Angeles. Several of us made the decision to arrive the night before, which allowed us a good night’s rest in a real bed at a nearby hotel before heading out on the long drive to our first destination: Camp Davidson. CAMP DAVIDSON, SOUTH AFRICA
The next morning held a full day of driving, introductions, meeting our horses and settling into our home for the next four days. Located near Vaalwater at Camp Davidson, Horizon Horseback was a three-and-a-half-hour drive from O.R. Tambo Airport. Built high in the bushveld above the Matlapeng Valley, it offers a vast, panoramic view of the Waterberg massif central highlands. After unpacking, we met our horses, which included a variety of breeds including Appaloosas, Thoroughbreds, paints, draft crosses, South African Boerperd, and warm-
bloods. We enjoyed a quick ride as the day ended, getting to know our horses, watching the sun sink below the African horizon, and riding home in the dusk. We saw ostriches, zebras, baboons, impalas, and many aardvark holes. The following days were both relaxing and adventurous. Morning rides usually lasted five hours. The scenery was so varied: ascending rocky trails that the horses would very carefully negotiate, forests where you could see zebras and impalas behind trees, big open meadows where the ostrich graze, and the occasional kudu — a kind of antelope. It was breathtaking to ride among so many animals. Our guides, Shingai and Carmen, had so much to share, both scientific and wisdom handed down through generations of living on the land. On horseback, we walked about half the time and clipped along the rest, riding in cavalry-style McClellan saddles. At night, I would go outside to look at the vastness of the sky and the millions of stars visible from the Southern Hemisphere — different from those I saw in Nebraska. I wasn’t able to see the Big Dipper. The nights were comfortable and full with the calls of the wildlife. TWO MASHATUS CAMP, BOTSWANA
After four wonderful days in South Africa, we moved on to Botswana. Botswana was a world unto itself. The 29,000-hectare (72,000 acres), privately-owned Mashatu Game Reserve
FALL 2019 | 27
DAVID CHENO, HORIZON HORSEBACK GUIDE
From left to right, Taeko Saito, Jenny Wheatley, Carine Stava, Julie Kraw, Laura Sweet, Catherine Dargin and Aloma Moncrief.
is located within the larger Northern Tuli Game Reserve. The landscape is incredibly diverse with wide-open plains, grasslands, forest areas, dry riverbeds, and rocky territory. Upon arrival at Limpopo Horse Safaris, we received a safety briefing — unlike Horizon, the possibilities of encountering dangerous game such as elephants, lions, and leopards, was likely in Mashatu. While riding, our head guide, David, carried a rifle and a bullwhip. As we approached camp at dusk, he would crack his whip multiple times to make a gunshot-like sound to clear the area of any dangerous game. Trees and brush surrounded our camp, which made for great hiding places for lions. The Limpopo River ran behind our campsite, and at night I could hear elephants rumbling, the lions roaring, and the occasional hyena yipping. We were told not to leave our boots outside because the hyenas like to steal them. Camp staff escorted us back to our tents each night, and we were not to leave until morning. No fences surround Two Mashatus, allowing animals to roam freely. We rode about five hours each day, and in Botswana, we walked quite a bit. The terrain could be rough, with either rocks or enormous elephant footprints that formed during the rainy season and dried in the summer heat, resembling concrete-like potholes where horses could trip.
28 | COVERTSIDE
Riding slowly allowed us to observe all the game, including a herd of 150 elephants spotted from atop a plateau. We were able to move closer and watch the elephants feast on the trees. Then suddenly, a piercing trumpet sounded, and they all turned and ran, including a month-old baby elephant. Watching the fleeing herd was simply spectacular. On our last full day in Limpopo, we cantered through an open plain and roused up a few giraffes. As they ran away from us, our guide started galloping faster, and more giraffes joined in on the run. Giraffes live in herds, but they can spread out as they graze. To find ourselves running alongside such a large herd of towering, yet graceful animals was an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In our three days in Botswana, we saw an unbelievable variety of animals, including baboons, elands, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, leopards, and countless birds. The country has a strong conservation program: In the 1980s, the Tuli Game Reserve had only 24 giraffes; today, they have 450. Sadly, our eight-day wild adventure quickly came to an end. It was a phenomenal, thrilling, and wondrous trip. I’m already planning my next adventure back. Carine Stava hunts with North Hills Hunt, based in Elkhorn, Nebraska. She is honorary secretary.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS AND SUPPORTERS who made the purchase, renovation, and opening of the new MFHA Headquarters building successful. from the
Masters of Foxhounds Association
YOUNG ENTRY
KAREN KANDRA
Sammy and Sapphire at Bryn Mawr Hound Show.
Sammy and Sapphire A junior handler has an affinity with a champion.
I
T’S NOT SURPRISING to find a hound with Midland Fox Hounds breeding at the top of the show placings. It’s also not surprising to find a Green Springs Valley youngster standing up her junior handler entry like a pro. In the case of Sapphire and seven-year-old Sammy Michel, the same hound does it all. When Green Spring Valley (MD) Sapphire ’18 was named Champion Crossbred Foxhound at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show in June, the honor capped off a remarkable series of wins. A week earlier, Coleman Perrin, ex-MFH, 30 | COVERTSIDE
BY MARTHA DRUM
Deep Run Hunt (VA), chose the beautifully balanced bitch as Grand Champion at the Virginia Foxhound Show — shortly after he’d awarded her dam, Midland Shilo ’15, the Benjamin Hardaway Trophy for top performance trial hound. Sapphire also won the packed junior handler classes at both competitions — and at the earlier Maryland Puppy Show as well — with her devoted young friend, Samantha Michel. The daughter of Bull Run Hunt’s (VA) new huntsman Tim Michel and his wife Jody, Sammy has had a special bond with Sapphire since her litter was whelped at Midland.
Michel explained that the unusually close relationship between the hunting hound and Sammy began when he left Green Spring Valley to whipin at Midland for the 2016-17 season. “Midland Crusher ’13 was the sire and I was instantly keen on the puppies. Sapphire was what I guess you could call the runt of the litter — she required a bit more attention than the rest.” When Green Spring invited Michel to return to Maryland as first whipperin, Midland’s huntsman Ken George and Master Mason Lampton gave him Sapphire. “That’s where Sammy came
into the picture,” Michel recalls. “I actually brought Sapphire into the house for a week before I departed Georgia, just to put a little extra weight on her, and Sammy took over from there! She spent every second of her spare time caring for Sapphire, who even snuck into Sammy’s bed a time or two.” Sammy added that she’s been helping her dad in kennels for years. Her favorite aspects of hunt staff life are “being a part of the hounds and watching puppies being born,” she says. Back in Maryland, Green Spring Valley Huntsman Ashley Hubbard recognized Sapphire’s developing potential as a top hound show competitor — but he also knew she and Sammy would stand out in the junior handler classes. “As far as convincing Ashley to allow Sammy to show Sapphire, it was always an understanding that Sapphire was Sammy’s hound,” Michel said of Hubbard’s support. “We could walk the hounds out, and the second Sapphire would see Sammy, she would do whatever it took to go get a pat from her best friend!” The junior classes at Maryland, Virginia, and Bryn Mawr are large, despite being split into older and younger age groups, and the lengthy stretch in the ring can test the patience of both hound and child. “The biggest challenge is getting the hound’s attention,” Sammy says. “It helps to pick a hound that has a good relationship
HUNT NIGHT
Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 with you. Sapphire is always paying attention, and she thinks showing is really fun.” Spectators and past judges at both shows commented on Sapphire’s faultless, classical proportions. Like her dam Shilo, Sapphire is also a keen member of the pack. Michel observes, “Sapphire will be going into her second season and I expect her to stay on track and continue to mature into a great hunting bitch.” Her victory at Virginia, with her dam’s win in the performance trial hound class just moments earlier, underscored the versatile success of the Midland breeding program.
While Sapphire will remain with Hubbard, Michel looks forward to Sammy joining the active group of juniors at Bull Run this fall. “I think having children involved with the hounds is very important. It gives them a chance to become familiar personally with hounds, which makes them feel more comfortable around a hunt. Let’s face it, they are the future of the sport.” Sammy concurs: “The advice I would give another child who was thinking about helping in the kennels is to spend as much time there as you can — it is a lot of fun!”
PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL HORSE SHOW Presented by Kinsley Construction HUNT NIGHT RECEPTION
• 5:30-7:00 pm: Cash Bar & Buffet • 6:30-8:00 pm: Desserts
“The Trump Garden”
Upper Concourse, Sections 8 - 10
New for 2019:
Pre-Purchase Reception Tickets Only No Tickets Available Day of Event
Contact Christa Aufiero at the PNHS Office 717-770-0222 • Email: Christa@PAnational.org
Brittany Oliver Photo
HUNT NIGHT COMPETITION Begins at 6:30 pm
KAREN KANDRA
Field Hunters, Parade of Foxhounds, Gentleman’s and Ladies Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Teams Sammy and Sapphire with the win at the Virginia Hound Show.
www.PAnational.org FALL 2019 | 31
THE HOUND
JOANNE MAISANO
Champion Blue Ridge Rambler was the result of a pairing of good nose and voice, and strong hunting drive.
Keen and Sporting
Blue Ridge Rambler ’18 makes an impression.
B
BY MARTHA DRUM
phies from hound shows. The Buston is admired for develLUE RIDGE oping a keen, sporting pack that big, blue- and red-ticked RamRAMBLER ’18 was bler caught judges’ eyes before crowned Champion presses quarry across some of his first season in the field and northern Virginia’s most storied Foxhound and Best has lived up to his promise as hunt country. Buston’s top goal in Show at the Bryn Mawr an athletic, determined member is finding matches to sharpen Hound Show in June. The of the pack. striking English Arapahoe Hunt hound has drawn The big, blue- and red-ticked (CO) Master Marvin praise from top Rambler caught judges’ eyes before Beeman, DVM, who judges in his first his first season in the field and has judged Rambler at two seasons in the ring. Blue lived up to his promise as an athletic, Bryn Mawr, is known for his popular lecture Ridge Huntsman determined member of the pack. on conformation Graham Buston and how form folshares the breedlows function. Indeed, Buston the pack, but in recent years, ing priorities that produced a had specific functional goals Blue Ridge has also brought great-looking and great-huntin mind when he selected a home many tricolors and troing dog. 32 | COVERTSIDE
stallion hound for his hunting bitch, Heythrop Rattle ’11. “I was hunting Rattle and I liked her nose and voice, but she was lacking the drive I like my hounds to have.” He began to search for a complementary dog. “I evaluate potential hounds for breeding by watching them out hunting. I watch their strengths and their weaknesses. If I don’t have some of the traits I need in the kennel to breed from, I go outside my kennel, searching for them.” Relying on the network of fellow huntsmen and opportunities to hunt away from home, Buston settled on an English hound at Green Spring Valley (MD). “I made a few inquiries, hunted with a few packs, and chose GSV Fanshaw ’14. He had what I wanted when I saw him hunting. The result of this cross gave me a litter with good conformation and drive like the sire, and the deep voice and some coloring from the dam.” That good conformation earned praise from last year’s Bryn Mawr Foxhound Champion and Best in Show judge, Marty Wood, MFH, Live Oak Hounds (FL), who commented to the spectators that Rambler — just 14 months old at the time — was “a big, strapping, good-moving hound, a lovely dog,” although he named Rambler Reserve Champion to Potomac Hunt’s (MD) mighty Kermit that day. A few weeks later, Wood again shared his analysis of Rambler’s conformation at the MFHA Seminar at Mount Vernon. “He has all of the points
you want to see in a high-quality hound. A lovely swan neck, dropping into a good strong shoulder,” Wood explained to the crowd, which included curious tourists as well as experienced hound breeders. “Most importantly, and this is really typical of a good, classic English foxhound, is the depth he’s got from his withers to the bottom of his chest.” Wood added that as a judge, he can’t evaluate a hound’s drive or its heart, and Buston agreed on the necessity of seeing hounds hunt before making breeding decisions. “Hound shows are good to attend to see what type of hounds are out there, and what others are breeding to, but you cannot evaluate a proper hunting
hound on the day,” Buston says. “Visiting other kennels is always a good idea throughout the year. Have a look over the huntsman’s choices and also look over their progeny that has hunted from that line. How are they hunting?” Last spring, Dr. Beeman asked Buston to stand the hound up from various angles for the audience as he outlined his outstanding proportions, particularly his legs and feet — form following function. “He is beautifully built. This hound will be one that you’d say will go a long time and do a really good job.” Buston describes Rambler and his siblings as pleasant, happy hounds in kennels and athletic and hard-driving in the field. He’s already thinking
ahead to the next generation. “The type of bitches I’ll choose for Rambler from my kennel are two different types. One is a half Penn-Marydel, half English bitch with plenty of nose, voice, and drive. I also have a couple of English bitches in mind for him, that have good voice that would suit him and his build, and those puppies will be full English.” The Blue Ridge pack will continue to
provide good sport — and probably some more champions on the boards, as well. To view videos of Dr. Beeman’s comments from Bryn Mawr and Marty Wood’s comments from the seminar at Mount Vernon, visit the MFHA Facebook page and scroll through the Videos tab.
BUSTON’S ADVICE FOR NOVICE HUNTSMEN:
JOANNE MAISANO
“Breed a pack of hounds for your country or territory and always look to improve your pack! Just because you breed a litter, it doesn’t mean it always will work out for you, or your territory. It may suit someone else’s hunt territory better. Always consider drafting. Draft in. Draft out.” When visiting other kennels, don’t overlook older dogs as potential sires. “I received a piece of advice years ago from a renowned hound breeder: ‘If that old dog is still in the kennel, he has to be in there for the hunting! Breed a pack for the hunt season, not the show season.’” Rambler (let) on the boards at Virginia.
FALL 2019 | 33
COURTESY ELIZABETH ZUELKE
HOUSE HOUNDS
Eden poses in Elizabeth’s convertible for her adoring fans.
The Ambassador of Foxhunting
A retiree educates her adoring public. BY ELIZABETH ZUELKE
“Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.” – W.R. Purche
F
OUR YEARS AGO I decided it was time to get a dog. I achieved a place in my career where I wasn’t in the office until 10 o’clock at night, and I had just purchased my first home in Memphis, Tennessee. I was settled and ready. I just needed the dog. I knew I wanted a laid-back, easy keeper with a known history. After I had applied to a few rescue societies and had been passed over for families with bigger backyards and
34 | COVERTSIDE
children, my mother suggested a retired foxhound. Having grown up hunting with the Mooreland Hunt in Alabama, I knew where I might find one — or forty. That’s how I found myself standing in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in Huntsville, holding a leash attached to Eden, who looked as petrified as I felt. Following the briefest list of recommendations for her care and a “Call if you have any serious issues” from our huntsman, she was mine.
I was a little nervous that I couldn’t convert a working hound into a house pet. Eden hated sleeping in a crate and hid at the sound of the ice maker, the doorbell, the garage door, the TV, or just about anything that went bump in the night. At a loss for what to do and thinking maybe she missed her four-legged friends, I decided to take her to the dog park. Upon arrival, Eden did not take off running and playing with the other pups. Instead, she made a bee-line for every park bench, stopping at each person to beg for an ear rub or a ride home. Discouraged, I tried to get her to play with the other dogs. She answered my efforts by jumping up on an unoccupied bench and howling bloody murder. Her howling summoned a curious pack over to investigate. Surrounded on all sides, Eden refused to move from her post, and I ended up carrying my seventy-five-pound dog out of the dog park. Then it dawned on me. Eden had no interest in being treated like a dog or doing “dog things.” The first thing I did when I got home was to pack up her crate. From that night on she slept like a baby sprawled over most of my bed. She quickly learned how to let me know when something did not meet with her approval; and instead of dog parks, we started going to outdoor happy hours at the local bars, football game tailgates, and drives in the convertible with the top down — because what better way was there for her to look upon her adoring fans? Eden was an honorary member of my book club, a
frequent overnight guest when visiting friends, and the best horse show companion. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she had found a new role as foxhunting ambassador. Her size and unique looks always drew people to her, and her gentle, friendly demeanor meant most passersby would stop to scratch her ears. (She wasn’t stupid; she knew how to work an angle). I was often asked what breed of dog she was, giving me a rare opportunity to share a little bit about our sport. Telling her story to the general public demonstrated how much we care for these incredible animals and the remarkable things they are capable of doing with their noses. Allowing others to interact with Eden going about our daily activities presented a sharp contrast to the images evoked by animal rights advocates. She was not a cold-blooded killer or the least bit mistreated. She was a powerful, gifted animal that had put her talents to good use and was now taking in the good life in her old age. And I like to think most who met her left with a little more appreciation and understanding of the sport. After lots of adventures, I had to say goodbye to my sweet friend this past winter. I am a little lost without Eden, but I know wherever she is there are plenty of coyotes to chase, warm beds, and sunshine, and more importantly, people she has to greet. Elizabeth Zuelke lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her newly retired companion, Mooreland Wary ’12, and her horse, Andy. She has been a member of the Mooreland Hunt since she was 5.
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FALL 2019 | 35
LAST RUN OF THE DAY Liz Callar
Fox Looking Away Liz Callar captured this fox while photographing the Orange County Hounds in Virginia.
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.
36 | COVERTSIDE
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