LEISHMANIASIS RESEACH • COVERTSIDE’S 25TH BIRTHDAY • GIFT GUIDE
THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING
WINTER 2019 • $5.00
THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687- 6500
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CLEREMONT
LEESBURG LAND
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
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.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
TRAPPE HILL FARM
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
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
MUSTER LANE
The Plains ~ 108 Acres. This Stately and Historic Estate with its grand rooms 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 wooded trails and open pastures. $7,250,000
TULEYRIES
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 ~ Custom residence on 16 Acres minutes from Middleburg, 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 Pool, 2 Stocked Ponds, High Speed Internet, Whole House Generator and Geothermal Heating/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
CROSSWINDS
Delaplane ~ 72 Acre Horse Property in Piedmont Hunt Territory. Handsome 7 stall stable perfectly sited for cross ventilation and features an upscale 1 bedroom + den apartment with screened porch. Perfect for training Cross County/Eventing. Uphill gallop with good elevation, 100’ x 200’ riding ring with all weather footing, 5 fenced paddocks and 2 run-in sheds. $1,050,000
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
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houndS on The high SeaS • in Land We TruST • BarcLay on LeaderShip
WINTER 2019 • VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4 The Magazine of MounTed foxhunTing
Features
Page 26
Covertside’s 25th Anniversary
Cover_Spring2010.indd 1
2 4
16
HEALTHY HOUNDS, HEALTHY HUMANS
BY AMY LIN ENGLE
A new study using foxhounds sheds light on tick-borne illness.
20
LONGEVITY IN ACTION
BY SALLEY MCINERNEY AND KIRSTEN COOK
The Camden and Loudoun Hunts celebrate historic milestones.
26
COVERTSIDE’S 25TH
A tribute in pictures
28
SEVENTY SEASONS AND COUNTING
Judith Jefferis started foxhunting in Pony Club and continues today.
2/2/10 7:30:48 AM
FROM THE PUBLISHER Anniversaries! GONE AWAY Those we lost in 2019
10
12
6
ASK THE HUNTSMAN Great sport ahead for Emily Melton.
8
GIVE VOICE Learning from each other
THE FIELD HUNTER Smooth operator ANNUAL FOXHUNTING GIFT GUIDE
30
FARE AND FLASK Sweet as pie
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LAST RUN Red Rock Winter
ON OUR COVER: Rosslyn Balding, Huntsman for Toronto and North York Hunt, moving off on a snow swept day from their kennels property in Mulmur, Ontario. PHOTO: Karin McDonald
WINTER 2019 | 1
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Anniversaries! see Michelle’s smile in the field, and our younger members are leading the field or whipping-in or hunting the hounds. Ten years: I’m thinking about that because this November marks ten years since I signed on the dotted line to take over the editorship of Covertside. What an exhilarating ride! I’ve learned so much and met so many new friends. In this issue, we celebrate anniversaries: Covertside’s 25th, for one, and journalist Salley McInerney honors The Camden Hunt for 90 years with a beautifully written and wise piece. Loudoun Hunt, with its rich history, is 125 years old. And, since we have so many anniversaries, we meet Judith Jefferis, who started her 70th (yes, that’s right) season hunting this fall. If you are celebrating a milestone
ROBERT KORNACKI
R
ECENTLY I INTRODUCED A DRESSAGE FRIEND TO FOXHUNTING. She came to an autumn meet in October, and I paired her up with a buddy in second field (I was whipping-in). It was a perfect fall day — blue sky for miles, yellow and orange colors in the landscape, soft sandy footing (like a dressage arena, only with cactus and sagebrush to dodge). We rode about 14 miles, mostly walking and trotting, as it was warm and dry and the scenting was poor. Periodically I’d look back to see Michelle smiling. The next day I got a text: “That was exhilarating!” And another convert is born. Exhilarating — this and the community that gathers around that excitement is what draws people to foxhunting. I hope that when I look ten years down the road, I still
hunt anniversary, send us your story, or any other news about your hunt. We’re always looking for great tales. And in the meantime, happy hunting!
Emily Esterson Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
WINTER 2019 MASTERS OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 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 MFHA FOUNDATION Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • President PO Box 207, Mddileburg, VA 20118 (540) 883-0883 HUNT STAFF BENEFIT FOUNDATION Nancy Stahl, MFH • President PO Box 207, Middleburg, VA 20118 (540) 883-0883 COVERTSIDE EDITORIAL BOARD Leslie Crosby, MFH Penny Denegre, MFH Emily Esterson, Editor-in-Chief Patrick A. Leahy, MFH
2 | COVERTSIDE
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
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ PUBLISHER EMILY ESTERSON publisher@covertside.net 505-553-2671 ART DIRECTOR GLENNA STOCKS production@covertside.net STAFF WRITER EMILY DAILY edaily@covertside.net ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
SALES MANAGER CHERYL MICROUTSICOS sales@covertside.net 434-664-7057 KATHY DRESS kdress@ptd.net TOM KIRLIN Tkirlin@covertside.net
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 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 207, Middleburg, VA 20118. COVERTSIDE READERS: Direct all correspondence to the same address. (540) 883-0883. Website: www.mfha.com
MASTER’S DINNER, ANNUAL MEETING AND MASTERS’ BALL IN
We invite you
New York
to join us in New York for the 2020 MFHA Annual Meeting and festivities,
January 30 & 31, 2020
beginningonThursdayeveningwiththe MastersDinner,theAnnualMeetingand Fridayevening’snot-to-be-missedBall. New Masters will also benefit from a special seminar focusing on their concerns and responsibilities; Marty Wood, MFH Live Oak Hounds, will address this group. And as always, the Ball at the Pierre Grand Ballroom will be a high-energy conclusion to the business meetings. Make plans now to reserve rooms at the best rate!
THE UNION CLUB will again host the Masters’ Dinner and Annual Meeting, while the elegant PIERRE
HOTEL once more hosts the New Masters’ lunch and seminar, and Friday evening’s ball.
MAKE RESERVATIONS Visit www.mfha.com for reservation information. RSVP by January 23rd. or register online at www.mfha.com.
JANUARY 30
JANUARY 31
12:00 P.M. NEW MASTERS’ LUNCH & SEMINAR
9:00 A.M. ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING
(invitations will be sent to new Masters)
Where: The Union Club
Where: The Pierre
Details: Cocktail reception immediately
Details: A chance for new Masters to meet
following. Must be a current
the MFHA Board of Directors. Seminar will
subscribing member to attend
begin immediately following lunch and
(jacket and tie required)
will be led by past MFHA President Marty
Keynote Speaker: TBD
Wood, MFH Live Oak Hounds.
The Pierre ROOM BLOCKS ARE RESERVED AT THE PIERRE (800) 743-7734 $410/night - standard $465/night - city view Reserve your room by December 23, 2019 To receive MFHA discounted rate, reservations must be made directly with The Pierre, not through a travel agent.
7:00 P.M. MASTERS’ DINNER
7:00 P.M. MASTERS’ BALL
Cocktails at 7 p.m., Dinner at 8 p.m.
Cocktails at 7 p.m., Dinner at 8 p.m.
Where: The Union Club*
Where: The Piere
Cost: $275/pp
Cost: $300/pp
Details: Masters and ex-Masters only
Details: Must be a current subscribing
*Jacket & tie required, jeans not permitted at The Union Club. No cell phone/tablets/ cameras are allowed.
member to attend For more information: Please contact Yolanda Knowlton, MFH at (914) 393-9916 (yoliknow@aol. com) or the MFHA Office at 540-880-0883.
ATTIRE Meetings - jacket and tie Master’s Dinner - formal, men in scarlet; women in black or white. Masters’ Ball - formal, (men in scarlet or tux) white or black gowns are traditional.
For additional information visit WWW.MFHA.COM
THE CLUB
ing the daunting Maryland Hunt
a native of suburban Philadel-
Cup race 21 times and winning
phia. He attended Episcopal
it three times in three decades.
Academy, Amherst College in
For 10 years he was the leading
Pre-Med, and earned an ad-
amateur steeplechase jockey in
ditional degree in Agriculture
North America.
LOUIS “PADDY” NEILSON,
MR. STEWART’S CHESHIRE FOXHOUNDS
A passionate foxhunter, Paddy hunted with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds since childhood and served as full-time honorary whipper-in
HENRY N. WOOLMAN, EX-MFH, ORANGE COUNTY HUNT 1932-2019
for the last 13 years, jumping his last fence in the line of duty
from Penn State. Foxhunting and cattle farming brought him to Virginia where he enjoyed a full and productive life. Hank was a lineal decedent and member of The Society of the Cincinnati, a life member of Trout Unlimited, and a relative
just a couple of weeks before
HENRY N. WOOLMAN III, age
of John Woolman, a founder
his death. Members of the hunt
87, left this life peacefully on July
of the Quaker Congregation
community could always count
27, 2019. Hank was well known
of Philadelphia.
Legendary horseman and
on Paddy’s big smile, great
and respected in the Middle-
former MFH of Mr. Stewart’s
sense of humor, deep knowl-
burg/The Plains area among
Cheshire Foxhounds, LOUIS
edge, encouragement, and
the foxhunting and fly-fishing
“PADDY” NEILSON III, died
incredible riding skill. He could
communities, as he was well
Thursday, September 5, at the
always wow the field by trotting
known for being a Joint MFH
age of 77. He was the husband
up to a formidable four-foot-
for the Orange County Hunt in
of Toinette Phillips Neilson,
plus four-rail and popping
the mid-sixties. After losing the
with whom he shared 31 years
over with style and grace. He
fingers on his right hand in a
of marriage.
served as Master of Foxhounds
farming accident, he returned
alongside his daughter Sanna,
to hunting at the bidding of Eve
in 1942, Paddy was the son of
and chaired Cheshire’s most
Fout to be the Honorary Hunts-
the late Louis Neilson Jr. and
successful point-to-point races
man for the MOC Beagles (Pony
Katherine Pell Neilson. A gradu-
earlier this year.
Club) for 22 years, assisting in
1942-2019
Born in Glen Cove, New York
ate of Gilman School, Princeton
Paddy was also very civic-
nurturing many future foxhunt-
University and the Wharton
minded. During the Vietnam
ers. Hank was also a hound show
Business School, Paddy began
War era, he was a member of
judge for over 30 years. He was
riding at age six, rode his first
the First City Troop in Philadel-
well known for his handmade
race at 14 and won Maryland’s
phia, a division of the Na-
bamboo fly rods and hand-tied
Grand National at 15.
tional Guard. He was actively
flies in his Middleburg Outdoors-
involved with London Grove
man Shop.
Paddy was a corporate bond
DR. GEORGE SEIER
broker for Alex. Brown & Sons
Township as chairman of the
in Philadelphia for years while
Open Space Committee and
wife, Marcia, sister Joan Glenn
foxhunting, galloping race hors-
the Parks and Recreation Com-
of Glenmore, Pennsylvania, two
es, and riding races on the side.
mittee. He had many lifelong
sons Michael (Va.) and Andy
He left the business world to
friends and befriended strang-
Woolman (Ca.), and many
devote his life to horses, and he
ers wherever he went. No one
grandchildren and great grand-
DR. GEORGE SEIER, 71, passed
was renowned for four decades
will forget his enormous smile
children. His oldest son, Henry
away in August in a boating
of winning races, including rid-
and contagious laugh.
IV, predeceased him. Hank was
accident while vacationing in
4 | COVERTSIDE
Hank is survived by his loving
EX-MFH, MIDLAND FOX HOUNDS 1948-2019
Michigan. George and his wife
George graduated from the
Mary Susan lived on a small
Auburn University School of
farm just outside of Prattville,
Veterinary Medicine in 1972
Alabama, and enjoyed country
and later established Cobbs
life with all their pets including
Ford Pet Health Center, a
horses. George was a Master
state-of-the-art clinic. George
of the Midland Fox Hounds for
always remained dedicated to
many years, and was involved
studying and mastering new
in writing the “MFHA Kennel
techniques, and his was the
Notebook,” a guide for the
first private clinic in Alabama
care and management of a
to offer laser surgery for ani-
foxhound pack. He updated
mals. He was dedicated to his
the “Kennel Notebook” again
work and was every animal’s
a few years ago, and was
friend.
involved in MFHA’s work with
He is survived by his wife of
Dr. Christine Petersen, who
38 years, Mary Susan Garrett
has been studying leishmani-
Seier; a daughter, Laura Susan
asis and tick-borne illness in
Hooper Thornton and her hus-
foxhounds. George was a
band, Joe; a sister, Louise Seier
much-adored father, healer,
Poundstone and her husband,
and friend to many.
Mike; and his grandchildren,
“George was a man of sci-
Joseph Seier Thornton, Mary
ence with an amazing intellec-
George Thornton, and Dalton
tual curiosity that carried him
Cross Hooper. He was pre-
into many fields of medicine,”
ceded in death by two sons,
said Mason Lampton, Master
Dallas James Hooper and
of Midland Fox Hounds. “I will
David Garrett Hooper, and by
always be amazed at his skills
his parents, George Fletcher
in orthopedics, artificial insem-
Seier and Page Haralson Seier.
ination, and diagnosis. Many a
Mary Susan Seier has set
hound that had torn ACLs was
up an annual scholarship fund
returned to the hunting world
in George’s name at Auburn
through his brilliance. There
University College of Veteri-
is no doubt that he loved the
nary Medicine. To make a gift,
high performance of a hound.”
mail a check to the Dr. George
George led the field for the
F. Seier Jr. ’72 Annual Schol-
last 40 years. Lampton said,
arship, c/o Diana Turner, 104
“He always knew the lay of the
Greene Hall, Auburn, Il. 36849.
land. He knew the dangerous
You may also donate online at
creek crossings, the jumps
www.auburn.edu/give.
that were difficult, and who could ride and who could not. They felt safe with George.”
WINTER 2019 | 5
ASK THE HUNTSMAN
Emily Melton embraces her new
VICTORIA BRESMETH
role as huntsman.
Great Sport Ahead
Emily Melton embraces her new role as huntsman for the New Market-Middletown Valley Hounds.
T
HIS SEASON, Emily Melton is taking over the reins as huntsman for the Maryland-based New MarketMiddletown Valley Hounds. In late summer, we caught up with Emily to find out about the challenges she faces as a huntsman and what she’s looking forward to in her new position. Emily previously served as whipper-in for Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds and she is also a 2014 graduate of the MFHA’s Professional Development Program.
Covertside: How did you first get involved with foxhunting? Melton: I became involved in hunting as a junior. The barn where I worked was a short hack from the Howard CountyIron Bridge Hounds kennel and my friend and I would ride
6 | COVERTSIDE
over whenever they hunted from there. A few years later, I became staff groom and few years after that I started whipping-in.
Covertside: What are some of the challenges of being a new huntsman?
Melton: One of the main challenges of being a new huntsman is the pressure I put on myself for everything to get to my idea (or at least my current idea) of perfection.
taking all the knowledge I learned from others and my own experiences and making it my own. I just want to hunt hounds and provide great sport.
Covertside: Do you have any tactics to get to know the territory and each of the hounds?
Covertside: Who inspired you to begin hunting and ultimately take on a bigger role?
Melton: As far as getting to
Melton: So many people
know the territory, the Masters and I have been trail riding the fixtures. Also, I’ve been studying aerial maps. Learning the hounds was easy, that took two days. However, peoples’ names don’t come as easily! Daily walkouts and mounted hound exercises are some of the things we do to prep for the season. I’m excited to start staff hunting to get to really know the hounds.
have been an inspiration and encouraged me to be where I am today. There are too many to name, but I will say that Roger Scullin, [Master of Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds], probably started my passion when he invited me to be a whipper-in and it escalated from there.
Covertside: What are you most looking forward to in this new role? Melton: As cliché as it sounds, I’m most looking forward to
Covertside: What makes a hound truly special? Melton: My idea of a truly great hound is one with good fox sense, like he knows where to go to find the quarry, has drive but is biddable at the same time, and has great cry.
SUPPORT FOXHUNTING Become an MFHA Subscribing Member!
Join today for just $35 and receive all the benefits of an MFHA membership. Junior memberships are only $10 for those under the age of 18!
PENN-MARYDELS EXPLAINED • MOUNTAIN AND MUSE • SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: THE KIT
MFHA Subscribing Member Benefits Include: • Covertside magazine - 4 issues per year • Monthly eCovertside subscription • Members only events, contests, seminars, and Ball • Bumper Sticker • Eligible to receive a variety of discounts from MFHA sponsors
THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING
To join, make check payable to the MFHA and mail to: Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, PO Box 207 Middleburg, VA 20118 To pay by credit card, call 540-883-0883. Call 540-883-0883 or visit www.mfha.com to join today!
SUMMER 2015 • $5.00
Your valuable support of the MFHA and its foundations helps to promote and preserve foxhunting and countryside values.
GIVE VOICE
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Learning From Each Other Humility and community bring us together.
A
T MILL CREEK, WE OFFER HUNT CLINICS FOR
BY KEITH GRAY, MFH, MILL CREEK HUNT
of humor in foxhunting, as in life, goes a very long way:
THOSE INTERESTED IN OUR SPORT. During these clinics, adults behave in ways more typical of children on the first day of
kindergarten, and it always makes me smile. Excitement and anticipation are on full display. One of my favorite parts is the ice breaker, where we ask each member to share who they are, their horse’s name (that usually brings them out of their shell), and what kind of riding they do. As you might expect, everyone is a bit reserved, not wanting to look foolish or say something silly. To put them at ease, I then dip into my vast library of hunting tales specifically chosen to illus-
• The member who got dressed, hooked up the
WHY WE HUNT A continuing series on the spiritual, emotional, and practical reasons behind our captivating sport
trate the hilarious, sad, and sometimes unimaginable
trailer, and drove 90 minutes to the meet only to find that he forgot to load the horse. Lesson: Have a routine or you will forget something. • The hound who was picked up during a hunt, driven two miles away and locked in a horse stall, only to somehow show up with the pack an hour later after a heart-stopping run. Lesson: These hounds have a lot of drive. • The 12 hh pony and junior rider whose lead line slipped from the hand of the mortified parent who
situations in foxhunting that seem to spring on us when we least
was then forced to watch the pony follow the first field over a 3’
expect it. I also tell a few of the many the self-depreciating sto-
coop (everyone was fine). Lesson: We are riding herd animals
ries — all true — which serve to expose my human side. A sense
who won’t always do what we’d like them to do.
8 | COVERTSIDE
SETTING THE STANDARD
FOR 40 YEARS
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U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation
(Published in accordance with 707.8.3, Domestic Mail Manual) After I come clean on my own hunting adventures and mishaps
1.
Publication Title: Covertside
2.
Publication Number: 021-771
the room and ask people to share stories they have heard about
3.
Filing Date: 12/10/2018
foxhunting. This is a wonderful exercise on two levels: after
4.
Issue Frequency: Quarterly
hearing about my own ignorance and results, attendees are far
5.
less inhibited, and from this spring great questions. Secondly, their
Number of Issues Published Annually: 4
6.
Annual Subscription Price: $20.00
stories always lead to a teaching moment. Instead of listening to
7.
Mailing Address of Publication: E-squared Editorial Services, 2329 Lakeview Road SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105
12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months
Mailing Address of Headquarters: Masters of Foxhounds Association, P.O. Box 207, Middleburg, VA 20118.
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Fall 2019/ 10/31/2019
before I was smart enough to attend a hunt clinic, we go around
an orator drone on about his or her idea of the dos and don’ts of foxhunting, everyone is now more engaged, and what is said has more staying power. These discussions begin to give clinic attendees some insight into our sport well beyond the riding that most are there to experience. One of the reasons we hunt has to do with that very humility, and a reminder of our place in the grander world. Staff and field hunt with hounds that have been selectively bred for centuries to hunt fox/coyote, yet entire packs are routinely outsmarted by
9.
the way home when our horse is spent. Much of what we discuss in our hunt clinic has little to do with the actual act of hunting. Instead, we talk about the opportunities presented through hunting that allow us to experience the outdoors, our horses and hounds; to appreciate that helping hand, and to share a laugh at ourselves over a drink or a meal at the end of a glorious day. Keith Gray is Master of the Mill Creek Hunt in Illinois. He is a regular contributor to Covertside.
13. Publication Title: Covertside
Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Emily Esterson, 2329 Lakeview Road SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
6100 members, association; comp copies to supporters, advertisers & friends
them. Hunting also reminds us that we need each other, whether it be to borrow a stock tie pin, get a lead over a jump, or to show us
10. Owner: Masters of Foxhounds Association, P.O. Box 207 Middleburg, VA 20118. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Securities Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None
a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.
Total Number of Copies Paid Circulation(1) Mailed Outside by Other Classes of Mail Total Paid Distribution Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (1) Outside County (2) In-County (3) Mailed at Other Classes via USPS (4) Outside the Mail Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Total Distribution Copies not Distributed Total Percent Paid
Average No. Copies Each Issue Preceding 12 Months
No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date
5841
6266
5926 5926
6329 6329
49 0 0 0 49 5975 87 6062 99%
55 0 0 0 55 6384 125 6509 99%
16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Winter 2019 issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Manager, Billie-Jo Pearl
WINTER 2019 | 9
THE FIELD HUNTER
Claire Buchy hunts her French hounds from her gaited saddle horse.
Smooth Operator
A
A clever gaited mare proves to be the perfect huntsman’s horse in rugged central California. BY EMILY DAILY
SPOTTED SADDLE HORSE is a fairly unusual choice for a huntsman’s mount, but for Santa Ynez Valley Hounds’ Claire Buchy, her adroit gaited mare, Mademoiselle Señorita, has turned out to be an ideal partner to tackle the harsh hunting conditions of central California. A few years ago, Buchy was searching for “a slow, kind, patient horse” for hunting her puppy pack, and she soon acquired the then-five-yearold pinto mare from a friend in Wyoming. “[Her owner] 10 | COVERTSIDE
Kari told me she’s fully gaited and has no trot at all,” Buchy recounts. “I must admit that at the time I had only a very vague idea of what a gaited horse was. All that mattered to me was that the horse was broke to hounds.” Buchy confesses the “slow and patient” part got left in the trailer when they first unloaded Señorita, and even though the 15.2 hh mare has a great work ethic, she can be a handful sometimes. But over the past few seasons of hunting wild boar, coyote, and hare together over the rolling hills of the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos
valleys, Buchy discovered Señorita’s bravery is limitless. “She’ll go down a cliff if I ask her. She has never refused to go in the thickest brush, down or up the steepest hill, in the water or over the rocks. She is so surefooted I trust her with my life.” Not only is Buchy’s little mare bold, but she’s also quite clever. “Señorita is by far the smartest horse I have ever sat on,” says Buchy. “She gets it all right away. She is game for anything and so versatile. Señorita took to jumping with no problem, she won her first Limited Distance Endurance ride, and took Best Conditioned
on top of it. I even sorted cattle with her. She was like ‘Okay, stupid cows, I got this!’” But for all her courage, Señorita also has a heightened sense of self-preservation. “The thing is that there are so many Señorita-eating monsters around and she’ll do anything to stay in the middle of the hounds: ‘If they’re around me, I am safe!’” jokes Buchy. “That’s Señorita’s only downside. She thinks the horse killers are everywhere, and she makes sure we are not going to be dinner! We’ve come a long way though. She trusts me, and has her way of asking me ques-
tions, slightly turning her head and looking at me as if to say, ‘Are you sure? Really sure?’ ‘Yes, Señorita, we are going!’” Sired by a Tennessee Walker and out of a Standardbred mare, Senorita’s smooth, speedy gaits are ideal for long days in the hunt field, says Buchy. “She covers so much ground at a constant pace that at the end of the hunt day the average speed is always higher than with my other horses.” Now in her tenth year as huntsman at Santa Ynez Valley Hounds, Buchy is well known for her French Blanc et Noir and Gascon Saintongeois hounds, many of whom she imported from her home country of
France to help build her pack. “Their voice and cold nose are unmatchable!” asserts Buchy. “As I always say: ‘If a Gascon cannot smell it, nobody can!’ I often joke that my favorite Gascon hound Hubert can track down a dinosaur in the right conditions. “Mademoiselle Señorita gets along very well with the Gascon Saintongeois hounds because, in many ways, they’re made for the same duty: long, hard, strenuous, demanding jobs in extreme conditions. They are definitely not for everybody, but they sure fit me well!”
whiskey road foxhounds
Senorita likes to be in the middle of the pack.
Hunt Week 2020 february 5-11 aiken , south carolin a
Stirrup cups, hunt breakfasts and evening soirees hosted at some of the lovliest homes in historic Aiken. Please join us for some of the finest hunting in the South!
For additional information, please visit: whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com/huntweek Contact Barbara Nelson, MFH • wrfhhuntweek@gmail.com • (803) 443-1339
WINTER 2019 | 11
EDITORS’
ILLUSTRATION BY JOANNA CALDWELL
Holiday Picks SAM ROBINSON FINE ART: ORIGINAL AND COMMISSIONED OIL PAINTINGS A work of art is the finest gift possible. Sam Robinson offers a range of original works including modestly priced small works in watercolor and major oils on canvas. Looking for something more specific? A commission is the best way to get exactly what you want. Portrait commissions assume a person will be the subject, but widen your options, and consider a favorite horse, pet, or even a landscape view. Prices range from $1,500 to $15,000. Visit the website to get an idea of the work. Contact the artist at Samrobinsonfineart.com, sam@ samrobinsonfineart.com.
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WOODBURY WOMEN’S JACKET BY OUTBACK TRADING COMPANY
REDINGOTE OUTERWEAR Give the gift of warmth and simplicity with Redingote Outwear. Waterproof, breathable, and insulated, Redingote onepiece technical outwear simplifies staying warm between rides. Features pockets and storage options for everything from keys, phone, and wallet to crops, spurs, and treats. Priced at $278 and available from www.redingoteequestrian.com.
The Woodbury Women’s Jacket from Outback Trading Company is soft to the touch and water-resistant. With a lush Berber lining, it keeps you warm all winter long and features drawstring waistband, two-way zipper, hand warming chest pockets, dual-entry hip pockets, removable lined hood, and side snap riding gussets. This is one jacket you will live in all winter. Priced at $175.99 and available from www.OutbackTrading.com
HUNT WHIPS & HUNTING JOURNAL Hunting Stock Market can be a one-stop shop, offering hunt whips, stockties and pins, and hunting journals. Whips are available in sizes and models for ladies, gents, and children. White whips are available for hunt staff, as well as silver collar whips. All whips are engravable and come with a loop for attaching a whip thong, or as a cutting whip. Round out the perfect gift with a leather-bound hunt journal. Available in a variety of styles, including red Rexine, half-bound Tuscan or green leather. www. huntingstockmarket.com.
WINTER 2019 | 13
EDITORS’
Holiday
Picks
FOXHUNTER’S UMBRELLA Stay dry under a beautiful umbrella featuring Canvas Works Design’s painting “Coming Home II.” Made in England. $140.00 plus $15.00 shipping. canvasworksdesigns. com/the-foxhunters-umbrella/
TRYON TRAVEL OVERNIGHT BAG AND TWEED MANOR TOTE Pack your bags with the Tryon Travel Overnight and Tweed Manor Tote from Tucker Tweed. The Tryon Travel Overnight comes in nylon/leather with fox embossing and features open and zipper interior pockets. Priced at $239. The Tweed Manor Tote is black/chestnut leather with an adjustable wide shoulder strap, interior pockets for phone and keys, as well as a private zip pocket. Priced at $239. Available in select retail and online tack stores. For more information, visit www.Tucker Tweed.com.
WILLAMETTE COAST RIDE The Willamette Coast Ride experience is a little bit of Ireland on the West Coast of America. A European feel from your host and the horses, with the West Coast sense of adventure. The week offers rewarding riding spending quality, grounding time in nature and with our equine athletes that gives us time and place to feel part of the natural world, to appreciate its awesomeness, to let go of our man-made stress and high connectivity and reconnect with the land, the forest, and the surf. willamettecoastride.com/ the-experience/
ANTIQUE HUNT CROPS AND ONE OF A KIND JEWELRY An exceptional collection of antique hunt crops for the discriminating foxhunter and one-of-a-kind jewelry made from modern components and timeless and treasured antique pieces. Hunt crops are as useful carried in the hunt field today as they were when created. They are also decorative and collectible. www.theantiquehunt.com 804.389.7323 ebstutts@theantiquehunt.com
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MARK LEXTON SNAFFLE BIT JEWELRY Mark Lexton jewelry is always a favorite holiday gift. Snaffle Bit cufflinks in sterling silver with Lexton’s Snaffle Bit Ring in 14k gold. Rings range from $145–$775, cufflinks are $250. Snaffle Bit Collection available in sterling or gold! www.marklexton.com
SUPERIOR apparel that lasts
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For your online needs visit: www.horsenhound.com
WINTER 2019 | 15
DAVID TRAXLER
Happy healthy Iroquois hounds.
Healthy Hounds, Healthy Humans From leishmaniasis to Lyme, foxhounds are helping researchers gain insight into the treatment and prevention of tick-borne disease. BY AMY LIN ENGLE
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was reported and written earlier this summer, and shortly after, Dr. George Seier passed away at the age of 71. Seier was the author of the “MFHA Kennel Notebook,” a veterinarian and a veterinary surgeon. He lived in Prattville, Alabama, and was a Master of the Midland Fox Hounds from 1998 to 2016.
T
INY BUT DEADLY, THE TICK IS THAT EVER-PRESENT SCOURGE TO DOGS AND HUMANS ALIKE. As the climate has changed, ticks have spread, and tick-borne illness is becoming more prevalent. With an increase in tick exposure comes an increase in exposure to a whole host of diseases, many of which find their way, eventually, into foxhounds. Thanks to pioneering research conducted by Dr. Christine Petersen from the University of Iowa with support from the
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MFHA, we now know that the problem of tick-borne disease in hounds is not just an isolated problem that can be treated with the occasional topical application of toxic chemicals. Until now, Petersen’s work has been mainly focused on the problem of leishmaniasis, a disease that affects both dogs and humans. Leishmaniasis manifests in several different ways, but the most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores (more common in humans), and visceral leishmaniasis (seen frequently in foxhounds), which affects several internal organs, and is often fatal.
DR. CHRISTINE PETERSEN
XHOUNDS EXPOSED TO TICK-BORNE INFECTIONS
% of MD Foxhounds exposed to tick-borne infections
Leishmaniasis has been an increasingly common disease in foxhounds for a while, and is the main reason why Petersen felt compelled to develop a research project to study its progression, with the goal of developing better methods for prevention and treatment. Petersen proposed a vaccine trial to the MFHA Foundation Board of Directors, which they helped to fund. Over the course of that trial, she explains, “we started learning that the reason why more hunts were having trouble with leishmaniasis had to do with tick-borne disease. We discovered that there was a six-times higher rate of leishmaniasis with two or more exposures to tick-borne diseases, which is significant.” ON THE HUNT FOR A GOOD IMMUNE RESPONSE
As is so often the case with scientific research, the findings from this initial leishmaniasis vaccine study led to more questions, and the need for further research. So Petersen proposed a second study, which the MFHA Foundation also is helping to support. “The next step, which we’re hoping to take with this new study,” says Petersen, “is to find out what is happening to the hounds that get these tickborne infections. Specifically, we want to understand how these diseases are affecting their immune systems.” To try to get some answers, Petersen and her team put together a double blind, placebo trial to follow 50 dogs — foxhounds and Springer spaniels — over the next two years to study the dogs’ immune response to tick-borne infections. All dogs included in the study had no evidence of tick-borne disease at the outset, and were divided into
two groups: those given a top-tier tick prevention treatment (and expected to have zero exposure), and those given a standard treatment (this group is expected to end up with one to two tick-borne diseases by the end of the study). “What we’re hoping to learn,” explains Petersen, “is what is a good immune response — one that gets rid of the problem — and what immune response makes it worse?” Though the study is still in the early stages, Petersen’s team is already seeing results. What they’re noticing is that immune cells that lead to inflammation are higher in dogs with tick-borne diseases. This inflammation then presents as lameness, anemia, and even the loss of scenting ability. “One result, which we mostly saw in the Springer spaniel study group, is particularly interesting,” says Petersen. “We know that tick-borne disease can cause neurologic effects, which appears to be manifesting in dogs in a loss of their sense of smell. This isn’t something we see in humans since our sense of smell isn’t that prevalent, so instead it manifests as just lameness and anemia.” Petersen and her team have also observed an increase in a certain type of cell, Natural Killer T (NKT), in dogs that have tick-borne infection but are asymptomatic — in other words, they have Lyme disease or anaplasmosis, but are not getting sick. “So the question then becomes,” says Petersen, “how do we make this the primary immune response?” If the team can figure that out, the results could have huge implications, not just for foxhounds and hunting, but for the approximately 300,000 people diagnosed with Lyme disease in the United States every year. “It’s very exciting to see that these foxhounds might have something to tell us about Lyme disease and how we might treat it,” says Petersen. Until then, foxhunters can rest easy in the knowledge that the early results are pointing to an enormous benefit to the improved preventative treatment for tick-borne diseases. “Dogs are living, on average, two years longer,” says Petersen, “which is a significant amount of time for a foxhound.” AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION
This shift in focus — from treatment to prevention — was particularly exciting to Master of Midland Fox Hounds and author of “The Kennel Notebook.” Dr. George Seier, who passed away in the summer, noted at the time of the interview, “When I was putting together ‘The Kennel Notebook,’ the attitude toward dealing with tick-borne disease was always rather nonchalant. It was just assumed that hounds would get tick diseases, and when they did, staff would
WINTER WINTER2019 2019|| 17
LYME DISEASE MOST COMMON VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE IN U.S. Anaplasmosis Ehrlichiosis Babesiosis
just treat them with doxycycline and move on, as opposed to worrying about how to prevent those diseases in the first place — because that’s expensive and takes time.” And while Seier understood the reality of tight budgets, he also believed deeply that we owe it to our animals to be mindful of overall health in addition to keeping an eye on the bottom line. And although tradition is one of the hallmarks of the sport, Seier warned that entrenched routines can be a dangerous thing when it comes to hound care. “Foxhunters need to shift their perspective from thinking that if it wasn’t an issue in the past it won’t be an issue now,” he said. “Things are changing, and there is more opportunity for disease to spread, both through the movement of animals, both domestic and wild, and as a result of changing climate.” Add to that the rather drawn-out lifecycle of a tick — ticks must eat blood at each of four life stages in order to move on to the next one, and it can take up to three years to complete a full lifecycle — and the problem becomes even more complicated. “We’re seeing animals and parasites in places we have never seen them before,” said Seier, “and in order to fight the diseases that come along with these parasites, prevention is key.” He recommended that foxhunters take to heart the old adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It may be a hackneyed phrase, but by focusing on all
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the things that affect the immune system, from parasite control to nutrition to good breeding practices, hunts can create the best kind of snowball effect: one that leads to healthier hounds that can hunt harder over a longer period of time. HOUNDS HELPING HUMANS
And then there’s the bigger picture: with a better understanding of diseases like leishmaniasis and Lyme, we can not only keep our hounds healthier in support of the sport we all cherish, we may also have an impact on the health of humans. That’s a pretty exciting prospect, especially considering that most people who stand to benefit from this research may never have heard of foxhunting, or think of it as an anachronism from the Downton Abbey era. The implications of Petersen’s research could reach across species and provide new treatment options for the population of Americans, including hunt staff, who suffer from Lyme disease, or members of the armed forces who contract leishmaniasis while overseas. It’s a unique opportunity, and one that might be put to good use as a way to educate a whole new group of people about foxhunting while boosting the reputation of our sport and its leadership. Until then, what we are left with is a clear path forward when it comes to improving the overall health and longevity of our hounds by focusing on holistic care, including preventative parasite control.
Anniversaries
LONGEVITY IN ACTION Two hunts celebrate milestones
THE CAMDEN HUNT IS 90 BY SALLEY MCINERNEY
As The Camden Hunt in Camden in South Carolina celebrates its 90th year officially recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, I ask you to check your pony’s girth one more time, make sure your stirrups are a good length, and join me on a sentimental journey.
MULBERRY ARCHIVES
Ernest Woodward, MFH, Genesse Valley Hunt, and Camden Hunt MFH Martha Partridge, a founder of The Camden Hunt.
WINTER 2019 | 19
I
t begins on a Wednesday morning, in Columbia, South Carolina, in the early 1970s.
I had a note from my mother to deliver to the school principal asking that I be excused mid-morning to go foxhunting in nearby Camden. I suspect that note included some explanation of the hunt’s being a vital part of my education. (In fact, it was.) I would be one of several fellow riding students leaving school for that day’s hunt. One of those contemporaries, Bet Tarrant, recalled having an English teacher at Crayton Junior High School whose name was Mrs. Hines. “Mrs. Hines always knew where I was when I wasn’t in her class,” Ms. Tarrant said, “because I was riding with her daughter, MFH (Master of Foxhounds) Lucy Hines!” Released from school, we traveled 30 minutes to a farm called Belle Grove on the Bluff Road, southeast of Columbia. We put our riding clothes on in the car; I yanked my hair into two brown pigtails. Once at the farm, our riding teacher and the man who owned the Grove, Sinkler Manning, had pulled an enormous green International truck up to an earthen loading ramp located at a central cluster of barns, tack rooms and paddocks. Those students selected to hunt that day — you had to have ridden your horse so many times during the previous week — waited in line as Sinkler loaded them head to tail on the truck. “I was always on that truck,” said Boo Major, who rode incessantly, hunted a rambunctious gray named Ajax and who, years later, would become the successful head coach of the University of South Carolina’s equestrian team. We stashed our tack in a storage area underneath the truck, much like on a Greyhound bus, and off we went, bound for the heady experience that was foxhunting in Camden among a field of elegant, long-legged Thoroughbreds and nattily-dressed riders whose tall black boots fit their legs like gloves. Our boots were the one-size-fits-all kind, a relatively inexpensive brand as I remember, called Marlboros. (You were lucky to have Marlboros, ordered through the Miller’s catalogue or purchased from Ida Cushman at The Tack Room, which was then located in a small shop on DeKalb Street in Camden. You were likely to be wearing boots that someone else had worn before you.) Sinkler drove the International to the meet. I considered myself privileged to be able to ride in the cab with him whereas other teenaged riders followed in cars behind us.
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If memory serves me correctly, we rumbled down Highway 601 and took the left turn at Springdale Drive, not nearly so busy as it is today. Two more turns and we pulled into the steeplechase grounds where another earthen ramp was situated near a small, white cabin. That clapboard house served as home to the hunt’s huntsman and it is still there, used for storage. At this juncture, I’ve been told by fellow Belle Grove riders of that era that we also traveled to Dale and Judy Thiel’s equestrian spread, where we unloaded our ponies using a similar earthen ramp located where the double bank jump is now.
Huntsman Melissa Rice and whipper-in Lou Provenzano.
MELISSA KING
At the time, little did I know the vast contributions the Thiel couple made to the hunt over the years — much less the amazing support given by so many others. Of course, there was Martha Partridge, who, according to a book written by former Camden Hunt MFH Jeff McMahan, founded the hunt in 1926 along with “Mrs. Robert Deans, Mr. Henry G. Carrison, Jr., Mr. Nelson Aziel and Mr. Ralph Chase.” Curious to know of others who carried the torch for the hunt throughout the years, a friend offered me a list long of names, familiar to me and to the hunting community of Camden.
Recently when I was riding around the outside course at the old Thiel property — where one of those earthen ramps had been — I could sense my proximity to those early years of hunting. How lucky we all were to be galloping through the woods as opposed to sitting in a stuffy school classroom. The lessons we learned aboard our ponies were the stuff of life. Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead. Sue Provenzano, one of the hunt’s whippers-in, recalls a time more than 30 years ago when she came in from out of town and arrived at Max Bonham’s Camden Hunter Barn to lease a horse for an upcoming hunt. “Max always had an interesting assortment of ‘hunt’ horses available to lease out,” Ms. Provenzano said. WINTER 2019 | 21
Camden’s Start In 1926, an invitation was issued to people who loved to hunt and loved to ride to join a foxhunting club in Camden, South Carolina. “This club will be called The Camden Hunt Club,” the invitation said. “The dues for a season’s hunting, which will be from December 1st, 1926 to April 1st, 1927, are Ten Dollars. We plan to have a drag a week for the first two months, with two a week from then on. It is also hoped that there will be frequent fox hunts. Some jumps have been built this winter and with the paneling which the club expects to do next Fall, there will be four or five very sporty drag courses.” The invitation, issued by Martha Partridge and four other hunting enthusiasts, noted that the young club had purchased “a few Walker COURTESY NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE MUSEUM
hounds” – known for being vocal and having distinctive bays. Three years later, in 1929, the hunt was officially recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America.
“Early in the morning, before the hunt went out, I went over (to Max’s barn) to secure my mount. Max brought a horse out and my saddle got put on it. I got aboard — I’d known Max from his days up north in Ohio — and said, ‘OK, Max, has this horse hunted?’ No answer, just the wide, wonderful Max smile. Again, ‘Max, does he jump?’ Again, with that smile, Max whapped the horse’s rump and said, ‘Have a great ride!’ Three hours later, after discovering that maybe this horse hadn’t hunted before and maybe never even jumped before, we returned to the hunter barn. I got off and Max smiled and said, ‘So, does he jump?’ I responded, ‘He does now!’ Max didn’t charge me for that day.” After a 40-year lay-off from foxhunting, I returned to the field
several years ago. With a young gelding named Cort, I worked my way through third field to an occasional foray in first field. I know that the hunt is something deep as the woods we ride in, remarkable as the occasional glimpse of a fox stealing away into the morning mist, and beautiful as the spit-and-polish assemblage of horses, hounds and riders gathered for the day’s chase. To The Camden Hunt in its 90th year, to a tradition that gives our community a leg up in the wider world, congratulations from a gal whose brown pigtails have gone gray, but by golly, whose boots fit like a glove. Salley McInerney is an award-winning journalist. She lives in Camden, South Carolina, and rides with The Camden Hunt. This fall she will train to be a whipper-in with the hunt. Reprint permission given by the Camden Media Co.
Life Lessons Learned in the Camden Hunt Field • Take care of your mount first. Take care of the things that
• Spit and polish. It matters how you present yourself to others.
support you, that give you life.
• Aim for the middle of the jump.
run, a day in the hunt field,
problematic places to be.
pat your pony, hug your pony, love your pony. Gratitude.
• Maintain your distance from the • Check that girth one more time. You can never be too sure.
horse in front of you. Distance
• After a good jump, a long
The extreme left and right are
• Look ahead over a jump. It’s the
equals perspective, room to
future that matters, not what is
make changes.
behind you.
Gratitude. Gratitude. • And a last lesson —the one about never being too old to fly.
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LOUDOUN HUNT CELEBRATES 125 YEARS
Huntsman Ron Johnsey with Loudoun members.
EMILY BERNSTEIN
L
oudoun Hunt has been part of the foxhunting tradition in Loudoun County, Virginia, for 125 years.
Established in 1894 and recognized in 1905, the Loudoun Hunt continues to hunt a pack of American and Crossbred foxhounds in Loudoun County, Virginia. The Loudoun Hunt has a rich history. Many locally important and historic figures have featured prominently in the hunt’s more than 100-year history, from former Governor Westmoreland Davis, who served as Master of Foxhounds in the early 1900s, to First Lady Jackie Kennedy who occasionally hunted and showed horses with the hunt in the 1960s. In 1894, the hunt was originally established as the Loudoun County Hunt Club, hunting American foxhounds with its kennels located in Leesburg. Between 1894 and 1903, Loudoun Hunt hunted a pack from David Tennant and William Heflin. In 1905, the hunt was officially recognized by the then NSHA (National Steeplechase and Hunt Association).
The National Steeplechase Association (NSA) eventually dropped the ‘H’ from its title after it ceased to have an active role with hunting. Loudoun Hunt was first recognized by this association in 1903 with country first being recorded by the MFHA (Masters of Foxhounds Association) in January 1920. In 1906, the hunt purchased the entire pack of hounds from the Piedmont Hunt. Between 1906 and 1908, the territory was hunted by A. Henry Higginson’s Middlesex Foxhounds on an alternating schedule with the Loudoun Hunt. In 1906, the kennels were relocated to Westmoreland Davis’ Morven Park, according to A. Henry Higginson. Mr. Higginson’s hounds were kenneled at Mr. Davis’ Big Spring Farm. Also in 1906, the hunt purchased a small draft of American foxhounds from Mr. Bywaters of Culpeper, which began a breeding line for future Loudoun Hunt hounds. Mr. William Heflin hunted his own pack of hounds as “The Loudoun Hunt,” and was lent the hunt’s hounds in addition to his own. Mr. Heflin had hunted the country for twenty-five years with his own private pack. Between 1908 and 1910, the Loudoun Hunt country WINTER 2019 | 23
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was hunted five days a week by Loudoun and Harry Worcester Smith’s Grafton Hounds, again on an alternating schedule. In April 1912, Master Clarence Moore perished in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage; Moore had been pivotal in setting up the Chevy Chase Hunt Club in Washington, D.C. In 1915, the hunt purchased the dog hounds of the Middlesex Hounds and incorporated them into the Loudoun pack. The hunt went through two periods of inactivity, once from 1922 to 1929; in that year, the newly formed MFHA officially recorded Loudoun’s country. In 1930, the kennels were re-established two miles south of Leesburg. The second period of inactivity was during the war years of 1943-1946. It was eventually being re-established and reregistered in 1946 and re-recognized in 1947. From 19721994, the kennels were located in Leesburg for the American pack and at Hillbrook Farm, Hamilton for the English pack. MANY ACTIVITIES
In addition to foxhunting, Loudoun and Loudoun Fairfax Hunt host a point-to-point race every April. Historic Oatlands, near Leesburg, serves as a magnificent backdrop for this exhilarating test of horse and rider. Members volunteer their time to prepare the course, run the event, and clean up. In true fox
hunter fashion, Loudoun makes a party out of preparation. Furthermore, Loudoun Hunt continues to hunt a group of special American hounds. Huntsman Ron Johnsey spends countless hours caring for, training, and exercising our hounds. Ron is particularly excited about the newest additions to the Loudoun pack. They represent the first group of hounds to be produced from stock that Ron started in the hunt field. Loudoun Hunt gives participants the opportunity to observe hounds in the field doing what they have been bred and trained to do. Johnsey also organizes hound meet and greets for riders who would like to introduce their horses to hounds. Moreover, Loudoun Hunt recognizes the significance of getting youth involved in foxhunting. Several members that serve as mentors to riders who are new to riding to hounds. Adult riders that are new to riding or have a horse that is new to hunting are always welcome as well. Huntsman Johnsey helps set up a mentor to make the experience as much fun as possible. Enjoyment and positive experiences are first and foremost at Loudoun Hunt.
Reprinted from the Loudoun Hunt website, with additional material from Loudoun Hunt member Kirsten Cook
Paperback Book Cover Template
6” X 9” Book
(152.4mm X 228.6mm)
0.18” Spine Width (4.576mm)
White Paper
Front 6” x 9” (152.4 mm x 228.6 mm)
WINTER 2019 | 25
From a paper newsletter to a full color glossy, the magazine has evolved with the times.
Celebrates
FIRST ISSUE: The first eight-page newsletter called Covertside was sent to a small mailing list cobbled together by the Masters of Foxhounds Association. In the opening paragraph of that first March 1994 issue, editor Norm Fine wrote, “Covertside is a newsletter for foxhunters published by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America in the belief that improved communication cannot but help to strengthen the unity of our foxhunting community. Through these pages the MFHA wishes to reach all who love foxhunting—Masters, staff, and field members alike. 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.”
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Years
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2010
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M
HUNETR
THE HUNT ROSTER: For many years, The Chronicle of the Horse published the annual MFHA hunt roster in the pages of its autumn hunting issue. In 2010, the Hunt Roster was launched as a standalone publication, mailed directly to members with Covertside.
houndS on The high SeaS
The Magazine of MounTed
FAVORITE COVER: Photographer Henry Emslie, following Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds (PA) one day, sent Norm Fine, who was editor at the time, a head shot of a hunting friend, Beth LaMotte, completely plastered in mud from the top of her hunt cap to the bottom of her stock tie and coat collar.
• in Land We TruST • Barc
Lay on LeaderShip
foxhunTing
FIRST GLOSSY ISSUE: Ten years after the first issue of Covertside came out, the publication had grown enough to launch a glossy magazine, complete with advertising to help the publication become more financially viable.
REDESIGN OF COVERTSIDE: Emily Esterson, when she took over as editor, and Glenna Stocks, art director, redesigned the magazine in 2010 to give it a more modern look.
WINTER 2019 | 27
SEVENTY LEFT: Sisters Elise, Linda, Charlotte, her mother Evie, Judith, and her father Bruce. BELOW: Pony Club rally.
J
UDITH JEFFERIS TREASURES HER GREAT-GRANDFATHER’S SCARLET COAT. Made for him in 1906, it still has its original brass buttons with “MH” engraved on them. Today, she displays it in her living room. For Jefferis, it represents everything she is and came from. This season marks Jefferis’ seventieth season hunting with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds. Though she first took to the hunt field at four years old, Jefferis was born with decades of horsemanship and foxhunting in her blood. Her great-grandfather, William DuPont, owned and served as master of Montpelier Hounds in Orange County, Virginia. Her great aunt, Marion Scott, owned Battleship, the first American-owned horse to win the English Grand National in Judy leads the field in her 70th season. OPPOSITE: national showjumping Pony Club rally.
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1938. Her grandfather, William DuPont Jr., was Master of the Foxchaser Hounds in Fair Hill, Maryland. Her maternal grandmother, Jean Austin DuPont, hunted with Radnor Hunt, in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Evelyn Donaldson, a lifelong horsewoman and foxhunter, served as District Commissioner for Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds Pony Club. Her stepson, Donald Jefferis Jr., is a Master at The Green Creek Hunt in Chesnee, South Carolina. Jefferis herself is now a Field Master for Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds in her hometown of Unionville, Pennsylvania, where she grew up with three younger sisters. “I remember having to find and catch my gray pony in a large field at four a.m. in the pitch dark on foggy mornings,” she says. “The dew was often heavy so my little feet would be soaking wet before I got him to the barn. My mother would have gotten her horse and my younger sisters’ ponies ready with as much help from them as they were able to give her. Then, having forced my feet in their wet socks into my jodphur boots, we’d ride to the kennel or wherever hounds were meeting.”
SEASONS AND COUNTING JUDITH JEFFERIS HAS A LONG HISTORY BY EMILY DAILY
She still rises before the sun. Foxhunting forged that habit and a profound and lifelong self-assurance into Jefferis’ identity. Beyond the frequent pre-dawn lessons in grit and horsemanship, she learned self-sufficiency. She joined Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds Pony Club at its inception in 1954. She earned her A rating there, and later as a Pony Club instructor herself, most enjoyed teaching Stable Management. “Growing up, my experience was totally hands-on,” she says. “I mucked, clipped, tacked, and un-tacked, cleaned tack, polished boots, groomed, pulled manes, evaluated conformation, managed veterinary care, and drove trailers and vans.” She relished all parts of equestrian life, and competed in numerous disciplines over the years, including eventing and dressage. She also bred warmbloods. For her, the right horse for the hunt field is key. “There is an old-time horseman’s saying that goes something like, ‘No foot, no horse,’ which refers to the necessity of a sound horse. When it comes to my personal foxhunting mounts, I first look for a horse with a good mind and attitude,” she says. “I believe that the two most important gaits for a hunt horse are stand and walk. All horses can trot, canter, and gallop, but a horse that won’t stand, or jigs instead of walks would be no fun for me to hunt.” But Jefferis’ experience in the field goes much deeper than the right horse. Her mother would lead her and her sisters behind the rest of the hunt field when they were younger. Any friends with small children followed, too. “We were an unofficial field of our own,” Jefferis says. “People in the first flight were always amazed when we showed up at the earth, with [the Master] Mrs. Hannum’s permission, just as they and the hounds did. With her intimate knowledge of every gate and path in the country, and every fox’s normal running route, we took a slightly shorter loop than first flight did. And without
turning the fox or jumping a single fence in the Unionville country, known for its big jumps, we kept up.” Those were the moments that, even as a child, electrified Jefferis’ senses. “I do relish having the wind blow in my face and having the scent of ‘warm horse’ wafting into my nostrils as I gallop across the countryside following the pack in full cry,” she says. “I have always been intrigued with how clever the foxes are. They’d run through herds of cattle, down streams, backtrack, go across newly fertilized fields to throw hounds off their scent. The sound of the huntsman blowing ‘Gone Away’ on the horn, and the music of the pack in full cry was thrilling because I knew we’d be off and running behind them. I still find that thrilling.” Today Jefferis hunts Quarter Horses. She buys them in Wyoming, where she lives on her working cattle and horse ranch for eight months of the year. Then she ships them east in the fall. She keeps a home in Unionville so she can continue to lead Cheshire’s non-jumping field. “For the most part, we follow the track of the first flight, just going through gates or taking paths that go around the fences,” she explains, harking back to her early years hunting with her mother. “That’s easy for me to do since I learned the country so well as a child.”
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PHOTO CREDIT
FARE & FLASK
SWEET AS PIE This crowd-pleasing Amish Concord grape pie recipe goes hand in hand with autumn hunting. BY JENNER BRUNK
I
first became enamored with Concord grapes when I was a child, living on a small farm in Maryland. The farm was a place of magic for me, and I spent long hours exploring the fruit groves of apples, plums, and apricots. I combed the lawns for wild violets, and I was awed by the abundance of crocus, daffodil, jonquil, tulip, and lily of the valley in the overgrown hedgerows near our road. It was there that my mother first introduced me to the dark blueishpurple Concord grapes, which grew in tight clusters, wafting 30 | COVERTSIDE
an intoxicating aroma and a promise of the delicious dishes we would create from the fruit. A few decades later, I decided to put in an arbor at my own home in Virginia and planted several types of Concord grapes. I lost several vines over the years, once to my Appaloosa hunt horse Django who ate a year’s worth of growth on four stems, and once to my miniature donkey Nicodemus who got bored and found himself loose in my yard. Once a carpenter working on my kitchen renovation accidently snapped a vine just
six inches from the ground. I wanted to cry when I realized four years of growth was gone. Last season, only four of the vines had good fruit, but they grew grapes right to the ground since I had kept my greedy chickens confined to their henyard for the first time in years. It took me three days to harvest and another three days to process, but it was so worth it. The indisputable queen of Concord grape dishes has to be grape pie. It has few ingredients, but the results are indescribably heavenly. In my family, we loved this pie,
but it is quite labor intensive. My mother would tell us: “I will make as many pies as you squish grapes.” That was a good deal for her and for us. The grapes needed to be separated (the pulp from the skin) to be cooked for the pie. She had six children — so of course if we wanted pie, we could do the tedious part. Autumn hunting always starts at the same time as the Concord grape harvest. So, it was natural for this Mennonite girl to take a Concord grape pie to one of the early season Glenmore Hunt meets in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
the recipe
Decorative and delicious Concord grape pie is made from the plentiful harvest in October. Pressing the
AMISH CONCORD GRAPE PIE
cooked grapes through a sieve preserves the pulp without the seeds.
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
• 3 cups Concord grapes
Wash, drain, and stem the grapes. Pop the skins off and set aside. Simmer the pulp and any juice in a saucepan for about 5 minutes. As they cook, the grapes will go from pale translucent green to an opaque creamy white color. While still hot, press the pulp through a sieve, squeezing out all the juice and the pulp in order to remove the seeds, which you can discard. Then, add the skins back into the strained juice and puree — this will help create a wonderful texture to your pie. Add remaining ingredients and combine. Pour into pastry and top with crumbs.
• 1 cup sugar • 3 tablespoons flour • 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch or corn starch • 1 tablespoon butter • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • Prepared fresh pie crust
CRUMB TOPPING: • 1/4 cup melted butter • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 cup flour • Rub all three together to make fine crumbs.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper — the pie tends to bubble over as it cooks, and this will help you avoid a messy oven. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 for about 45 minutes more. After 20 minutes or so, cover the edges of the crust with foil to keep it from overdarkening. Allow to cool. I have sometimes made these in muffin tins for mini pie-tarts. I didn’t have enough pie crust on one occasion and cooked the extra filling in a small glass pan and served it on toast as fruit preserve to raves from my college friends. The leftovers were warmed and spooned over ice cream, which was even better.
Glenmore is my heart hunt, and my steadfast partner Django and I have many wonderful memories of galloping across the countryside. I’ve also been a member at Farmington Hunt and Stonewall Hounds. Stonewall’s beautiful red-and-white hounds are a rare treat to hear. Rockbridge Hunt, Oakridge Hunt, and Middlebrook Hunt are close by as well and I make it to the opening or closing hunts most years. I think my pies have been to almost all of these wonderful places. Jenner Brunk bakes and hunts in the Shenandoah Valley.
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LAST RUN OF THE DAY Craig Cozart
Red Rock Winter Craig Cozart captured Huntsman Angela Murray getting ready to blow her horn for the Red Rock hounds of Reno, Nevada
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
WINTER 2019 | 3
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