VOLUME XXXIII / NUMBER 3 • THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VIRGINIA STEEPLECHASE ASSOCIATION • FALL 2021
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
Virginia Hunt Week Is Back! Save the Dates: October 16-27, 2021 The always-popular Virginia Hunt Week features 11 days of hunting, each with a different hunt, plus one day of shopping/travel (or rest, as required!). Participating clubs encompass a wide range of Virginia’s storied foxhunting country. Registration forms and waivers will be available around September 1. Go to www.vahuntweek.org for more information. $300.00 for any member of a participating hunt. Juniors of participating hunts are free. $400.00 anyone not associated with a participating hunt.
Virginia Hunt Week 2021 schedule Saturday, October 16 Sunday, October 17 Monday, October 18 Tuesday, October 19 Wednesday, October 20 Thursday, October 21 Friday, October 22 Saturday, October 23 Sunday, October 24 Monday, October 25 Tuesday, October 26 Wednesday, October 27
Princess Anne Hunt Deep Run Hunt Caroline Hunt Oak Ridge Hunt Stonewall Hounds Farmington Hunt Bedford County Hunt Glenmore Hunt Rockbridge Hunt Shopping! Old Dominion Hounds Rappahannock Hunt
www.vahuntweek.org
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
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SPORTING LIFE HIGHLIGHTS Junior Field Hunter Championship Resumes in 2021 Following last year’s cancelation due to COVID concerns, the Junior North American Field Hunter Championship is back in full form this year. Qualifying meets are starting up in September leading to the finals to be held at Iroquois Hunt in Lexington, Ky., over the weekend of October 30-31. Most of the qualifying meets are scheduled from September through mid-October, but dates may vary depending on the hunting season in a given area. We suggest you check with your local hunt. As of press time, the schedule lists hunts in 16 US states— along the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida, across the Midwest through Ohio and Illinois, south to Alabama, and as far west as Washington—plus one Canadian province (Ontario) that are on board to host qualifiers. One change has been made to this year’s program to offset the effect of 2020’s cancellation. The upper age limit of 18 has been extended to 19 to
allow those juniors who would have aged out after last year’s competition to still have one more year of participation. This program is designed to achieve several important goals. Number one is for juniors to come together, get to know each other, form friendships that may last a lifetime, and enjoy foxhunting. Seeing juniors embrace the sport is a vivid way to remind hunt members how important juniors are to preserving both foxhunting and the countryside. The JNAFHC has proven to be a valuable tool in encouraging more cooperation among hunt clubs, thus strengthening the bonds of foxhunting throughout the country. Juniors travel around to the different participating hunts, enjoy hunting in new territory, and learn about the different hound packs. We encourage everyone who cares about the future of foxhunting to help support the JNAFHC. For more information, contact Carla Babcock at
Flora Hannum, Orange County Hounds, Champion, First Field 12 & Under, at the 2019 North American Junior Field Hunter Championship finals hosted by Old Dominion Hounds, Orlean, Virginia. Joanne Maisano photo
carla.babcock09@gmail.com, www.jnafhc.com, or visit the Junior North American Field Hunter Championship Facebook page.
Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship Returns Save the Dates: October 4-7, 2021 The Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship is back on track for this year. Scheduled for October 4-7, the week features four days of hunting in Virginia with Bull Run Hunt, Blue Ridge Hunt, Orange County Hounds, and Old Dominion Hounds, punctuated by evening social events (COVID protocols observed as necessary). Horses and riders will be judged by an illustrious panel of eminent foxhunters during each hunting day. Qualifying finalists are announced at the conclusion of each meet and those horse and rider combinations then gather on Saturday morning, October 9, at Glenwood Park, prior to the Virginia Fall Races held later that day, to contest a mock hunt and individual test. Best Turned Out judging will be held at 8 a.m. and the riding competition begins at 9 a.m. A $2000 prize will be awarded to the hunt of the Grand Champion Rider and $1000 will go to the Reserve Champion Rider’s hunt. In addition, $500 will be awarded to both the Grand Champion Rider and the Reserve Champion Rider. The Matthew Mackay-Smith Award for the highest placing Thoroughbred at the finals includes a donation of $250 from the Mackay-Smith family to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in the winning owner’s name. A cooler and trophy will also
aged to compete. Entry forms and information are available from the Virginia Fall Races website: VAFallRaces.com. For additional info.: karynwilson.fhc@gmail.com.
2019 Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Champion Skye’s Limit owned and ridden by Kate Gilhool of the Elkridge-Harford Hounds (MD). Douglas Lees photo
be presented. (The horse must be a registered Thoroughbred ridden by the owner, and the horse’s Jockey Club name must be included on the Entry Form.) Registration for the 2021 competition is $350 per horse and entries close September 17. The field is limited to 60 contestants. Juniors are also encour-
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Denny Bomar Liz Callar www.lizcallar.com Coady Photography Karen Kandra Douglas Lees douglaslees@comcast.net Joanne Maisano www.joannemaisano.com Diana Macdonald Tony Shore Michael Stevens VEA Photo Chandler Willett
At the end of the morning’s sport on the first day of informal autumn hunting, ILLUSTRATION August 3, Thornton Hill Hounds were Claudia Coleman ready for a refreshing dip in the pond. COVER PHOTO: Denny Bomar
is published 4 times a year. Editorial and Advertising Address: 60 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, VA 20186 For information and advertising rates, please call (540) 347-3141, fax (540) 347-7141 Space Deadline for the Holiday issue is Nov. 3, 2021. Payment in full due with copy. Publisher: Marion Maggiolo Managing Editor: J. Harris Anderson Advertising: Debbie Cutler (540) 347-3141, (800) 882-4868, Email: hcdebbiebtc@aol.com Contributors: J. Harris Anderson, Louise Carelsen, Will O’Keefe, Osmun, Virginia Equine Alliance, Jenny Young LAYOUT & DESIGN: Kate Houchin Copyright © 2021 In & Around Horse Country®. All Rights Reserved. Volume XXXIII, No. 3 POSTMASTER: CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Regular subscription 5 issues $25.00, U.S.A. First Class subscription $35.00, Europe, Canada, etc. $45.00
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FOXHUNTING
The Challenges of Leadership Recently Appointed Masters Share Their Thoughts on the MFH Role By J. Harris Anderson, Managing Editor In our previous issue, we recounted the Cloudline Hounds in nearby Celeste and the challenges faced by a professional huntsappealing social aspects inspired him join man when moving from one club to another the club. “I served as trails and coop main(“Musical Saddles,” Spring 2021). A central tenance person, then started whipping-in component of that process rested on the reabout three years ago.” Among our responlationship between the huntsman and the dents, Sam’s rise from non-hunter to master club’s masters. To consider the other side in five years could be considered meteoric. of that interaction, we reached out to a seBut then, they’re known for doing things lection of those who have recently (i.e., big in the Lone Star State. within the past three to four years) taken on If there’s anything akin to royal lineage the role of MFH. This, we felt, would allow in the foxhunting world, Joe Davies qualisufficient experience from which to speak fies for that distinction. His mother, Eleanor yet with the details of the transition still Tydings Russell, served as master for 25 fresh. years at Elkridge-Harford Hunt in MonkOf those we approached, six found the ton, Maryland, where Joe has hunted since time to respond and their input paints an inearly childhood. His father-in-law, Bruce structive picture of the shift from field Miller, was joint-master and renowned field member (and, for some, board member, A brief pause in the action allowed Bull Run MFH Jay Moore and followers a master at Mister Stewart’s Cheshire Foxfield leader, or whipper-in) to master. They chance to catch their breath while hunting from The Preserve, February 6, 2021. hounds in Unionville, PA, for many years. Liz Callar photo include: “I have been lucky enough to hunt in England, Ireland, and many hunts all over the US.” When not handling his master • Jay Moore, Bull Run Hunt (VA), 2017 duties, Joe and his wife, Blythe Miller Davies, train racehorses, often with their • Samuel Massey, Cloudline Hounds (TX), 2018 son Teddy in the irons. (As trainer, Joe has won the last five Maryland Hunt Cups, • Joseph G. Davies, Elkridge-Harford Hunt (MD), 2017 considered one of the most challenging steeplechase races in the world.) • K.T. Atkins, Warrenton Hunt (VA), 2017 Warrenton’s K.T. Atkins rivals Joe Davies’ depth of foxhunting experience. • John Wyatt, Warrenton Hunt (VA), 2018 She began hunting in her Pony Club days and has been at it ever since, much of • Pat van Esch-Dussault, Wellington-Waterloo Hunt (ON), 2017 These six represent a variety of backgrounds, from those who began as Pony that time as a whipper-in. Her late Clubbers to those who took up riding and hunting later in life; those who had husband, Jim Atkins, served as served as field leaders, whippers-in, or club officers before being appointed mas- professional huntsman at Old Doter; and those who make their living working with horses to those who came minion Hounds, Piedmont Fox from other professional backgrounds. Geographically, these masters range from Hounds, and Warrenton Hunt. Texas to the Mid-Atlantic to Canada, and the clubs they serve vary from some With K.T. assisting as whipper-in, of the oldest recognized hunts in North America to those formed in the mid-to- they forged an impressive reputation for breeding top quality latter part of the 20th century. hounds and showing excellent Our questions addressed: sport. Jim passed away in 2013, • Hunting experience or other service to the hunt. • The availability of mentors or other resources to help with the learning but K.T. has continued serving as a whip and now with MFH duties curve. as well. • The motivation to take on this duty. While it might seem duplica• Challenges faced. tive to include two masters from • How to define the master’s responsibilities. the same hunt among our respon• Advice to someone about to take on the master’s job. dents, John Wyatt’s ascension to mastership has followed a subHunting Experience/Other Service stantially different path from that Jay Moore began riding and foxhunting of his joint-master. John’s profesin his mid-thirties (“many years ago,” he sional career spanned nearly 30 added for clarification). But his professional K.T Atkins, MFH, leading the field at years in military service and law life hampered his ability to spend as much Warrenton Hunt, Thanksgiving Day, 2019. enforcement. Riding was a sidetime hunting as he would have preferred. A Douglas Lees photo line activity he took up in his late CPA with his own firm to run, he found the 30s when he and his wife, Anne, lived in New Jersey. The focus then was on crunch of tax season always put the kibosh showing, but when they moved to Culpeper, Virginia, in 2005, they quickly on his ability to hunt after December. “I sold caught the foxhunting bug and have been at it ever since. After ten years of acmy practice about 11 years ago,” he extively riding in the first field, John was tapped to be the first field master. Three plains, “which enabled me to join Bull Run years later, the title, and attendant duties, expanded to include “MFH.” Hunt and become very active in the club. Pat van Esch-Dussault describes herself as “a very amateur showjumper” Prior to becoming a master, I served on the before she started hunting. She hunted a few times, on and off, before joining club’s board and as its president for several Wellington-Waterloo in Cambridge, Ontario, 20 years ago. Since then she’s gone years.” Sam Massey also took up hunting later A fine mist framed the background of on to serve as a whipper-in, field leader (for every field), board member, and board president. It would, then, seem only logical that mastership would follow in life, but rather than crunching numbers on Cloudline’s Texas hunt country betax forms, his focus had been on his ranch hind Sam Massey when hounds went in 2017. About the only position she hadn’t held by then was huntsman. That out on this December day in 2017. title was added the following year. in Leonard, Texas. In 2013, the proximity of Photo courtesy of Sam Massey
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ing many masters over the years.” She then humbly adds, “Still so much to learn.” For John Wyatt it was more of a “village” project. “I was certainly not on my own to figure things out. I was lucky to have several ex-MFHs still active in the hunt to learn from. I also had the fortune to have two established joint-masters to work with. Also, I started hound walking a great deal with our professional huntsman and professional whipper-in and learned a great deal from them as well. It was a team effort to get me up to speed.” Pat van Esch-Dussault’s support team extends all the way from Canada to Florida. “My mentor for becoming master is not a single person,” she explains, “but within this club I shall say it was Kris Hallman (who is now Kris LeBlanc, ex-MFH). Every master I have met as I attended MFHA seminars, meetings, and other hunts has had an influence on me. Paul Sherman (Wellington-Waterloo’s senior master and former huntsman) was one of my biggest supporters in taking on the dual roles. His faith in me made it possible to try. “Two other very important people to me on hunting hounds have been Hamilton Hunt here locally with Richard Christensen (MFH/huntsman), as well as Live Oak Hounds (FL) when Spencer Allen was huntsman there. Miss Daphne and Marty Wood (joint-MFHs) were very generous with their time and staff when I visited as a very green huntsman and master. There are other hunts where I was welcomed and the masters and huntsmen all gave freely of their time and expertise.”
Shortly after Pat van Esch-Dussault was appointed a master at Ontario’s WellingtonWaterloo Hunt in 2017, the role of huntsman was added to her duties. Here she holds hounds at a check on November 10, 2019, while the drag line is laid at Pitcaple Farm, the home of longtime hunt members Jock and Virginia Buchanan-Smith. (Jock is a former MFH at Wellington-Waterloo.) Diana Macdonald photo
Mentors Happily, all six masters in our sampling reported the benefits of mentoring help in one form or another. For some it was one senior master, either active or retired. For others it was a team effort and for at least two it was a lifetime of learning and observation. Jay Moore had a threesome to help bring him up the curve. “There were two active joint-masters prior to me becoming a master. Both joint-masters, along with a recently retired joint-master who was also formerly a sole master for many years, served as mentors to me. They were all excellent resources as we met frequently and talked out issues. All three were patient, encouraging, and worthy mentors as they had built Bull Run into a vibrant and fun organization.” But in addition to this hunt-specific mentoring, Jay had something to bring to the table from his own professional life. “My experience in running a business for many years helped me conquer the initial learning curve. I was able to observe the overall operations of the club through the eyes of a former business owner and then determine, with the help of the other joint-masters, in what areas I would be most beneficial and the ones in which the club needed the most help at the time. This somewhat reduced much of the awkwardness of stepping into my role as a joint-master as I felt reasonably productive and part of the team from the beginning.” Sam Massey has benefited from a lineage similar to Joe Davies’, only once removed. His mentor is the senior master/huntsman, Susan Denny Gentry. Susan’s parents, Col. Rex Denny and his wife Marjorie, founded Cloudline Hounds in 1974, following the Colonel’s retirement from his distinguished career as a Marine Corps pilot. Rex served as huntsman while Marjorie led first field. When Rex turned 70, he handed the horn to Susan who was appointed joint-master in 1997. (Col. Denny passed away in 2018 at the age of 94.) So Sam has the benefit of nearly five decades of continuous father/daughter experience to draw on. You might say Joe Davies learned at his mother’s knee—or maybe more accurately at her stirrup—during her 25-year tenure as a master for ElkridgeHarford. “I took the field from time to time during those years,” Joe recounts. ”I also served with senior master Bob Kinsley and learned from him before being elected MFH.” A critical skill for a whipper-in is observation. You must be able to read the country, know which hounds to trust and which ones might cause trouble, learn the strengths and weaknesses of the huntsman you serve, and deal gracefully with the club’s leadership while steering clear of political infighting. It’s a delicate balance and K.T. Atkins has spent most of her adult life studying its many facets from a staff member’s perspective. When asked the question about mentorship, rather than citing any specific figures in her life, she says simply, “From observ-
Motivation In Alexander Mackay-Smith’s 1988 book Foxhunting in North America, he cites four “specimens” of hunt masters, each accompanied by a caricature sketch. The four types are: Inherited, Achieved, Dedicated, and Thrust Upon Him. The author is having a bit of fun, given the cartoonish nature of the sketches. But the sentiment does capture the various paths that can lead to the placement of “MFH” after one’s name. Jay Moore falls in the “Dedicated” category. “Becoming a master was definitely unexpected by me. However, it was a great honor to be asked to serve and I also viewed it as a challenge as there are so many aspects to running a successful club.” The same could be said of Sam Massey. When asked if he’d been preparing to take on the master’s role, he replies in the negative. He says succinctly, “We Jay Moore, MFH, on a Bull Run Hunt “March had a lot going on in the club at Madness” day, joint with Blue Ridge Hunt at the time and I wanted to help out Quiet Shade, March 25, 2021. Liz Callar photo any way I could.” Alex Mackay-Smith offered no suggestion for any combination of two or more “specimen” categories. But with apologies to the late author and renowned master, we suggest that for Joe Davies the first three could all be considered applicable, given his family heritage, decades of practical experience, and devotion to the sport in a variety of roles. K.T. Atkins reports her selection as master was an unexpected call to serve the hunt. Recent years have seen a series of setbacks in the mastership at Warrenton: long-serving masters who felt it was their time to step down, the successor of one of those who then suffered an accident that ended his hunting career, and another who has had to transition to ex-MFH due to health reasons. “Thrust Upon Her” might be too harsh a term, but the club was indeed fortunate to have K.T. available and willing to take on the duty. Anyone who’s ever served as master knows how time-consuming the job can be, and for John Wyatt that was actually part of the appeal. “The position does take up a great deal of time. I was motivated to take on the mastership duties by retirement. There was a lot of time I was looking to fill up!” So it was another serendipitous element that contributed to keeping the mastership roles well filled at Warrenton. Pat van Esch-Dussault also felt a call to serve the hunt. What she didn’t expect, though, was that shortly after taking on the mastership, she would also be called on to serve as huntsman. Continued
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
Challenges We asked about the challenges, both expected and unexpected, faced as a new master, how they dealt with those challenges, and, looking back, if there was anything they might have done differently. Jay Moore demurred with, “No comments worthy of submission.” Sam Massey was more effusive. He cited hound care and trails/territory as the primary tasks he faced. To deal with these, he explains: “I got my daughter and son-in-law, who are both vets, involved to help out with the hound care. They were a big help in developing a plan for flea and tick Sam Massey, appointed MFH at Cloudline Hounds, Texas, in 2018, was all smiles while prevention, vaccinations, and nutrivisiting Nebraska’s North Hill Hunt in tion. My son-in-law and I also devel- November, 2016. Photo courtesy of Sam Massey oped a file folder map of our hunt territory that can be opened in Google Earth showing all the gates, coops, and landmarks. All our trails through woods have to be cleared by hand. It’s a big job every season and getting volunteers to help can be a challenge.” At Elkridge-Harford, Joe Davies knew that dealing with unfriendly landowners would be high on the challenges list. What he didn’t expect, though, were the differences of opinion on matters facing the board of directors. He admits to handling some of those situations better than others and quickly learned to mostly rely on his senior masters. When asked if there are things he might have done differently, he replied, “Yes, choosing my battles a little more judiciously.” Landowner relations also rank high at Warrenton Hunt. When the club was founded in 1887, Warrenton, Virginia, located roughly 50 miles southwest of Washington, DC, was a small village in the midst of open country. That, of course, has changed dramatically as the presence of large landholdings and huntfriendly farmers has declined in favor of smaller properties owned by people unfamiliar with hunting culture. That fuels John Wyatt’s emphasis on keeping landowners happy. “It doesn’t matter how good the hounds are or how well you can ride and jump,” he says, “if you don’t have any fixtures to go to. A master must always take the landowners’ concerns very seriously and keep the lines of communication open at all times. Never ever have the hunt show up on a property if the landowners have not been properly forewarned.” Pat van Esch-Dussault found herself facing challenges of a different sort shortly after assuming the mastership at Ontario’s Wellington-Waterloo. “In my case,” she explains, “it was how best to fit in with the other joint-masters. I assumed the role of huntsman shortly after becoming a joint-master rather unexpectedly, so,” she adds with a wink and a grin, “that problem went away. Kennels and hounds became my priority and the learning curve was great. Associating with other masters and huntsman was of great value. [My] biggest challenge is training and maintaining a well-behaved pack.” Master’s Responsibilities Jay Moore draws on his extensive experience running a successful business (and his familiarity with bullet points) to enumerate a master’s four key responsibilities. • First, it is important to make sure there are adequate personnel to get the job done. This would include the huntsman, kennel assistants, and the whips. The masters must promote a good working environment and foster harmony among all persons involved in the hunt’s operations. • Second, the masters should constantly strive to maintain good landowner relations. Shrinking hunting territory is a problem many hunts are continually dealing with and one that can severely impact a hunt over time. On the other hand, gaining access to and opening new hunt territory adds strength to a club and usually results in increased enthusiasm and hunting enjoyment among the club members. • Third, the masters must be mindful of the finances and be diligent in making sure all needs of the club are met while maintaining its solvency and affordability to its members. • Finally, the masters must insure that the club offers its members fun and enjoyable foxhunting experiences. This includes all riding and nonriding social activities. After all, this is the end product of all our efforts and the principal reason we have been elected masters. Joe Davies’ counsel reflects both his lifelong involvement in foxhunting and his more recent experiences as a master.
• Keeping landowners happy. • Putting on a good show for the field. • Keeping important members focused on the positive and not letting petty squabbles over unimportant things disrupt the overall harmony of the club. Sam Massey adds a note about the importance of the relationship between the masters themselves. In his case, there’s an existing family dynasty so Sam strives to provide counseling when asked and then support the decisions of the senior master. The importance of landowner relations continues with K.T. Atkins, along with a note about volunteers and hunt staff: • Respect and appreciation of your landowners are of utmost importance. • Appreciation of the many volunteers who do so much for your hunt. • Appreciation of your staff that place so much of themselves into their roles. John Wyatt gets down to the nub of the issue: “You have to keep the subscribers happy out in the hunt field and you must keep the landowners happy with their decision to let you be on their property. It is not enough to ride well while in the middle of a chase. Although that is important, it is equally important to ensure that the chase can occur at all!” As the sole respondent who serves as both master and huntsman, Pat van Esch-Dussault includes some additional points: “I would define that as everything to do with hunting hounds—kennel operations, hound care and training, fixture development, landowner relations, and membership promotion.” Advice to a New Master Jay Moore: “Be prepared to spend the time necessary to fulfill the duties of a Master. Be quick to take on any task needed by the club and search for the areas in which you can offer the most benefit from your efforts and talents. Always keep open communications with all other joint-masters as well as with the board of directors (if there is one). And never forget your ultimate objective is to provide the members and guests enjoyable hunting experiences.” Joe Davies: “Listen and don’t volunteer any opinions on anything you may think you can improve for at least a season!” John Wyatt: “A new master has to be prepared to devote a great deal of time on the phone and on the computer when taking up this job. Almost all modern hunts depend highly on volunteerism to succeed in point-to-point races, parties and balls, and fundraising. A master should make every effort to thank volunteers often and in public. Strive to turn all volunteer workdays into a social event as well. It will make the hunt so much more rewarding for everyone involved.” Pat van Esch-Dussault: “Make sure you love your club and fit in well with existing masters. Take advantage of the connections you can make with other hunts and organizations that have the outdoors and hunting in common. Attend whatever seminars and other hunts that you can.” The astute reader might have noticed that K.T. Atkins’ remarks do not appear in their usual order in this final list of comments. Often, saying less says more. In her quietly wise manner, she passed along this bit of counsel, applicable to everyone who hunts, not just masters: “Enjoy your hound’s music and dance… that’s why we ride to hounds.” Our thanks to these six masters who contributed their thoughts for this article. We hope this provides our readers with some helpful insights into the master’s role and appreciation for the service they provide.
John Wyatt, MFH, and his wife Anne took up riding as adults, first participating in horse shows in New Jersey but then took up foxhunting when they moved to Virginia, near Warrenton. Michael Stevens photo
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
Wellington-Waterloo MFH and Huntsman Pat Joseph G. Davies and his daughter Scarlet preparing to move off from Manor Glen, March, 2019. van Esch-Dussault with hounds at Chandler Willett photo closing meet, November 29, 2020, at a new fixture in Saint George, just before the Canadian winter set in. Diana Macdonald photo
In addition to her role as MFH, K.T. Atkins uses her lifelong hunting experience to also serve as a whipper-in at Warrenton Hunt. Michael Stevens photo
Sidebar: The Master: “A Great and Mystic Personage” Major W. Austin Wadsworth (1847-1918) was the founder and first MFH (18761917) of New York’s Genesee Valley Hunt. Shortly after taking on this role, he discovered his followers required some instruction in hunting etiquette. He thus composed a brief folder covering such critical topics as the farmer, the fox, the hounds, the rider, and, most notable here, the master. The Major infused his text with sly wit, driving home the seriousness of his counsel while recognizing that the ultimate goal was to assure good sport for his followers—and perhaps lessen some headaches for himself. In many ways still relevant today, the two-page tract became known as The Hunt Bible. Herewith is the passage on The Master: The MFH is a great and mystic personage to be lowly, meekly and reverently looked up to, helped, considered and given the right of way at all times. His ways are not as other men’s ways, and his language and actions are not to be judged by their standard. All that can be asked of him is that he furnish good sport as a rule, and so long as he does that he is amenable to no criticism, subject to no law and fettered by no conventionality while in the field… As a general rule he can enjoy your conversation and society more when not in the field with the hounds, riders, foxes and damages on his mind.
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Joe Davies, MFH, in action over a typical Elkridge-Harford fence on a hunting day in 2017. Tony Shore photo
John Wyatt, MFH, Warrenton Hunt, leading the field during a hunting day in December, 2019. Michael Stevens photo
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
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OSMUN’S OBSERVATIONS
Learning the Language Claudia Coleman illustration
Dear Luna, Have you had a chance to read the latest issue of In & Around Horse Country? There’s an article in there about the challenges professional huntsmen face when moving to a new hunt, often in a completely different part of the country. That’s exactly like the situation I find myself in! So many things are different here in Virginia than they were back in Montana. One of the points made in the article was about communication between huntsmen and masters. Marion and I are certainly having our struggles in that regard. Take the feeding regimen for example. Would a huntsman arbitrarily change the hounds’ feeding program? Of course not. I always eat Royal Canine for terriers with the attractive Westie on the bag. Marion came home with Royal Canine for French Bulldogs. The kibble shape, the taste, the portions were not right for a terrier. When I asked why the switch, she said I probably weighed the same as a Frenchie. I went off my feed for a week and made her give the bag away. As my best and oldest friend, you know I like to be well groomed. The fur on my ears has to be just right. That was always the standard in my showing days and is just as important now that I’m working with the public at Horse Country. My skirt has to be long but not touch the floor when I trot around the store. You, my dear Luna, may not be able to relate to that as an Australian Shepherd. But we Scotties do not do dust ball control with our skirt! It seems, though, that the grooming standards are a bit lax here. Oh, not like I’m covered in mud and beset with fleas. Certainly not! I know Marion’s schedule is quite full, but let’s just say the visits to the groomer could be a bit more frequent. We’ve all read where short napping is good for you. I like an afternoon nap but Marion keeps waking me up to go out and greet people and their dogs. Fine, I understand she wants to show me off, but not from 2-5pm. Please! She has a fit when I sneak over to drink the pool water. I prefer lapping pool water way more than town water. She started filling my bowl with filtered water, which is okay, but nowhere near as satisfying as pool water. Like any professional, I need to work with people who understand what I’m saying. In the hunting world, the huntsman, masters, and staff all need to use the same words and phrases. Marion is getting better at understanding my voice, though. When she does follow my side eye, she says “What?” I don’t understand how Aga and Bunsen communicated with her. I guess they started training her when they were young. I’m eight years old already. I tell her the world is changing quickly and again, she says “What?” Then tells me our classic hunt jackets have stood the test of time for at least 200 years. It’s not like buying a new pair of cowboy boots every six months. Getting a meaningful response from Marion is a rare gift. The hand tooled
leather flasks, desk trays, tablet cases, and bootjacks arrived, which I told her to stock for men. When I asked her why they were still in the back room, she said “What?” And when I asked when the new tweed jackets were arriving, well, she did answer Au-gust. (But it could have been a sneeze. I’m not sure. There is way too much pollen here.) I still have much to learn about this business. Why just last week, I made a huge discovery! I had traveled all the way to the back of the store to where the hunting jackets are located—every size and type imaginable. It was a sea of red coats. On the way back to the front desk, I found a flight of steps going down. Steps I never knew were there. After a few days, I got the nerve to go down them and there is another section of the store down there! And it’s chock full of equipment and tools! Everything one would need for barn or paddock—buckets, hardware, brushes, saddlepads, bridles. Wonderful Roni has a desk down there and she, Sue, and Kaylee (Sue’s dog) spend the day there keeping things in order. When I found them, a new shipment of canary vests and hunt jackets arrived and were being unpacked and set out for display. It will take me weeks to explore that floor, too. On the plus side, our hunting season has arrived early this year and I’m busy (at least before 2:00 naptime!), working with the girls on displays and planning the catalog. The catalog is coming along and it looks like all the hunt attire we ordered is in the pipeline. Au-gust! The lifestyle gifts will be splendid and the new e-commerce site is chugging along for this season. Please check out the new DOF and highball glasses, the round placemats and coasters. All have hunting themes. Lots of rare antiques, some are monumental size for large estates. A new sweater arrived this week (cashmere and wool with a stag, one size and it’s a big silhouette). Barbour for fall is waiting to be placed on the floor. In the works, three new lightweight tattersall vests are being woven this month and our scarlet Berkshire coats are in the works. People are enjoying the sale of our ladies’ hunt jackets and tweeds. The Italian company we used has closed and I persuaded Marion to put the balance on sale since we could not reorder. It’s a good deal not to be missed. Well, Luna, thanks for taking the time to read this. I do miss you and everyone else back in Montana. But I’m taking my cue from the last line of that article about huntsmen moving to new jobs. Andy Bozdan of Camargo Hunt in Ohio summed it up nicely: “The trick, if there is one, is to start afresh each time and go into the job with all the enthusiasm and determination that got you this far in the first place.” Hoping my next update captures that spirit! Most sincerely, your friend, Osmun
Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Clubbers Visit the Kennels Joanne Maisano Photos On July 16, members of the Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club enjoyed a special visit to the Blue Ridge kennels where Huntsman Graham Buston showed off examples of how to tell a well-formed hound and what it takes to operate a kennel filled with them. Then it was time to play with hound puppies!
Bryce Durst with a bundle of wrinkles.
Graham showing off hounds.
A lucky puppy gets some love from Dornin Tait Katz.
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
JENNY’S PICKS Newly published is the book many of us were hoping would get written: Jim Wofford’s autobiography.
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HORSE COUNTRY BOOKSELLERS
Stewart, Daniel. Bolder, Braver, Brighter. If you have a self-image problem or doubts/fears about riding, Dan Stewart’s book is meant for you. Subtitled “the rider’s guide to living your best life on horseback,” it’s full of useful suggestions for selfimprovement. Instructors, you might also benefit from reading this; it might help you connect better with some problem students if you understand their mindsets. Stewart has written several other books—Ride Right; Pressure Proof Your Riding; and Fit and Focused in 52—and as a leading expert in equestrian psychology has coached thousands of riders in clinics. Softcover, 280pp. $29.95
Wofford, Jim. Still Horse Crazy After All These Years. Three-time Olympian Jim Wofford has long Specialists in New, Old & Rare Books on Horses, Foxhunting, been recognized as outstanding in the eventing Eventing, Polo, Racing, Steeplechasing & Sporting Art field, both as a rider and as a trainer. He’s had an exciting life from childhood, including point-to60 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, VA 20186 point riding, military service during the Viet Nam 800-882-HUNT • 540-347-3141 era, and, of course, riding for the USET. Well-written and fun to read, Jim’s book brings back memrier work; clipping; and tack care. Part 2 gets you prepared ories of the outstanding horses and riders of the ’50s and for show day with a rundown on trailering and trailer main- Lilley, Claire. The Problem-Free Horse. Subtitled “the ’60s when I was a hero-worshiping child in love with tenance, arriving at the show, braiding manes and tails, final owner’s guide to safe, sensible horse management,” Lilley’s horses. I, too, am still horse crazy after 70+ years of life. polishing-up for your class, use of studs for the shoes, and latest book is an excellent introduction to horsekeeping for Paperback, 408pp. $27.95 aftercare. Very thorough, very useful, with a very compli- the novice. Topics include “assessment and handling” mentary foreword by none other than Philip Dutton. Twice (choosing the right horse), leading, tying, stable manageHunt season is upon us, the horses and hounds are getting ment (including coping with stable vices), grooming, feedthe size of the braiding book. Hardcover, 230pp. $39.95 legged up and riders getting fitted out. I wish I could say we ing, foot care, horse clothing, tacking up, health care, had some new books in the foxhunting line, but so far nothHenderson, John. The Glovebox Guide to Transporting clipping, loading and hauling, turnout, lungeing, long-reining has shown up. However, there is one that might help Horses. I recommend this for anyone who is getting a horse ing and loose schooling. Illus. with color photos. Hardcover, you when you need to braid for those special hunt days. trailer for the first time—and the advice will be equally 296pp. $45.00 valuable for many other towed vehicles as well. It is British, but that shouldn’t affect the validity of much of the text, although so far as I know no state over here requires you to take a towing test. There’s a wealth of information on towing vehicles and trucks (“lorries” in Britain), loading/unloading horses, hauling them safely, and maintenance, including pages for noting dates of various required upkeep. The author is very specific in detailing how to drive, from hooking up, pulling away, reversing, dealing with all possible driving situations (roundabouts, town vs. highway driving, passing vehicles, obstructions, and animals, and lots more that you may never think about until you have a trailer behind you with live animals shifting around). I can’t say enough about how valuable this is to a new or even a more We also carry World-Class Grooming for those who would experienced driver—there may be things you never considlike to see the entire grooming process in over 1200 photos. ered before. Softcover, 210pp. $39.95 (and worth every Part 1 deals with everyday grooming and riding prep, inpenny!) cluding various boots and leg wraps, and post-workout care; basic health checks and maintenance such as dental and far-
Hill, Cat; and Emma Ford. World-Class Braiding. Probably the most tedious part of showing—or foxhunting—is braiding the horse! Taken from a larger book, World-Class Grooming, by two professional grooms, this is in a handy small spiral-bound format so you can open it up beside you and study the various forms of braiding while attempting to make professional-looking braids. Types of braids covered include rubber-band, sewn-in button braids, yard button braids, hunter braids, running braids, braids for an unpulled mane, forelock and tail braids. Step-by-step photos in full color accompany the explicit text. Softcover, spiral-bound, 41pp. $16.95
Hounds, Kids, Bikes, & Water Karen Kandra Photos On June 24th, Green Spring Valley Hounds hosted pony campers based at Mr. and Mrs. Irv Naylor’s Stillwater Farm in Huntingtown, MD, for a morning of hound exercise on bicycles. When they came to a temptingly refreshing pond, Huntsman Ashley Hubbard couldn’t resist the temptation to dive in. Hounds quickly followed, as did several of the kids.
One for the young readers: Schaya, J. S. Chestnut/A Corolla Horse Story. Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia is not the only barrier island with the legend of Spanish horses swimming ashore; North Carolina’s Outer Banks also has wild ponies. In this novel, ten-year-old Zoey Bennett and her family have just moved to the Outer Banks. She and her cousin Lexie, a budding photographer, go out to the beach and discover one of the horses far out having difficulties and call for help. It turns out the young stallion was suffering from wounds sustained in a fight with another stallion, and the rescue party was able to get the exhausted animal ashore and take it to the Wild Horse Rescue farm for treatment. Of course Zoey falls in love with the chestnut horse. But there’s lots more going on—read about the “fire horse,” Lexie’s photography, and the friends Zoey meets as she adjusts to life by the sea. Paperback, 175pp. $12.95
Horse Country
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Something Old, Something New Hunting Kit, and Fine Tack, Too
FOX IN HORSESHOE INKWELL Wood and brass #2517-009 (HC1B)
ANTIQUE LETTER / MAGAZINE HOLDER RACK Wooden with Foxhead, Hunt crop, and Stirrup Approx. 11" x 8" #2118-0319 (HC1A)
PASS THE FLAME LIGHTER 8" tall. #2122-004 (HC1E)
FOX MASK IN 20MM CRYSTAL SET 14k bezel with amethyst cabochons Comes with a silk cord (Beige) #57-501 (HC1C)
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FOX MASK BRACELET Estate, Custom made. 14k gold and sterling silver Emerald, sapphire and ruby eyes. 7.5” long #9319-005 (HC1G)
ANTIQUE HORSESHOE CLOCK 9" x 9" #1568-037 (HC1F)
(540) 347-3141 • 800-88-2-HUNT (4868) 60 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, Virginia 20186 Store Hours: Monday–Saturday 10AM - 5PM (ET)
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Shop online! www.HorseCountryCarrot.com SCOTT NATURAL CROCHET GLOVE Natural / Chocolate Ladies' Sizes 6 ½-8, #1272-SCOTT-L, $124.95 Men's Sizes 8.5-11, #1272-SCOTT-M (HC2A) $129.95
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ORSE COUNTRY® 800-882-HUNT HC2 H All prices subject to change without notice. All items subject to availability. IAHC 08-2021
SOUTHDOWN ATHENE LS45 Brown dogtooth with a Brown herringbone lapel. Sizes 34-44 #281-LS45 (HC2H) $795.00 Shown with stock tie 4F-074 (HC2J)
WOODLEY DRESS BOOT Made in Italy. Spanish top. Full zipper. European sizes 36-46 #1132-1600(M) (HC2L) $899.00
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Shop online! www.HorseCountryCarrot.com EXCEL HUNT SHIRTS Made in England 88% Cotton, 12% Lycra® jersey Three button placket, collar and cuffs in English broadcloth. Long sleeve. Maximum freedom of movement. Machine wash, hang to dry. YELLOW with contrasting striped collar Men's sizes SM-3X, #285-MF15-03 (HC3A) $160.00 Ladies sizes XS-XL, #285-MF15-04 (HC3B) $160.00 LIGHT BLUE with white collar Men' sizes SM-3X, #285-MF16-05 (HC3C) $160.00 Ladies sizes LG-XL, #285-MF16-06 (HC3D) $160.00 SOLID WHITE Men's sizes SM-3X, #285-MF14-01 (HC3E) $160.00 Ladies sizes XS-XL, #285-MF14-03 (HC3F) $160.00
SOUTHDOWN MS32 Pale Green with blue window pane Sizes 38-46, #281-MS29 (HC3G) $795.00 Shown with stock tie 4F-119 (HC3H)
MONTPELIER SCARLET EVENING TAILS Sizes 38-52 #281-98-80 (HC3N) $1295.00
VICMEAD MV17 Green Gabardine Sizes 36-48, #3660-MV017 (HC3J) $825.00 Shown with stock tie 4F-082 (HC3K)
CHATHAM MC35 Green herringbone w/med blue and light blue windowpane Sizes 38-46, #1329-MC35 (HC3L) $895.00 Shown with stock tie 4F-120 (HC3M)
FOUR FOLD STOCK TIE Made in England, 100% Cotton Unisex, Blue - Brown #4F-125 (HC3P) $69.00
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HORSE COUNTRY® 800-882-HUNT HC3 Not responsible for typographical errors. IAHC 08-2021
Shop online! www.HorseCountryCarrot.com NIMROD 6 BREASTPLATE E WITH STANDING ATTACHMENT (not shown) Brown Italian leather Cob, Horse, Oversize, #3487-006 (HC4D) $195.00 00 FIRST FLIGHT HUNTING BREASTPLATE Made in England. Heavier weight, thicker and wider English leather. Fully adjustable, matches other First Flight tack. Triple stitching, heavy-duty stainless steel hardware. Standing or Running attachments available, sold separately. Cob, Horse, Oversize #962-100 (C,H,X) (HC4E) $298.00 MD Pony, LG Pony #962-100(S,P) (HC4F) $284.00
FIRST FLIGHT HUNT BRIDLE Made in England Classic style designed to withstand the trials of the hunt field. Hand polished buckles, darkened finish edges Waxed thread hand stitching. Slotted caveson and reinforced billets in reins and cheek pieces. Superior quality, Havana color. Cob, Horse, Oversize 3/4" cheek #98-962-001 (HC4A) $494.00 MD Pony, LG Pony, 5/8" cheek #98-962-00(5,6) (HC4B) $399.00 Wider Horse 7/8" cheek, #98-962-002 (HC4C) $510.00
ANNICE GENESIS ADJUSTABLE SADDLE Close contact saddle. Perfect for hunting, showing, jumping or just everyday. A slightly tly wider, medium deep seat. Adjustable tree allows a single saddle to custom fit multiple horses. Havana. Go to www.horsecountrycarrot.com for additional information. Call the store for available sizes and to order. #1284-3803175 (HC4H) $2330.00
NIMROD 6 HUNT BRIDLE Italian Leather. Havana. Nose band measures 1 1/4" Brow band is 3/4" Comes complete with 3/4" laced reins Cob, Horse, Oversize, #3487-001 (HC4G) $249.00
THERMATEX EX BLANKETS Made in England. Quickly wicks moisture away, leaving the horse warm, dry and comfortable. Use as a winter blanket in the stable, under a turnout rug, or as a cooler. Available in Black/Gold, Green/Navy, Green/Gold, Navy/Green, Lt. Blue/Navy. Sizes available 69 - 87. #608-T2000-(color) (HC4J) $325.00
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
REMEMBRANCES
Three Notable Figures Lost to the Horse World
Within barely more than a two-week span, three legendary figures from the worlds of racing and show jumping passed away.
Magalen Ohrstrom Bryant 1928-2021
Virginia Gold Cup, 2011, Terrier Race presentations (l-r) Dr. William H. Allison, ex-MFH and Race Chairman; Maggie Bryant; and Charles H. Seilheimer, Awards Committee. Douglas Lees photo
An equally significant interest in her life was her involvement in horse racing in both the US and France (where she was known as “La Grande Dame au Chapeau Rouge”— “The Great Lady in the Red Hat”). In France she won the Cheval D’or (Golden Horse), presented each year to the owner winning the most purse money. She made history in 2015 as the first American and one of the few women to win the coveted Group 1 Grand Steeplechase de Paris, French steeplechasing’s oldest and most prestigious race. Never resting on her laurels, Bryant went on to win the race the following two years. Her greatest success was on the flat track in the US when her V.E. Day won the 2014 running of the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, New York. She was, though, best known to our readers through her accomplishments in steeplechasing circles as an avid, longtime owner/breeder who won many of the historic trophies of the jumping circuit. She was inducted into the Virginia Steeplechase Association Hall of Fame in 2014. No doubt her name as owner will continue to appear in future issues as her horses rack up more wins. But her sparkling enthusiasm and trademark “chapeau rouge” will be missed at the rails and in the winner’s circle.
Bertram Robert Firestone 1931-2021
Magalen “Maggie” Bryant passed away peacefully at her beloved home, Locust Hill Farm, in Middleburg, Virginia, on June 28th. She was 92. Over the 30 year history of this publication, Mrs. Bryant’s name appeared more times than we can recount, mostly in Will O’Keefe’s racing reports, frequently citing her as the owner of a winning horse. But the local racing scene was a relatively small part of her extensive activities and interests. Her family’s announcement of her passing describes her as “an entrepreneur, conservationist, philanthropist, passionate supporter of education, champion for African wildlife, and an avid racehorse owner/breeder in the US and France.” Her appreciation of and enthusiasm for diverse cultures and places inspired her to travel to nearly a hundred countries during her lifetime. An ardent conservationist, she was one of the first landowners to place several of her properties in conservation easements, and she convinced many of her neighbors and other landholders to do the same. In 2011, she received the Land Trust of Virginia’s Conservationist of the Year Award. She was one of the first women of her era to serve on the board of a Fortune 500 Company (Dover Corporation and Carlisle Companies Incorporated). She also served on the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, later becoming its chair for nine years, on the board of the National Wildlife Federation, and was the founding director of the Global Environment and Technology Foundation. Bryant was an influential supporter of the Global Citizenship Project at Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia, which helps those who have never travelled to gain a global perspective and have a firsthand international experience. In her hometown of Middleburg, she coupled her appreciation for music and education with her philanthropy as a benefactor of “A Place to Be,” a music therapy program.
the ’70s. Among their impressive string was Honest Pleasure, a three-time Grade 1 winner at 2 and the 1975 champion 2-year-old colt. At 3, Honest Pleasure won the Flamingo Stakes (G1), Florida Derby (G1), and Blue Grass Stakes (G1), and was second in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He went on to win the Travers Stakes (G1). The racing career highlight for the Firestones came in 1980 when their champion 3-year-old filly Genuine Risk won the Kentucky Derby. It was an historic win, as 65 years had passed since a filly won the Derby (Regret in 1915; in 1988 Winning Colors became the third filly to do so). Genuine Risk went on to finish second in the Preakness Stakes, a controversial outcome as there was a charge of foul against the winner that was not upheld. In the Belmont Stakes that year, a 53-to-1 long shot, Temperance Hill, made a late surge in the stretch to beat Genuine Risk by two lengths. The Firestones went on to campaign 51 graded/group stakes winners, including 17 grade/group 1 winners and five champions, including Theatrical, a six-time Grade 1 winner and 1987 Eclipse champion grass horse. In addition to running horses on the track, the Firestones were also racetrack owners. In 1988 they purchased Florida’s Calder Race Course, which has since closed, and two years later they bought Gulfstream Park, which they sold in 1999. In 1991, the Firestones purchased Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, and moved their broodmare operations from Catoctin Stud. Show horse training facilities were added to the 353-acre estate. The move included Genuine Risk who lived out her retirement years at Newstead until her death in 2008 at the age of 31. She’s buried on the property with a special plaque in her honor. The Firestones sold Newstead in March of 2020. Like Maggie Bryant, the Firestone name will continue to stand out in the annals of horseracing, a lasting legacy of good will and great horses.
Harry deLeyer 1927-2021
Bertram and Diana Firestone at Newstead Farm. Douglas Lees photo
On July 12th, Bert Firestone succumbed to a rapid decline in his health and died at his home in West Palm Beach, Florida, a month shy of his 90th birthday. Firestone’s connection to horses began in his youth when he rode on the jumping team at the New York Military Academy. He then went on to attend the University of Virginia. His involvement with racing began in 1966 when he bought his first Thoroughbred at the Saratoga select yearling sale. He won his first stakes in 1969 with Ridin’ Easy, a filly who won the Fashion Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Polly Drummond Stakes at Delaware Park. In 1973 he married Diana Johnson, also an accomplished equestrian with a lifelong passion for horses. Together they bought a 1,400-acre farm near Waterford, Virginia, which they named Catoctin Stud. They enjoyed a series of successes throughout
Harry deLeyer and Snowman (archival image).
While the record books are filled with horses owned by Maggie Bryant and Bert Firestone, Harry deLeyer is known for just one very special horse. DeLeyer died on June 25th at an assisted living facility in Standardsville, Virginia, at the age of 93. But the story of Harry and his horse Snowman will live on in equestrian history.
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
A Dutch immigrant who arrived in the US in 1950, deLeyer was working as the riding instructor at a girls’ school on Long Island. In 1956 a fortuitous situation led to his discovery of a horse bound for the slaughterhouse. Due to a flat tire, deLeyer had arrived late to an auction in Pennsylvania. The horses that hadn’t sold were being loaded onto a trailer for delivery to the knackers. A grayish-white horse among them caught Harry’s eye. He had been a plow horse, was about eight years old, and looked healthy and well-built. Seeing something the other buyers hadn’t, deLeyer bought the horse for $80. He went home to the deLeyers’ where Harry’s young daughter named him Snowman. He served briefly as a lesson horse for new riders, then Harry sold him to a neighbor. But Snowman had other plans. He kept jumping high fences to return to Harry’s place. So Harry took him back and began training him as a jumper. They competed in a series of competitions, besting the lauded champions one after another, steadily moving up to the top of the show jumping circuit. In 1958, Snowman took the blue ribbon at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden, was named Horse of the Year by the American Horse Shows Association (today the US Equestrian Federation), and won the Professional
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Horsemen’s Association Championship, making him one of the few horses to win what was then considered the sport’s triple crown. The story of Harry deLeyer and Snowman has been the subject of two books and a documentary film. Snowman was inducted into the US Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Horse Stars Hall of Fame in 2015. He has appeared twice in the Breyer Horse line (2005 and 2013). He lived out his retirement with the deLeyers until his death at the age of 26. The phrase “Horse of a Lifetime” is often tossed around by equine enthusiasts. Certainly no horse could wear that title with more authority than Snowman did for Harry deLeyer. But, then, for an immensely talented horse rescued at the last minute, Harry was his “Person of a Lifetime.” Sidebar: A full-length interview of Harry deLeyer, ranging from his boyhood in Holland during the Nazi occupation to his rise to the top of the show jumping world, appeared in the February/March 2009 issue of In & Around Horse Country, written by Betsy Burke Parker.
HORSES
Mission Accomplished By J. Harris Anderson, Managing Editor In the spring of 2017 Betty Oare decided it was time to retire the hunt horse she’d had for about 20 years. She’d always relied on her brother, Bucky Reynolds, to help her when she needed to look for a new horse. Bucky contacted Sally Lamb at Oakland Heights Farm in Gordonsville, Virginia, but Sally didn’t have anything at the time she felt would be a good prospect for Betty. And no one was better than Sally Lamb at making the right match between a horse and rider. Then, in July of that year, Bucky passed away, leaving unfinished his mission to find a horse for his sister. September came and, with hunt season starting, Betty was still looking for a new partner. So following up on what Bucky had begun a few months earlier, she placed a call to Sally and asked if anything had arrived that might be worth considering. Sally said, “Not really, but there’s a horse out in the field and if you can catch him, you can take him home and see how he goes. Then bring him back before you head down to Ocala in January.” Betty and her son Morey hopped in the van and took a drive down to Gordonsville. When they arrived, the horse, a seven-year-old Oldenburg, had already been caught and was awaiting Betty’s assessment. He looked good, she thought. Not in hunt field shape, but okay. After one of Sally’s aides warmed him up, Betty got on and took him over a few jumps. She admits to missing a spot at one of the fences, but the horse self-corrected and took it nicely. When Betty commented on that, Sally replied, “Honey, these kids here ride him all the time and he takes care of any spot you need.” With that, Sidenote (aka Ted) went home to Warrenton with Betty. Over the next few months, she worked him in the ring, hilltopped him, and brought him along to see how he’d do as a foxhunter. When January came, Ocala awaited, and Ted went back to Sally’s. Another autumn approached and Ted was still waiting for Betty in Gordonsville, so she took him home again and resumed his schooling as a hunt horse. The winter of that season was not kind to foxhunters. On a February day when conditions were far from ideal, Betty and Ted parted company on the landing side of a small drop jump near the Warrenton Hunt kennels. “Not his fault,” Betty’s quick to point out. “He just slipped a bit on the landing.” But the fall required a trip for Betty in the red light limo. Although she was quickly ready to get back in the saddle, the weather and ground conditions around her home turf remained ill-suited to schooling rides. She had two other young horses, both quite green, that also needed work. So she arranged for a couple of sessions at The Barracks, Tom and Claiborne Bishop’s training center in Charlottesville, where Maria Shannon, the Bishops’ daughter, could give them some schooling. She figured she might as well put Ted on the trailer and take him along so she could get some rides in where the indoor ring conditions were much nicer. During one of those sessions, Betty asked Maria if she thought Ted might have the makings of a show horse. If she’d asked Ted, he would have likely replied with a resounding, “Yes!” With only the barest modifications to refine his hunting mouth and get him
Ernie Oare, Maria Shannon, and Betty Oare were all smiles following Sidenote’s win at the Loudoun Benefit Horse Show. Photo courtesy of the Oare family.
a little more collected, he started going like a true show horse. “He didn’t need to be taught anything,” Betty says. “He’s just an amazing horse. He has a great temperament, always calm and collected, a beautiful mover. He’s smart, the kind of horse you can trust.” She then admits, “If there are any mistakes, they’re always mine.” Sally Lamb concurred. “I know it’s a good match for you,” she told Betty. And with a wink she added, “You are his slave.” And with that, Ted became a permanent member of Team Oare. He’s since racked up an impressive series of wins in several under saddle classes and even has his own local fan club. His recent records include Virginia Horse Show Association Grand Champion Adult Hunter and, following three shows in Mississippi, Gulf Coast Circuit Grand Champion Adult Hunter. Looking ahead to this fall, Betty hopes Ted’s dance card will have enough points to include a trip to Kentucky to compete in the Adult Hunter Classic 3’ class at the National Horse Show and the Capital Challenge in Maryland. Wherever they go, Betty’s husband Ernie is always there to help out with whatever needs doing and cheering her on to continued success in the show ring. Sadly, Sally Lamb’s spot in the cheering section is now empty. She passed away this past December—a great loss to the horse world overall and to her many friends and admirers in particular. But through her generosity and the remarkable way she had of figuring out horses, she left Betty with a special gift. Not just an amazing horse, but with the completion of the last thing Betty’s brother sought to do before he died—find a new horse for his sister. A brother’s mission has been accomplished.
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
RACING
Spring Races By Will O’Keefe Douglas Lees Photos
Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point 5-9-2021 On Sunday, May 9, Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point held their annual races over the Glenwood Park Race Course near Middleburg, Virginia. When the Middleburg Spring Races moved their meet to May 1, the Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point had to move their date to May 9. The change worked for both meets with leading owners, trainers, and riders on hand and the racing action was great. It was a rare day when ten races were contested and each horse had a different trainer. The featured race was the Middleburg Bowl Open Timber Race that attracted a four-horse field. Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point, Middleburg Bowl Open Timber EHB Racing’s Huyana won with the leading rider over fences in Virginia and Maryland, Eddie Keat(l-r) Huyana (Eddie Keating, up) – 1st; Flaming Sword (McLane ing, aboard. Huyana had already won twice this year, at Blue Ridge and Winterthur, and was the faHendriks, up) – 2nd. vorite. In the race, Huyana was close to the pace set by Irvin S. Naylor’s Indian Hawk (Jamie Bargary). When Indian Hawk fell back, Fat Chance Farm’s Flaming Sword (McLane Hendriks) went to the front but could not match strides in the stretch with Huyana, who won by 1 length for trainer Casey Pinkard. This was Keating’s second win on the card, having won earlier aboard Willow Oaks Stables, LLC’s Master Gunner in a maiden hurdle race. Elizabeth Voss trained Master Gunner, who was the only official finisher in the nine-horse field. Six horses were disqualified and two horses lost their riders. The only survivor was Master Gunner. The other maiden hurdle race went to the frontrunner, Debra E. Kachel’s Better Tapit (McLane Hendriks). Given a leg up from his father, trainer Ricky Hendriks, McLane managed to hang on when Bryce Lingo & Leslie Kopp’s Ritzy A. P. (Gerard Galligan) came flying in the stretch. The final margin was a head. Ricky Hendriks had also saddled Wendy W. Hendriks’ Tankerville, the winner of the novice rider flat race. Tankerville (Courtney Dankanich) went to the front at the drop of the flag and was never seriously threatened. Mint Meadows Farm LLC and Don Metzger’s B Determined (Theo Sushko) made a bid in the stretch but his rally was a case of too little too late and the winning margin was 4½ lengths. The amateur/novice rider race followed and Shannon Hill Farm’s All Out of Aces had Parker Hendriks up. All Out of Aces inherited the lead when PathFinder Racing’s Skydiving lost his rider, Bryan Cullinane, at the last fence. Neil Morris trained the winner. Keri’s Find (Dan Nevin) finished second, beaten by 6 lengths. Dan Nevin had shocked the steeplechase world the day before by winning the Maryland Hunt Cup on Vintage Vinnie. An interesting aside: Vintage Vinnie won the 2019 Rokeby Challenge Cup at Piedmont. The maiden flat race was split with eight horses in each division. In the first, Beverly R. Steinman’s Elusive (Thomas Garner) took the lead when NRQ’s Criticize (Graham Watters) faded to fourth. Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point, Restricted Maiden Hurdle Doug Fout was the winning trainer. Jeremy Gillam’s entry of North Yorkshire (Felix Astudilla) and Better Tapit (McLane Hendriks, up) – 1st. Bohemian Dancer (Skylar Zaplitny) finished second and third with North Yorkshire just missing the win by a neck. Both of Gillam’s riders were newcomers to this area. Jeremy Gillam had better luck in the second division with The Monk (Felix Astudilla). The Monk was third on the backside, went to the front in the last quarter mile and won handily by 2½ lengths over Stone Farm’s Telegram (Eddie Keating). In the maiden timber race a big field of nine runners went to the start. John Greene & Patrick Worrall’s Mr. Haire (Thomas Garner), the winner, was rated off the pace and was fourth on the backside. He took the lead after the next to last fence and coasted home to win by 8 lengths. Gordonsdale Farm’s Overdrawn (Parker Hendriks) and Irvin S. Naylor’s Stooshie (Eddie Keating) closed well but were no match for the winner, finishing second and third. Leslie Young trains Mr. Haire. In 2016 Connor Hankin was a popular and successful rider with a bright future, but he chose a different path. He joined the Marines. Five years has passed and Connor was back in the saddle. He Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point, Middleburg Hunt Cup had a mount in the open flat race, and he kicked off the rust and won on Bruton Street-US’ Lord Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle Justice. NSA’s leading trainer, Jack Fisher, gave him the ride and he earned a hard-fought victory. All Out Of Aces (Parker Hendriks, up) – 1st. Woodlane Farm’s Pik Em (Graham Watters) set the early pace with the other two runners close behind. When Pik Em tired, Lord Justice saved ground around the turn, took the lead and held off PathFinder Racing’s Petrichor (Parker Hendriks) to win by ¾ length.
Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point, Louis Leith Memorial Maiden Timber (l-r) Love of the Bay (Gerald Galligan, up) – 4th; Mr. Haire (#3, Thomas Garner, up) – 1st; Overdrawn (Parker Hendriks, up) – 2nd.
Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point, Novice Rider Flat Tankerville (Courtney Dankanich, up) – 1st, leading on the turn.
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IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
Virginia Gold Cup Races 5-29-2021 The 96th Virginia Gold Cup was run at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia, on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Last year the pandemic forced the Gold Cup to be run later than the traditional first Saturday in May with no spectators. This year, the date was changed again hoping that the vaccinations would be effective and more people would be allowed to attend. The change worked, allowing about 4,000 people to enjoy a card of nine races highlighted by the Virginia Gold Cup, the feature over timber, and the David Semmes Memorial Stakes, the hurdle feature. Forty years ago, in 1981 Dr. John R. S. Fisher’s Juggernaut won the Virginia Gold Cup. The trainer and rider was Jack Fisher, who was in his first year riding under rules. No one would have imagined what would come for this horseman as a trainer and rider. Forty years later in 2021, Jack Fisher trained his 14th winner of the Virginia Gold Cup, Mrs. John R. S. Fisher’s Schoodic. In nine of those winning races, Jack also rode the winner. Jack was inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Saratoga on August 6. He has an endless list of accomplishments that would fill a volume and is a very worthy addition to the Hall of Fame. This year Schoodic, with his regular rider Hadden Frost in the saddle, was never far from the lead. He went to the front with four fences to jump and was in command the rest of the way. He won easily by 5¾ lengths. Leipers Fork Steeplechasers LLC’s Tomgarrow (Gerard Galligan) was second and Fat Chance Farm’s Flaming Sword (McLane Hendriks) was third. Schoodic won the International Gold Cup over the Great Meadow Course in 2018. In his career he won additional stakes races over timber and hurdles and has amassed nearly $450,000 in earnings. When Jonathan Sheppard retired last year, Keri Brion took over the reins. She has big shoes to fill and, so far, has been very successful. At Great Meadow she saddled the winner of the David H. Semmes Memorial Hurdle Stakes with Hudson River Farms’ Galway Kid. In the early stages, he was rated by Bernie Dalton off the pace. The last time around he made his move and joined Riverdee Stable’s Gibralfaro (Thomas Garner) and Irvin S. Naylor’s Bedrock (Gerard Galligan) at the last fence. These three battled to the finish and the result was determined in the final strides. Galway Kid proved best by a neck over Gibralfaro, who was a neck ahead of Bedrock. Keri Brion also saddled Buttonwood Farms LLC’s The Mean Queen (Thomas Garner) to win an allowance hurdle race for non-winners of two races. This five-year-old mare beat the boys by staying off the pace until the final turn. From that point to the finish, the outcome was never in doubt. The Mean Queen beat Willow Oaks Stables, LLC ‘s Master Gunner (Parker Hendriks) by 8 lengths. Sara E. Collette’s Eryx (Dylan McDonagh) was third in a good effort. The favorite in the Steeplethon was Straylight Racing LLC’s Invocation (Sean McDermott), who won last fall’s Steeplethon here and the Alfred Hunt Steeplechase at the Middleburg Spring Races this spring. Irvin S. Naylor’s Duc de Maron (Jamie Bargary) set out to upset the favorite by going to the front and staying there. With three furlongs to run, Invocation was gaining ground and appeared to have Duc de Maron measured, but Duc de Maron repulsed Invocation’s challenge and won by ¾ length. Jeffrey S. Aimling and Merriefield Farm’s My Afleet (Graham Watters) was close behind. Cyril Murphy was the winning trainer. The apprentice hurdle race was won in a romp by Irvin S. Naylor’s Mighty Mark. Rider Skylar McKenna has had a successful year especially riding horses trained by her mother, Kathy Neilson. Mighty Mark rallied to take the lead over the last fence and coasted home by 24¾ lengths. Straylight Racing LLC’s Sempre Medici (Alex Leventhal) had a good trip but was no match for the winner. Sanna P. Neilson’s Ebullience (Parker Hendriks) was third. Trainer Leslie Young had two winners on the card. She started her day with the winner of the first race. Leipers Fork Steeplechasers LLC’s Perfect Tapatino (Thomas Garner) raced slightly off the pace and joined South Branch Equine LLC’s Compass Zone (Sean McDermott) at the last fence. Perfect Tapatino put Compass Zone away in the stretch and held off the late charge mounted by Bryce Lingo & Leslie Kopp’s Ritzy A. P. (Harrison Beswick). The final margin was 1¼ lengths. Compass Zone held on for third. Leslie also won one of the maiden claiming races with Boudinot Farms LLC’s Makkadangdang (Thomas Garner). He was never far from the leaders and led over the last fence. He won going away by 3 lengths over MRQ Racing’s Argentic (Parker Hendriks). This was Thomas Garner’s third win on the card. The other maiden claiming race gave the local fans a chance to cheer. The winner, Melissa Cantacuzene’s Yankee Doodle Boy (Barry Foley), was trained by Doug Fout. In the race he was rated off the pace and found a different gear when the field turned for home. He came flying in the run in from the last fence and beat Apple Equipment LLC’s Lap of the Gods (Gerard Galligan) by 2 lengths. The finale, a ratings handicap hurdle race, was also won by local connections. Kinross Farm’s Junonia (Harrison Beswick) was never far from the lead and made what was a winning rally on the backside. He went to the front and arrived at the finish line 3½ lengths before Will Russell’s Animal Kingston (Thomas Garner). Both horses were trained by Neil Morris. Sanna P. Neilson and John L. Huganir’s He’ll Do (Parker Hendriks) had broken his maiden at last fall’s Interna- Virginia Gold Cup, Ratings Handicap Hurdle tional Gold Cup and had a good effort but had to settle for third. Junonia (Harrison Beswick, up) – 1st.
Virginia Gold Cup, Timber Stakes (l-r) Royal Ruse (Skylar McKenna, up); Schoodic (Hadden Frost, up) – 1st; Great Road (Teddy Davies, up).
Virginia Gold Cup, David H. Semmes Memorial (Grade III) Sport of Kings Hurdle Stakes Galway Kid (Bernie Dalton, up) – 1st.
Virginia Gold Cup, Steeplethon (l-r) My Afleet (Graham Watters, up) – 3rd; Duc de Maron (Jamie Bargary, up) – 1st.
Virginia Gold Cup, Virginia Equine Alliance Maiden Hurdle (l-r) Perfect Tapatino (#8, Thomas Garner, up) – 1st; Fashion Line (Bernie Dalton, up); Market Bubble (#6, Graham Watters, up); Turbo Drive (Jamie Bargary, up).
14 Colonial Downs 6-19-2021 Steeplechase racing action in America shifted from the hunt meets to racing at race tracks in the summer. In Virginia that means Colonial Downs in New Kent County with two hurdle races run each Monday through August 30. On June 19, Colonial Downs started their meet with a maiden hurdle race for fillies and mares. The winner, Sherry L. Fenwick’s Forgiving, was rated well behind the pace setter, Carrington Holdings LLC’s Cainudothetwist (Gerard Galligan). Cainudothetwist opened a huge lead the first time around, but on the final turn he ran out of gas and was quickly enveloped by the field. At that point, Forgiving took command. He had rallied on the rail and Forgiving (Parker Hendriks, up), winner of the $30,500 won easily by 3 lengths. Filly & Mare Maiden HurSanna P. Neilson not only dle Race at Colonial Downs was the winning trainer but on June 19, 2021. VEA photo she is the mother of the winning rider, Parker Hendriks. Del Rio Chasers LLC’s Tap Dance Star (Bernie Dalton) rallied for second but was not a threat to the winner. Beverly R. Steinman’s Invester (Barry Foley) ran evenly but was third best. The second race was an open maiden hurdle race with a full 10-horse field. The winner, Ritzy A. P., belongs to Bryce Lingo & Leslie Kopp and is trained by Neil Morris. Harrison Beswick kept Ritzy A. P. well off the pace but started to advance as the field raced around the final turn. He went to the front in the stretch and won going away by 6¼ lengths. Port Lairge Stables’ Quality Choice (Graham Watters) came from off the pace to rally and finish second.
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
The International Venture’s Howya Tuppence (Richard Condon) crossed the finish third but was disqualified for interference and placed sixth. That moved Ballybristol Farm LLC’s Cause for Pardon (Gerard Galligan) to third. Colonial Downs 6-26-21 The second week of races started with another field of maidens. The winner was Thomas Rice and Van Cushny’s Booby Trap (Thomas Garner), who was making his second start over fences. He was always close to the leaders and dueled William Marlow Jr.’s Hail Michigan (Teddy Davies) on the turn. He put Hail Michigan June 26, 2021, brought a smile to away and then held jockey Thomas Garner thanks to off Nancy A. Booby Trap’s first place finish in the Reed’s War Film $30,000 Maiden Hurdle at Colonial Downs. VEA photo (Skylar McKenna) and Northwoods Stable & Sheila J. Williams’ Market Bubble (Graham Watters) in the stretch. War Film rallied for second after racing close to the pace most of the race. Market Bubble ran evenly for third. The next race was a Ratings Handicap for horses that were rated 110 or lower and attracted 12 starters. Kinross Farm’s Junonia (Harrison Beswick) had an interesting path to this race. He won a Ratings Handicap at the Virginia Gold Cup Races; and just to keep him sharp, his trainer, Neil Morris, entered him in a flat race at Mountaineer Park. He won there and is on a three-race streak that was extended in this race. Junonia went to the lead at the third fence and was never challenged. He won by 2¾ lengths over
Riverdee Stable’s Gostibehere (Graham Watters,) who rallied to take second place from Sanna P. Neilson and John L. Huganir’s He’ll Do (Parker Hendriks) by a neck.
Trainer Neil Morris was pleased with the performance Ritzy A.P. and jockey Harrison Beswick put in on June 19, 2021, to place first in the $34,500 Colonial Downs Maiden Hurdle. VEA photo
Trainer Neil Morris and jockey Harrison Beswick teamed up with Junonia to claim victory in the $20,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle at Colonial Downs on June 26, 2021. VEA photo
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
TRAVELS
15
My First, But Not Last, Ranch Vacation By Louise Carelsen
As any horse enthusiast and mom will know, it’s a dream to be able to ride on vacation with your family. My boys, James, now aged 13, and Adam, aged 11, are both very sporty but, while they’ve ridden sporadically since they were little, it was mostly because I thought it would be good for them, not because they wanted to. It was when I was on a riding safari in Zimbabwe that I decided I really didn’t want to do this without them. They would have to learn to ride in order to experience the thrill of being off the beaten path on a horse. So we hired a couple of ponies and started trail riding once a week. James almost immediately relished the adventure of being out on a horse. The more mishaps we had, the more he enjoyed it. Adam, on the other hand, became fearful when he felt out of control and I worried I had over-faced him. So I ended up going twice a week; once with James for some faster rides and then a slower ride with Adam, where he got to set the pace. After a few months of practice, it was time to put their newly acquired equestrian skills to good use. I then had to decide what would be my first choice for a riding vacation that would suit everyone, including my husband who would have preferred to spend all his spare time on a mountain bike.
The main ranch building at Zapata with the Great Sand Dunes National Park in the background.
Zapata Ranch seemed the perfect fit. We flew into Colorado Springs where we spent a couple of nights, and rented mountain bikes for a day to explore local trails. As it was April, it was too early in the season to get to the top of Pikes Peak, but we were happy to experience some of the lower trails.
Riding over sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Zapata Ranch is an easy two-and-a-half hour drive from Colorado Springs and offers tailor-made riding vacations for families and individuals. They called me the week before to ask what our expectations where for this vacation and on arrival we had a custom-made itinerary waiting for us. Skye, the Programs Manager, had matched us perfectly to our horses. Our first ride of the week was in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, a short trailer ride for the horses from the ranch. We got to try the horses in the corral before they were loaded into the trailer to assure a good match. The western saddles are much bulkier than our usual English saddles but were comfy and the horses seemed well-mannered. I was somewhat nervous as the boys had never
ridden more than 40 minutes at a time and we were headed out on a trail ride that could last up to six hours. Luckily, Zapata’s wrangler, Lauren, had things under control. A lovely ride through juniper trees and up and down some soft sandy banks soon brought smiles to everyone’s face. Lauren had factored in all my concerns and was brilliant at going off ahead of our little group for some canters with James while Adam could hang back with the rest of us at a more sedate speed. The scenery was so varied that the six hours passed in a flash, particularly when we got to enjoy a delicious packed lunch while the horses were tied up at a picnic spot. And then there was the food! Chase, the chef, is very adept at making ranch food into something special. Smoked salmon with dill, capers and a lemon vinaigrette on arugula for lunch on a picnic? Delicious! The boys had their choice of pulled pork sandwiches or brisket sandwiches, with the option of peanut butter banana sandwiches for those who preferred. A faster canter in the riverbed at the foot of one of the magnificent sand dunes had James delighted with his pony, CB (aka Curly Beef), and Adam was equally happy with Murphy who was really patient and did what he was told. Both ponies were in their late twenties, more or less, real school-masters. Resident intern Abby then took us all for a walk in the afternoon to show us the different eco-types and some of the trees and grasses up close—much more interesting than anything the boys had learned over the last year of virtual learning from home! The rest of the week followed a similar pattern: Coffee at 7:30 am followed by a delicious breakfast out on the porch with a view of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Then we would head out with our wrangler Lauren for the morning ride along with our packed lunch. This included riding on the 50,000-acre Medano Reserve where the ranch’s 2000+ herd of bison roam free. This is all part of the Nature Conservancy’s research into how bison are less destructive on the prairielands than cattle. The Nature Conservancy owns Zapata Ranch and the Medano Reserve, while Ranchlands manages the farm and Reserve for them. This includes the Zapata guest ranch, with cattle that are raised and managed specifically with this ecosystem in mind, and the nearby Medano Reserve with its herd of bison. The bison are sold each year for meat and/or breeding with a certain number being given to Native Americans so they can start their own bison projects. Approaching the bison on horseback reminded me of approaching wildlife in southern Africa; you need to do so gradually and very respectfully. Any sign that the bison are unhappy and you retreat. The Medano Reserve is also home to the 100year-old Teofilo Trujillo home, which has been restored and is a National Historic Landmark. We had our picnic there one day and appreciated how Enjoying the good footing around a lake in the Medano Preserve. hard it must have
Enjoying family time on Day One of our ranch holiday.
been for the original settlers to live here, as it’s a very desolate windy spot without many trees in the middle of the plains. Speaking of wind, it does get windy fairly frequently as the locals like to remind you; after all, this is why the sand dunes are here in the first place! The prevailing winds come up against two mountain passes and deposit the sand from the San Luis Valley into the Great Sand Dunes National park. One afternoon we hiked up Zapata Falls, which was still frozen (did I mention it was April?), and when we continued up the trail past the falls, we got stunning views of the valley and dunes. Another afternoon we tried sand boarding, also an epic and very sandy/windy experience. It’s much harder than you would think to climb up to the top of 700 feet tall dunes and then try to balance on the boards on the way down. It’s not easy but exhilarating, despite the sand we found in our pockets/eyes/noses for days afterwards. We also got to spend an afternoon rock climbing in nearby Buena Vista and another afternoon mountain biking in Salida. Both were great experiences and a good way to break up the week and have some variety for the boys. The last afternoon of our stay, the boys and I took part in some leatherwork, which was really fun. We got to braid leather key rings and stamped a bunch of leather with the name of every person in our family. The ranch has a cute store where you can buy custom-made hats, western shirts, neckties and other locally made/sourced goods. My favorite part of the week however was seeing how both boys gained in confidence around the horses. They wanted to help put on their ponies’ bridles and take them off at the end of the day. They actually almost came to blows when discussing which was the better horse, CB or Murphy! Murphy initially was a little sticky going through water but Adam managed on his last couple of rides to get him through with confidence. He was so proud of his horse and this made my week. He also got much more confident with some trots and when Murphy jumped a little pipe in the road and broke into a canter, he went with it and maybe even enjoyed it. Colorado itself is a beautiful state to visit, especially for families who love the outdoors. “Amazing” was the one-word summary of our stay at Zapata Ranch by my rather reticent 13-year-old son and I couldn’t agree with him more! We already have plans to come back and will definitely include Zapata Ranch in our next visit. Editor’s Note: Louise Carelsen operates Equus Journeys offering trail rides and riding holidays around the world. For more information, visit www.equus-journeys.com.
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RACING
IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • FALL 2021
Horses and People to Watch Virginia Equine Alliance
Colonial Downs Opens Its Racing Season With Record Opening Day Handle Colonial Downs kicked off its 2021 Thoroughbred racing season July 19 with a record opening day betting handle of $2.66 million, spurred by a four-pack of $100,000 Virginia-restricted turf stakes races, and the return of fans to the New Kent track. “We would like to thank the horsemen, our fans on and off site, and our team for starting the meet on the right foot,” said John Marshall, Executive VP Operations for the Colonial Downs Group. “What a delight it was to see 2,500 fans at Colonial Downs on a Monday afternoon with such enthusiasm. We appreciate our fans for urging a new alltime Colonial Downs allsource handle opening day record. Looking at today’s card, Colonial Horacio Karamanos atop Bert Allen Stakes winner Passion Play. Downs has arrived at a Coady Photography whole new level.” Story lines were aplenty in the nine-race program as Colonial’s all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos reached the winners circle three times, including a gate-to-wire victory atop Reiley McDonald’s Passion Play in the 1 1/16 miles Bert Allen Stakes. The winner, a Mary Eppler trainee who broke his maiden two years ago in New Kent, pushed his bankroll to $197,947. “I expected someone else to go to the front, but when my horse broke out of the gate and took the lead, I tried to control the pace and at the half mile mark, knew I had plenty of horse left,” said Karamanos. “I’m so happy to come here and win this much. This is like my home. I broke records here and feel so happy when I’m back at Colonial Downs.” Gordon Keys’ Grateful Bred’s win in the 5½ -furlong Meadow Stable Stakes gave Middleburg, Vi r g i n i a - b a s e d trainer Madison Myers her first stakes win. The 5year-old Great Notion gelding raced three-wide around the turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch, and crossed 2¼ lengths ahead of Sky’s Not Falling. Grateful Bred captures the Meadow Stable Stakes at Colonial Downs. Coady Photography He is now 4-for-5 on the turf with earnings of $159,765. “It’s pretty important and exciting to get my first stakes win,” said Myers. “I can’t thank Mr. Keys enough for giving me a chance with a horse like this. We only have a handful of horses, so for him to leave him with me and let us go down this route is very special.” Myers added that winning in Virginia made it an extra special win. “The horse is Maryland-bred Robin Petrine and Lisa Cox, daughters of Virginia and Virginia-certified, and we breeder Nellie Mae Cox, presented a trophy to the winwant to support both programs. ning connections of the stakes named in their late mother’s honor. VEA photo We moved to Virginia eight-and-
a-half years ago, bought a house and just had a baby, so we’re pretty settled here now.” Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s Tasting the Stars earned her third stakes win in the Nellie Mae Cox for Virginia-bred and sired horses with Feargal Lynch in the irons. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare previously won the Brookmeade at Laurel and Just Jenda Stakes at Monmouth. She is now 5-for-7 with earnings of $204,600. Big Lick Farm’s Puppymonkeybaby prevailed in the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes, her second straight win, and gave Crozetbased trainer Sara Nagle her second win of the day. The lightly raced 3year-old Hit It a Puppymonkeybaby was best in the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes. Bomb filly was Coady Photography sent off at 24-1 and was making just her third lifetime start. Betting favorite Street Lute, winner of seven dirt stakes, finished sixth in her first effort on grass. High Expectations For Remainder of Colonial Downs Season, Which Runs Thru September 1 Anticipation is high for the balance of the ’21 meet, which continues through September 1, exemplified by the widespread participation of horsemen across the Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwestern regions; and attracted by a strong average daily purse structure of $500,000 per day. Some of the nation’s top stakes-winning trainers are participating, including Ferris Allen, Bret Calhoun, Ignacio Correas, John Kimmel, Michelle Lovell, Graham Motion, John Ortiz, Dallas Stewart, Mike Stidham, Michael Trombetta, and Brendan Walsh. “It’s extremely gratifying to witness the overall enthusiasm and interest from these top trainers for this year’s meeting,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations. “We are proud to further our goal of maintaining a first-class racing and a stabling program, and to ensure that the highest standards of safety and integrity are administered for our horsemen and fans.” “We have a great mixture of horses and outfits from all over,” added Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca. “We have a lot of Kentucky people and some from Florida. I think the competition might be tougher. I’m hoping we’ll run more dirt races this year. Some people get it in their head there’s only turf here, so I hope we can get some more dirt participation.” Mike Stidham, leading trainer at Colonial’s 2019 and abbreviated 2020 meets, plans to have between eight and 10 horses rotating in and out of his barn including several for David Ross, the all-time leading owner at Colonial Downs. “I train for David, and he likes to focus on the Colonial meet and race as many of his horses as he can during that time,” said Stidham, who had a Grade I win earlier this year with Mystic Guide in the Dubai World Cup. “The meet there is always fun.” Colonial’s all-time leading trainer Ferris Allen returns with 30 stalls. “I always target the Colonial meet,” he said. “The level of competition is going to be better than it ever has. Nobody knows the lay of the land here as well as me, so hopefully that will be a help to us.” “We built a loyal following of owners, and handled their horses at Colonial over the years,” said Allen. “But after being closed for six years, those folks weren’t at the doorstep waiting for you when Colonial reopened in 2019. People had to move on so that first year back was like re-establishing a network. Last year, we planned to take a step forward, but the pandemic prevented that. So this year is almost like year one again in re-establishing that base.” The highlight of the stakes calendar will be the $250,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds on Aug. 31. Closing day, the following afternoon, features five $100,000 Virginia-bred/sired stakes.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Events In and Around Horse Country
Autumn is a busy time in Horse Country. Here’s a list of some upcoming events. (All information is listed as of press time. Please check in advance to assure each event is being held as listed and if any additional protocols are required.) Junior North American Field Hunter Championship. Qualifying meets are held during hunt season, most scheduled from September through mid-October, but dates may vary depending on the hunting season in a given area. The finals will be hosted by Iroquois Hunt in Lexington, Kentucky, over the weekend of October 30-31. Contact Carla Babcock at carla.babcock09@gmail.com, go to www.jnafhc.com, or visit the Junior North American Field Hunter Championship Facebook page. Sept. 17-Oct. 16 Harness Racing at Shenandoah Downs, Woodstock, VA, Fridays at 3:30 pm and Saturdays at 1:00 pm. There will also be harness racing at the Shenandoah County Fair, September 1-4. Information: 540-459-3867, www.shenandoahdowns.com. Sept. 19 Deep Run Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, Sunnyside Farm, Wilmington, VA, 9:00 a.m. Information: Lynn Richie 804-986-2944, DRHC.Pace@gmail.com, www.deeprunhuntclub.com Sept. 26 Bull Run Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, The Preserve, Rapidan, VA, 9:00 a.m. Information: Rosie Campbell, MFH, 540-672-5128, rosie268@aol.com, www.bullrunhunt.com Oct. 3 Foxfield Fall Race Meet, Foxfield Race Course, Charlottesville, VA 1:30 p.m. Information: 434-293-9501, www.foxfieldraces.com Oct. 3 Keswick Hunt Club Fall Hunter Pace, Bridlespur, Keswick, VA, 9:00 a.m. Information: Erica Stevens, 561-601-9531, happyhorses@equinewelfaresociety.org, www.keswickhuntclub.com, on-line pre-entries only Oct. 3 Warrenton Hunt Clay Shoot, Granville Farm, 10:00 a.m., ahnash362@gmail.com or 540-270-3641 Oct. 4-7 Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship, four days of hunting with Virginia hunts leading to the championship competition on Saturday, October 9, at Glenwood Park, Middleburg, Virginia. VAFallRaces.com, karynwilson.fhc@gmail.com Oct. 9 Rappahannock Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, Pine Rock, Reva, VA, 10 a.m. Information: Mandi Dillon, 703-509-6151, rappahannockhuntsecretary@gmail.com, www.rappahannockhunt.com Oct. 9 Virginia Fall Race Meet, Glenwood Park, Middleburg, VA 1:00 p.m. Information: 540-687-9797, virginiafallraces@gmail.com, www.vafallraces.com Oct. 14-23 Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Harrisburg, PA. www.panational.org Oct. 16-27 Virginia Hunt Week, 11 days of foxhunting, each with a different Virginia hunt, vahuntweek.org Oct. 17 Warrenton Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, Millpoint/Clovercroft, Warrenton, VA, 10:00 a.m. Information: Janet Boots, 703-927-8532, bootsjanet@gmail.com, www.warrentonhunt.com Oct. 17 Virginia Field Hunter Championship, hosted by Farmington Hunt, Free Union, VA, 11:00 a.m. Information: Kip Holloway, 434-985-3482, 434-953-5215 (text only), kickon1113@gmail.com
Oct. 23 International Gold Cup, Great Meadow Course, The Plains, VA 12:30 p.m. Information: 540-347-2612, www.vagoldcup.com Oct. 24 Old Dominion Hounds Fall Hunter Pace, Hinckley Memorial Field, Marshall, VA, 10:00 a.m. Information: Debbie Welch, Debbie6Welch@gmail.com, 540-631-8607 Oct. 26-31 Washington International Horse Show, Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), Mill Spring, NC. www.wihs.org. (Due to COVID, the WIHS will be held again this year in Tryon, NC, and will return to Washington, DC, in 2022.) Oct. 31 Orange County Hounds Team Chase Event, Old Whitewood Farm, The Plains, VA, 12:00 noon. Contact Pippy McCormick, pippymcc@gmail.com, 540-454-2852, or Helen Bretell, 540-270-3993 Oct. 31 Prince Anne Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, PAH Kennels, Charles City, VA, 10:00 a.m. Information: Edward Mitchell, MFH, EMitchell@princessannehunt.com, 804-277-4567, www.princessannehunt.com Nov. 6 Montpelier Race Meet, Montpelier Station, VA 12:15 p.m. Information: 540-672-0027, martha@montpelierraces.org, www.montpelierraces.org Nov. 7 Farmington Hunt Fall Hunter Pace, FHC Kennels, Free Union, VA, 9:00 a.m. Information: Nancy Howell, Nancy.Howell@yahoo.com, 434-566-8561, www.farmingtonhunt.org, (please enter on-line)
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July 31st marked the start of autumn hunting at Andrews Bridge Foxhounds in Lancaster, PA. Huntsman Adam Townsend (center) brings along hounds aided by (l-r) Carol Wasylyk and Becky Harris. Karen Kandra photo
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