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HORSE SHOWS
Upperville Colt & Horse Show, Virginia
Serious Faces, an Adorable Pose, a Proud Daddy, and a Stylish Mom Enlivened the Leadline Classes at the 2024 Upperville Colt & Horse Show
19-year-old Mimi Gochman rode her Cosmos BH to take the top prize in the $226,000 FEI 4* Jumper Classic at the 171st Upperville Colt & Horse Show, June 9, 2024. Tiffany Dillon Keen photo
the grounds, landscaping, friendly volunteers, and good weather, the show reached an even higher bar for exhibitors and spectators. Winner of the Tack Room Contest, sponsored by Horse Country: Vineyard Haven. Horse Country photo
Joanne Maisano Photos
SPORTING LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Warrenton Horse Show Reaches 125 Years
August 28, Opening Day for the 2024 Warrenton Horse Show, a USEF Heritage Competition, will mark 125 years of this popular annual event. First held in 1899, the show has attracted competitors and spectators to the Shirley Avenue showgrounds for multiple days of spirited competition every year since. Highlights include a full schedule of hunter classes daily, plus jumper classes Thursday evening, two $1,500 hunter derbies Friday evening, the $5,000 Toyota Hunter Classic Saturday evening, and hunt classes all day and well into the evening Sunday. A new feature this year will be the Irish Bred classes. For more information, visit www.warrentonhorseshow.com.
Save the Dates! Virginia Hunt Week 2024
October 23 – November 7
The always-popular Virginia Hunt Week (which actually runs for two weeks) is coming up this autumn. The overall dates are set and the full schedule is now available. Enjoy foxhunting and fellowship in historic Virginia hunt countries around the state. New this year— evening parties for participants after several of the meets. Questions, contact Hugh Brown, MFH, at brownhh@jmu.edu or 540-290-9868, virginiahuntweek.org
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Kate Baker
Coady Photography www.coadyphotography.com
Erin Gilmore
Mark Houliston
Lea Huber
Michelle Jeffrey
Mark Jump markjumpphotography.com
Karen Kandra
Tiffany Dillon Keen dillonkeenphotograhy.com
Douglas Lees douglaslees@comcast.net
Joanne Maisano joannemaisano.com
J.Chris Middleton, DVM
Bonnie Nichols
Al Round
VEA
Bryn Mawr Hound Show
Ashland Bassets’ Eastwood must have told judge Mary Ewing, MFH, (right) at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show to “Make my day!” And thus “Woody” received the Champion Basset award, presented by Shawn Van Doren, MBH, Tewksbury Bassets. Mary Reed (left), MBH, Ashland’s Huntsman, said, “We are very pleased with how the hounds showed. The hounds were great considering we had only been working with them for about six weeks. Woody was a total jerk in training but he stepped up and showed his background.” Bonnie Nichols photo
Photographer Douglas Lees, long-time contributor to In & Around Horse Country, recently added another win to his impressive list of honors with a first place nod at the 2024 American Horse Publications Equine Media Awards, held in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 18.
The winning shot, in the Visual Media, Freelance Editorial Photograph category, was from the Steeplethon at the International Gold Cup, October 28, 2023. Titled “Flying Through the Water,” it features the winner Mercoeur, with Harrison Beswick up, in the lead and was published in our Holiday 2023 issue.
We are honored to have Douglas as part of the IAHC team and congratulate him on another well-deserved award.
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 Holiday issue is Nov. 4. Payment in full due with copy.
Publisher: Marion MaggioloManaging Editor: J. Harris Anderson
Huntsman Richard Roberts was in fine form when Middleburg Hunt had a day of sport from Huntland, October 15, 2022. Joanne Maisano photo
The Hunter Pairs Class is always a popular attraction at the Warrenton Horse Show. (Keswick Hunt Club’s Greta Sieman and Sommers Olinger, previous winners. Al Round photo.)
Douglas Lees Racks Up Another AHP Award
The autumn colors blended with a sea of ratcatcher attire when Keswick Hunt Club led the Hunt Week participants from Sunny View on October 16, 2023. Mark Jump photo
Hounds: Past and Present
By Betsy Smith
I recently purchased an old weathered green book, Hounds of the World, by Sir John BuchananJardine, MFH, MBH. The 233-page book was printed in 1937. A foreword by the Duke of Beaufort, MFH, describes Sir John, MFH of The Dumfriesshire Hounds, Scotland, as an “avid hound breeder who, in Hounds of the World, is giving the results of his experiments, as well as his wide and comprehensive study of the various breeds of hounds employed for hunting.” The book is a phenomenal time capsule, providing Jardine’s observations of hounds from around Europe and the US.
Fast-forward to 2024. I thought it would be interesting to check in with some longtime MFHs, Huntsmen, and MBHs and ask how their packs have evolved in the 25-30 years of their tenures. I put together a list of five questions:
•What breed was most prominent in the pack when you became MFH, MBH, or Huntsman?
•What is your current breed of choice?
•What was the deciding factor in changing or keeping your breeding program?
•How long did it take to get the pack where you were satisfied with the result?
•What advice would you give to a huntsman starting with a new pack?
Several knowledgeable individuals were kind enough to share their experiences, along with a few then-and-now photos to visually illustrate the differences. The important part of the changes they made are those we see as sportsmen in the field, the ultimate amphitheater of our sport. Hopefully, a dialogue like this will continue and information will be shared for the benefit of others deeply involved in improving their packs to meet our modern challenges.
Herewith are the responses:
Mary Reed, MBH, Ashland Bassets, Warrenton, VA:
I started hunting with the AB in 1996, became a whipper-in 1997, and then Jt. Master and Huntsman in 1998. When I started, the pack was mainly AKC with some English cross. Al Toews, who was MBH at the time, spent time talking with other basset packs that competed at the National Beagle Club trials at Aldie, as well as just watching how the other packs hunted. At that time, there was a big move to crossbreed with English bassets and French Petite Vendeen Griffon bassets. Ashland was in a transitional period. We were looking for a good outcross for the pack based on what Al saw and heard, so we looked to France. Chris Goeldner, former MBH, Mississippi Valley, had a contact with someone who hunted Bleu Gascogne (bleu-tick) bassets. Ashland went “on the limb” and imported two in 2004, brother and sister. In 2005 we acquired two more Bleus. One was a female, and she gave us two beautiful litters in 2005 and 2006.
The Bleus are very biddable and want to please the huntsman. We have been very pleased with our purebreds and crossbreds. We are still hoping to get more Bleu Gascogne into our pack and are working towards that goal. We have had some success with outcrossing with the recognized packs, but the Bleus are our favorite.
As most huntsmen will tell you, you breed for your territory as well as your ability to hunt them. If you are a new huntsman, give your hounds a chance to prove themselves. The hardest thing for some huntsmen to do is trust your hounds. We have hounds that are awesome. But, due to our territory, we now use tracking collars. We want to be able to go home with “all hounds on” at the end of the day. But if they are running a buck rabbit in spring, hunting conditions can change a lot.
Charlotte “Sherry” Buttrick, MBH, Farmington Beagles, VA:
When I started hunting as a teenager in New England, I hunted with the Bradbury Foxhounds in southern Massachusetts.
Though I continued to hunt with foxhounds, whipping in to Jack Eicher at Farmington for 11 years, I began hunting with beagles on foot at the same time and am now Jt. Huntsman and Master of the Farmington Beagles. They are a mix of 13” and 15” sizes. The larger ones are on the smaller side of the bigger division and the goal is for them to hunt as a pack, so the size difference doesn’t seem to matter. We breed and cull to get the most level pack we can, though it’s always a work in progress.
Thirty years ago, our pack had a bit more English breeding. Ronnie Wallace sent a hound from Eton College and we had several from the Dummer, a very quick and sharp pack with lovely conformation. We also had some older English lines that came through David (Bun) Sharp’s breeding at the Nantucket-Treweryn which was at that time a lovely pack of 15” beagles that went back to the Old Berkley Primula ’63 and Bolebroke Heiress ’62. Primula was by an Eton college dog. Bun and Becky Sharp’s Nantucket-Treweryn were very influential in those days and many packs had some of their breeding. Our hounds were probably a bit more biddable and pack-oriented in those days and they were more uniformly good looking.
Ashland Bassets with Huntsman/Master Mary Reed competing in the Pack Class at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show, June, 2024. Bonnie Nichols photo
Ashland Bassets with then-Huntsman/Master Al Toews, Opening Meet, October, 1997 at Ruth Wilson’s Stone Hill Farm in Hume. Photo courtesy Ashland Bassets
Farmington Beagles c. 1990. (l-r) Dick Crampton, Forbes Reback, and Ann Via. Photo courtesy Farmington Beagles
Farmington Beagles on a summer walk, 2021. (l-r) Geoff Cobham, Marcus Wiley, Sherry Buttrick, Beth Cobham, James Gelly, and Forbes Reback. Photo courtesy Farmington Beagles
We began to breed out to some of the gun dog packs, as many beagle packs have done in the last couple of decades. We have used primarily the Flat Creek Beagles in southern Virginia, which were developed by Bill Wright and Z. T. Wells, and continue today under Phillip Kallim’s direction. This has given us better scenting ability and rabbit-finding radar, though sometimes at the cost of conformation or biddability. From the second generation cross to this line, we got a phenomenal hunting machine called Gadfly. He was small and bandy legged, but smart and so fabulous a hunter that the pack came to rely on him over the years.
More recently, with another Flat Creek cross to a hound by Wrights Shake, we got a bitch called Challenge, the best huntress we have ever had, but thoroughly pigheaded and heavy of build. Since she was 100% honest, we were able to hunt her successfully for many years, though her name was on the lips of every whip as we walked out. She was the only hound I ever saw who hunted like a third season hound the first day she ever hunted, though we had to run her down to get her to come in.
We are trying to achieve a happy medium at present with looks as well as nose and hoping to increase biddability to make our lives easier. We shall see.
Advice for a new pack? Beagles have it lucky because both beagles and bassets exhibit at the National Beagle Club semi-annual trials, and people can go hunt with them all in a weekend and see what suits them best. Then it’s best to work with an established pack or two that can give you what you want and need to help you get started. Often an older hound who hunts great but has slowed down a bit is a good choice. And soon you will be on your way, competing against your mentors.
William “Pat” Butterfield, MFH, Farmington Hunt Club, VA:
When I first started hunting with Farmington Hunt, the pack was made up of American hounds, which traced their lineage to the Bywater strain. They were predominantly tricolor with very strong voices and were very sensitive. You could not be aggressive with these hounds, but they tended to be independent and somewhat difficult to control. It’s hard to imagine, but there were few deer in Albemarle County during the early ’60s and no coyotes. So the chance of being on an improper quarry was not as great as it is today. Currently we have a predominance of American hounds, with approximately five couple of Penn-Marydels. I think this pack is very well suited to our current conditions and territory.
I am not, and have not been, a huntsman. No Master of Farmington Hunt has ever hunted the pack. We have always had professional huntsmen, and they have determined the breed of hound that they prefer to hunt. For the most part, that has been fairly successful. I was not always in agreement with their choice of breed of foxhound. As long as our hunting was providing good sport, I did not interfere with the huntsman’s choice of hounds. Currently the pack consists of hounds of which I have always had a preference.
It has taken approximately ten years to get the pack in its current structure. They have a tremendous amount of drive, great voices and the majority of the time they pursue the desired quarry. As you know, no pack of hounds is perfect. Often the young entry can prove somewhat difficult to break from hunting deer. One should not be too harsh in dealing with American hounds. Cracking whips and yelling do not work. Persistent bad actors need to be culled and moved on... that is the job of the huntsman.
Matthew Cook, Huntsman, Farmington Hunt Club, VA:
When I started at Farmington, I inherited a pack of Crossbred hounds. Currently, we have gone back to having American foxhounds with a sprinkling of Penn-Marydel to make it interesting. We all breed for our needs. We must show sport and, for me, the American and Penn-Marydel work well. Nice voice and drive, but still able to keep up with them in our country. It has been over ten years working on this pack. It is ever-evolving and will never be perfect, but that’s the challenge. My advice to a new huntsman is don’t make drastic changes too quickly, keep an open mind to trying different breeds/types of hounds. I didn’t think I would be hunting American/PMD growing up with English hounds, but it is what has worked best for me here.
Marion Thorne, MFH and Huntsman, Genessee Valley Hunt, NY:
When I started to hunt the GVH in 2001, I had already hunted here for 34 years and had whipped-in for more than 20 of those years. So I was pretty familiar with the pack and was already involved in the breeding.
My stepfather, Austin Wadsworth, and his sister Martha were MFH and Huntsman before I took over and were hunting an older pack and breeding maybe one litter a year. We were beginning to occasionally run coyote, so this was giving us a very strung-out pack on coyote on the one hand and a super accurate biddable fox-finding machine on the other.
Huntsman Jack Eicher with the Farmington Hunt hounds, c. mid-’70s. Photo courtesy of Farmington Hunt Club
The weather in central Virginia was dicey for mounted sport in late January, 2016. So Farmington Hunt Club’s Huntsman Matthew Cook walked his hounds up to a snowy hilltop for some exercise and to enjoy the view. J.Chris Middleton, DVM, photo
The Genesee Valley Hunt hounds being unboxed in 2001. Kate Baker photo
Marion Thorne, MFH and Huntsman, Genesee Valley Hunt, led the parade down Main St., Geneseo, New York, September 24, 2016. Karen Kandra photo
Austin had already changed the pack from English to a very American type Crossbred. He went to Midland and Brandywine to make this Crossbred pack. It was a very successful pack, easy to hunt, deer broke with great cry. We just needed younger hounds to run the coyotes together.
He gave me lots of advice, but, in particular, he said I should go and hunt all over and when I like what I see, go there for blood. So off I went to Warrenton, where Jim Atkins gave me a great bitch with Potomac lines and to Midland where I got a bunch of drafts and used them as I liked. I then inherited a farmer’s pack from a local named Tim Tinker who had gotten a “starter pack” from Ben Hardaway of lovely July/English crosses. After a few years, I got a fantastic draft of American and American Crossbred of Randy Waterman when he left hunting the Mooreland Hunt in Alabama. All his blood is still in my pack. I still make July crosses and also have a line of harriers from the great bitch Harriet that Ben Hardaway brought over from Ireland. I also have a tiny bit of Fell blood and find them similar to American in their independence and nose.
So my preferred breed is Crossbred. I like the July strain of American. I want hounds with great noses, drive, and voice. We have country that can’t be ridden in, so hounds have got to go find. There are really big coverts so we are rarely harking a view. The voice keeps them together on a coyote.
I really didn’t change anything in the pack but the age of the hounds and the number I breed—at least three litters in order to maintain a fairly young pack.
My advice would be to breed for your country. Keep an eye to conformation, but nose, cry, and voice are all equally important. The type of hound needs to suit your country, your personality, and your field. When coming to a new pack, it is rarely a good idea to make big changes in type. Live with them a bit first. Listen to your elders, they can really help. It is a fun journey, and I am still learning.
Graham Buston, Huntsman, Blue Ridge Hunt, VA:
My first job as Huntsman was County Waterford Foxhounds in Ireland and they were all Old English.
My current breed of choice is Old English/American with a little bit of Fell blood.
When I came to Blue Ridge, I didn’t change anything for two years. I don’t believe any huntsman should come in and change a pack of hounds straight away. Watch them hunting. See how good they are and [assess] their abilities and what you feel as a huntsman needs to go into them, if anything at all.
So, after two years, I wanted more drive. That does not mean speed. Also, more voice, more willing and wanting to go into heavy cover. That’s what the cross I have now is doing and can cross the wire cattle country easier.
I’m at Blue Ridge ten seasons now. Am I satisfied? That’s probably the million dollar question. I’m happy with the way the hounds are going, but I’m always looking for more.
The advice I would give a new huntsman going into a pack of hounds is don’t try to fix something that is not broken, meaning hunt your hounds for a couple of seasons and see if they need any change as countries are always changing. Breed for your country, not for the show.
In Conclusion:
Every hunt is unique and has its own country, type of hound they prefer, and culture of people. The hunting “quilt” is a wide and varied part of our Americana. For as many similarities as there are, there are differences. It takes time to make up a pack of hounds and those that have been doing this for quite a while have knowledge and experiences that we all wish we could have. The best huntsmen and masters have a lifetime commitment to their passion. I know there are many more stories out there. I hope there will be more folks willing to share their knowledge for the benefit of us all.
Blue Ridge Hunt hounds enjoyed a walk in the snow, January, 2022. Joanne Maisano photo
Blue Ridge Huntsman Graham Buston led the pack over a coop at Ellerslie, February, 2017. Joanne Maisano photo
HOUND SHOWS
Central States Hound Show
Stilwell, Kansas, May 4, 2024
By Dr. Steven Thomas, MFH
The 2024 Central States Hound Show was again held at the Blue River Farm, home of Dr. Steve Thomas, MFH, and Mrs. Thomas of the Fort Leavenworth Hunt, in Stilwell, Kansas. Six hunts competed from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. A reception was held on Friday night before the event to recognize the exhibitors and to introduce the judges, Brian and Lindsey Kiely, from the Rose Tree-Blue Mountain Hunt in Pennsylvania. A new feature this year was a junior whip cracking competition and it was very well received!
The weather for the show was unseasonably cool and breezy, with threats of rain that never materialized. The judges and ring steward, J. Nick Badgerow, moved things along quickly and the judging finished by early afternoon. The junior handler class and horn blowing competition were held during the lunch break.
The junior judging program, developed by the MFHA, was again held and included a junior horn blowing competition. It was very well-received, with a number of competitors following the guidelines and trying to match wits with the judges in the ring. There was a tie for first place between Abri Fleischli from the Bridlespur Hunt (MO) and Alice Vollertsen from the Mission Valley Hunt (KS).
Exhibitors met with the judges after the event to hear the final results and the judges’ comments on the hounds and the day. The Best Hound of the Show was Brazos Valley Dan ’21, the Champion American Dog. The nod for Reserve Best went to Fort Leavenworth Hustle ’23. The Brazos Valley Hounds were the overall point winner of the show with the Fort Leavenworth Hunt coming in a close second. Mack Wertman, professional huntsman at the Bridlespur Hunt, won the horn blowing competition. It was another successful Central States Hound Show!
New England Hound Show
May 19, 2024
A gracious offer by Wendy Wood, MFH, Myopia Hunt, proved to be a happy outcome for this year’s New England Hound Show. Unlike last year’s perfect weather conditions when Tanheath Hunt hosted the show at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut, home of Bill and Diane MacLaren, this year saw rain hit the Bay State on show day. The participants—humans and hounds—were happy to be under the cover of the indoor arena at Wendy Wood’s home, Black Brook Farm, comfortably out of the rainy weather. Six hunts from four states brought hounds to vie for the ribbons. Massachusetts was represented by Myopia, Norfolk, and Old North Bridge. The others were Tanheath (CT), Wentworth (NH), and Green Mountain (VT). North Country Hounds (VT) was the only New England hunt unable to attend.
Brian Kiely, MFH, Rose Tree – Blue Mountain Hunt, traveled up from Pennsylvania to handle the judging duties.
The breed championships saw Norfolk take the top spot in both the English and American
classes with their Norfolk Millie ’22 in the former and Orange County Treacle ’21 in the latter. Wentworth also pulled a twofer with their Andrews Bridge Charleston ’22 taking the PennMarydel title and Wentworth Avocado ’19 receiving the Crossbred rosette.
Last year, Norfolk Millie teamed with littermate Midnight ’22 to take the title for Best Couple of Dogs or Bitches, bowing to Norfolk Mistle ’22 who took the top spot. This year, under Brian Kiely’s knowledgeable assessment, Millie was honored as Best in Show. Wentworth’s Andrews Bridge Charleston filled the Reserve slot.
In other action, Norfolk won both the Pack Class and the Horn Blowing competition with Huntsman Steve Farrin making the arena ring with hunt field music. In the Junior ring, 13-yearold Calleigh Robinson of Wentworth Hunt demonstrated her wonderful work with hounds to be named the Junior handling champion.
Virginia Foxhound Show
Leesburg, Virginia, May 26, 2024
With over 800 hounds representing 38 hunts entered in this year’s Virginia Foxhound Show, there was ample action to keep all five rings busy. With four breed categories, an extra ring is required to accommodate the Crossbred class (and assure the judging is completed before sunset!). One ring is devoted to hunts with fewer than 35 hounds and the other to hunts with 35 or more.
It was a pleasant late spring day at historic Morven Park in Leesburg on the Sunday of Memorial Weekend. The Virginia show always attracts hound lovers from distant areas to come together for a time of friendly competition and enjoyable companionship. The hunts represented ranged all along the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida, inland to Tennessee and Kentucky, up to Illinois and down to Texas.
Central States Hound Show Champ Brazos Valley Dan shown by Huntsman Sandy Dixon, MFH, as Judge Brian Kiely, MFH, Rose Tree – Blue Mountain Hunt; Ring Steward J. Nick Badgerow; and Apprentice Judge Lindsey Kiely, MFH Rose Tree – Blue Mountain Hunt look on. Lea Huber photo
New England Champion Norfolk Millie ’22 with (l-r) Huntsman Steve Farrin; Sarah Monaco, MFH, Norfolk Hunt; Judge Brian Kiely, MFH, Rose Tree – Blue Mountain Hunt; Kim Cutler, ex-MFH, Myopia Hunt, sponsor of the Champion Hound Class; Carolyn Pope, MFH, Norfolk Hunt; Handler Mathew Barnhart. Michelle Jeffrey Photography
Huntsman Leilani Gray shows off the winning form of Virginia Hound Show Grand Champion Hillsboro Rifle as Johnnie Gray and 12-year-old Hillsboro Junior Rosie Voight look on. Leilani says Rosie, who assisted her all day, is her “lucky charm.” Karen Kandra photo
Saturday evening kicked off with the annual Members Reception at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting NA at the Morven Park Mansion. The Virginia Foxhound Club, sponsor of the show, held its dinner under the tent at a new spot this year that allowed for easier access from the parking area.
Green Spring Valley’s Ashley Hubbard moved one step closer to becoming the Tom Brady of horn blowing by taking the top prize in the contest for the third straight year. Spencer Allen of Long Run Woodford Hounds (KY) was awarded “Reserve” and Steve Farrin of Norfolk Hunt (MA) took the third place spot.
Brenda Yost, Huntsman for Mill Creek Hunt (IL), was honored with this year’s Ian Milne Award, named in memory of the late Huntsman for Fairfax Hunt. The award is presented by the MFHA to “an active professional huntsman who has demonstrated consistent good sport, leadership by example and possesses the qualities that a huntsman needs to excel at the job.”
In the ring action on Sunday, a team of judges that represented an unequaled depth of knowledge and experience selected the top picks from each breed. The nod in the American class went to Orange County Hounds Pickle ’19, Golden’s Bridge Yeti ’18 took the Penn-Marydel crown, top spot in the English ring went to Hillsboro Rifle ’23, and the Cross-Bred champ was Blue Ridge Laborer ’22.
In the Junior Handler ring, first place for 11 and Over went to Bryke Durso of New Market – Middletown Valley and for the 10 and Under group it was Keira Huntington of Howard County-Iron Bridge.
When the foursome from each breed class gathered under the practiced eye of Dr. Jack van Nagell, MFH, Iroquois Hunt, Hillsboro Rifle came out on top as Grand Champion of the Show with Blue Ridge Laborer honored as Reserve.
Bryn Mawr Hound Show
Malvern, Pennsylvania, June 1, 2024
By Anson Taylor
Friday evening, after horn blowing and whip cracking followed by a great meal, The BMHS Association honored Jack Kingsley, MB, Old Chatham Foot Beagles, with the “Julian Marshall Award,” given annually to an individual for his or her lifetime contribution to hunting and hounds.
Saturday judging started briskly at 8:30 in all six rings. The English ring competition was augmented by the Toronto & North York, down from Canada for the first time in many years. Judge Lilla Mason, MFH, Iroquois, moved swiftly through the classes, culminating in the 5 couple pack class, where Martyn Blackmore (Princess Anne) and Andrew Marron (TNY) vied for the win in their
heavy woolens (after which no one else complained about the livery requirement).
Jack Moody, MFH, kindly came up from Mooreland to ably judge the Crossbreds, while Skip Crawford, ex-MFH, Potomac, was assisted in the American ring by KT Atkins, ex-MFH, Warrenton. The PMD ring saw fewer hunts than recent years (although Wentworth still made it down from Maine), but Tony Leahy, MFH, Fox River Valley & Massbach Hounds, praised the quality he saw in the ring and on the racecourse for the pack class.
While Ginnie Perrin, ex-MFH, Deep Run, had expressed reservations, saying she “had never judged beagles before,” she made it through Bryn Mawr’s busiest ring with no complaints, crowning Farmington Vulcan “Grand Champion Beagle.”
Mary Ewing, MFH, Bijou Springs, kindly stepped in to judge bassets after Daphne Wood, MFH, Live Oak, reluctantly bowed out due to her brand new knee. Mary carefully considered all exhibitors in what is often considered the hardest ring to judge, sending Ashland Eastwood on to the “Best in Show” Class.
Meanwhile, during the lunch break, BMHS Vice-President Betsy Harris, MFH, Andrews Bridge, expertly organized the Junior Handler Classes, with judges Jazz Johnson, MFH, Essex, and Joanne Hyland, MFH, County Galway. After four of the most popular classes of the show, 16-year-old William Uziel of Hill & Hollow Bassets was Champion, earning him stewardship of the Bill Wickes Memorial Trophy, sculpted by the late Eve Fout, MB, MOC Beagles, and believed to be her last work.
The day ended with judging by Oliver Brown, MFH, Rappahannock, awarding the Huntsman’s Performance prize ($750) to James Dean, Radnor, with second ($250) to Ashley Hubbard, Green Spring Valley. Oliver then selected the Grand Champion Foxhound, Blue Ridge Laborer, as the Best in Show, from a stiff set of competitors.
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Marshall, VA – Great location in the heart of Virginia’s renowned horse country. 17,800 sq.ft. exquisite manor home and equestrian facilities which include an Olympic sized outdoor arena, 12 stall stable and 15 board-fenced paddocks. The land is beautiful w/riding trails throughout; Also, charming guest cottage and living quarters for staff.
Middleburg, VA – The manor house, ca. 1925, has been beautifully maintained, w/recent significant improvements. The property is also outstanding– with beautiful gardens, terraces, heated pool, stocked pond, verdant fields, handsome stone stables, outdoor arena, Goose Creek River frontage and Bull Run Mountain views.
Keswick, VA – The horse facilities are suited for the serious equestrian to pursue their desired discipline, including: training, breeding and boarding. The main house features an open floor plan, 3 BRs / 2.5 BAs. In 4 parcels w/easement potential; plus, a site (with views) on its own 20-acre parcel for a new estate home.
Blue Ridge Laborer, Grand Champion Foxhound and Best In Show at Bryn Mawr. Karen Kandra photo
OSMUN’S OBSERVATIONS
Dogs are literal creatures. I’ve noticed that humans engage in this odd practice they call “irony.” As best as I can figure out, it means when something is the complete opposite of what you’d expect. For example, if someone named Mike Carpenter works as a plumber, that’s ironic. If a horse known to be high-strung and dangerous is named “Sweet Ums”…yep, ironic. Or a tiny dog that’s afraid of its own shadow is called “Killer.” You get the idea.
Which brings me to the names of hurricanes.
Marion was at the store and I was alone at home watching the Olympics, trying to focus on the team jumping action. Suddenly, annoying warnings began to scroll across the screen. “A hurricane is coming! Beep, beep! Warning! Warning! Prepare to take shelter!” The hair on my back stood straight up!
Isn’t
It Ironic?
Claudia Coleman illustration
I flashed to an episode two years ago when a storm hit Warrenton. I was home alone then too. My experience with tornado prep from my time in Montana kicked in back then and I headed straight for the bathtub upstairs to take shelter. Although it didn’t reach hurricane or tornado level, it was still a pretty strong storm. Lots of trees and powerlines were taken down and Marion had a difficult time getting home. Our house was spared, other than the electricity going out, which meant the can opener wouldn’t work! My panic at the thought of missing dinner was eased when Marion rummaged through a junk drawer and managed to find what looked like a relic from Colonial times—a hand-cranked can opener.
One other thought occurred to me. Despite the extensive damage that storm caused to our area, apparently it wasn’t bad enough to have been given an official name.
As I started to turn and head to the tub, I heard a voice say, “Hurricane Debby is expected to hit the Central Virginia area…” What? This one has a name? Then it must be really bad!
But before I got to the first stairstep, I thought, Wait! Hurricane DEBBY?
Now, I’ve meant lots of women, possibly hundreds (if I could count that high) since I moved here from the Treasure State a few years ago: Marion’s friends, customers at the store, new acquaintances at social functions, and so forth. Many of them are named Debby. And every one of them has struck me as a gracious, pleasant, good-hearted person.
So, on hearing the name given to this supposedly dangerous storm heading our way, I halted my dash to the tub. I mean, how bad could it be if it has such a sweet-sounding, non-threatening name? Have you ever heard of an evil villain name “Debby”? The leader of an outlaw biker gang? A maniacal dictator bent on world domination? Of course not.
Y’see…irony. Dogs don’t get it.
So I opted to forego the bathtub and stay where I was, happily watching the US take silver in the team jumping finals. I barked my approval when the scores were tallied and Laura Kraut, Karl Cook, and McLain Ward stepped up to the podium to receive their medals.
During a break, a weather forecaster appeared with an update on the coming storm. Yes, sadly, that nasty Debby was doing real damage in some areas. My canine heart went out to the folks in those places. However, as the front moved toward Warrenton, its power began to weaken. Hurricane Debby was losing steam. And, I guess in another case of irony, her approach actually became a welcomed event.
It’s been a tough few months around here. We were in official drought status beginning in early summer. Heat indexes have been well over 100 on several days. Several jurisdictions have imposed water restrictions. So, the prospect of rain—even if “heavy at times” and with a bit of lightning and thunder thrown in for effect—had its appeal.
Happily, at least for Warrenton and the surrounding area, that’s what we got. The drought was ended, water tables rose, and the heat levels eased.
So, thank you, Hurricane Debby. You turned out to be more blessing than
curse. At least for our area anyway.
When Marion got home, having driven from the store in a steady but nonthreatening rain, I gave her a recap of my decision to skip the bathtub thing.
“Sounds like you made the right choice,” she said. “But you might not be so lucky the next time. Whatever name the weather people give to a hurricane, it means nothing about how bad it might be.”
“If you say so,” I replied. “But I really hate taking shelter in that bathtub. It’s cold and hard. And there’s no window so I can’t see if anything’s coming.”
“Well, I might have a better use for it anyway. A customer of mine who lives in Mississippi told me that when there’s a hurricane or tornado warning for her area, she puts her favorite Horse Country lamp in the bathtub. Maybe that’s where I should put my best lamps next time a bad storm is coming.”
“And what should I do then?” I asked.
She looked around the living room and considered the options. “You could get under the chaise lounge.”
Well, I thought, that might not be so bad. A little tight but more comfortable than that damn bathtub.
“Oh!” she said. “That’s kind of funny. You’d be in a tense situation, so not exactly ‘lounging’ under the lounge. Wouldn’t that be ironic!”
Yes, I thought, wouldn’t it though.
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JENNY’S PICKS
Summertime—the hottest part of the year for many of us, when you need to get up early to do stablework, exercise horses, and leave the oppressive afternoon to shelter in air conditioning with a good book. A number of biographies and autobiographies are coming out this year to interest the equestrian world. One that I thoroughly enjoyed reading cover-to-cover was Lettie Teague’s biography of Marguerite Henry.
Teague, Lettie. Dear Readers and Riders. Children of my generation grew up with the delightful books by Marguerite Henry: King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague, Cinnabar the One O’Clock Fox, and many more. Many were beautifully illustrated by Warrenton artist Wesley Dennis. Lettie Teague has researched the background of Henry’s many books in order to write this biography. Many photographs illustrate the author, her family, illustrators, and subjects of her books. I can recommend this book to all who have enjoyed Henry’s beloved children’s books. Paperback, 308pp. $27.95
Ulrich, Julie. Packing My Bags. The author, a grand prix jumper rider, recounts her association with horses that began in a rather strange way. As a little girl she liked to visit the horses of a neighbor, talk to them, and decorate them with handmade tissue flowers. One day a pony nipped her—actually drawing blood—and the neighbor happened to be looking out the window and saw it. Instead of rushing out screaming “Get away from the horses!” the way so many people today would, the man told her to come into the house so he could clean up the wound, then told her that, if she would not tell her parents the pony bit her, he would let her ride the pony. (Not a good idea today!) Well, the only way she could get the pony to move was to lead it some distance from the water trough and get on and let it go back to the water trough. One day after taking it a good way away, the pony got up a good run, halted sharply at the water trough, and ducked his head, sending his little rider into the water! Once again, the owner was watching— one suspects he had been keeping a sharp eye out on them—and he came out and said he would teach her.
Julie went on to become an upper level rider and popular instructor, taking lessons from various horsemen such as Karl Mikolka of the Spanish Riding School and Reiner Klimke from Germany. She was able to travel and live abroad while studying under French, German, and Austrian instructors. While she was married, she and her husband established a popular riding school in Massachusetts; after her divorce, she moved to Middleburg, Virginia, established another riding school, and was able to foxhunt with the Middleburg Hunt and the Piedmont Fox Hounds before deciding to move to France, where she is currently based. In between chapters Julie inserts brief “riding lessons” on various topics. She has much to draw from in her full life of riding, teaching, and searching for horses for clients. This makes great summer reading for anyone with time to spare, and I recommend it highly. (Don’t confuse her with the American-based Julie Ulrich, who is an animal communicator; they’re both on the Internet!) Paperback, 208pp. $24.95. (See Karin Winegar's profile of Julie Ulrich, page 12.)
Winegard, Timothy C. The Horse/A Galloping History of Humanity. Beginning at the beginning with the evolution of the various predecessors to today’s equus, 460 pages of text and b&w photos link horses and humans worldwide throughout history. It’s going to take more than a few days for me to read this and make a thorough review, but from what I’ve browsed so far, it’s going to be fun reading a lot of new (to me) information the author has collected. Hardcover, 517pp. including notes, bibliography and index. $35.00
A number of years ago, we carried several books by Robin Williams, a Virginia horsewoman long involved in racing. One was a horseracing novel entitled Key to the Quarter Post. Two were collections of short articles focusing mainly on rural life. I enjoyed all of them. In May, Robin visited us with two new books that didn’t seem to fit into our niche upon initial sight, but we decided to try some anyway. I browsed through them. Robin’s humorous touch soon brought a smile to my face, starting with the back cover “reviews” of one of them.
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Williams, Robin. Butch and Sundance Do India In order to better understand her father’s war experiences for her biography of him (see below), Robin and her brother Bo (not to be confused with her father who was also dubbed “Bo”) decide to visit India and Burma, where he was stationed during World War II. I flipped over the book for a synopsis and found “Praise and commentary that you would expect” followed by some very interesting reviews.
“A rollicking adventure story straight out of the British Raj, told with my kind of humor and irony. – Rudyard Kipling”
“India! We shoulda gone to India! – Robert Redford”
“I thought about India. The banks are ripe for robbing, but the money ain’t worth anything. – Paul Newman”
“I usually prefer black and white photographs, but the color pix were fabulous! - Ansel Adams”
With such humor on the back cover, I just had to start reading the book. And so should you, if you love to travel. There are wry chuckles on every page, as well as photographs of the places they visited and the people they encountered, including a snake charmer. This is an area where elephants and cattle can be encountered anywhere, any time – including highways, and woe be unto the person who slams his car into one. Paperback, 153pp. $20.00
Williams, Robin. The Last Romantic War. Robin’s parents – a young U.S. Army captain and a Hollins College freshman – met not long after Pearl Harbor in a blind date. This is the story of their romance, carried out at a distance as “Bo” (Heber Venable) Traywick was shipped to the Pacific and soon wound up in India. A good portion of the book deals with his war experiences, which included a horrendous time in Burma. Given today’s tenuous relations with China, it’s a bit startling to be reminded that the Chinese were our allies against the Japanese then. Funny how alliances swap around…
Back at home, Robin’s mother, Flo Neher, was still on the “social circuit,” enjoying life and trying to gently fend off all the young men she socialized with, but loyal to Bo all the while. Unfortunately, there were a few suitors that mistook her kindness as encouragement; one required a little firmer handling and another went off to war and was killed. Reading as smoothly as a novel, the book comes to its final and obvious conclusion. Lots of photographs. Hardcover, 299pp. $27.00
Williams, Robin. Key to the Quarter Pole. We reordered a few of this racing-themed novel that is also a love story, set in Virginia’s only big racetrack, Colonial Downs. Unlike most that feature racing, this one features the people in the “backstretch”—the stable hands, trainers, exercise riders, jockeys, and other behind-the-scenes staff without whom racing cannot happen, and, central to the story, a gelding with the atrocious appellation of “Alice’s Restaurant,” a.k.a. “Alice.” Oh, yes, there’s also the president and general manager of the racetrack, who is also a critical player in this story about a woman past her prime who has been enticed from “retirement” by a trainer needing her help to get Alice back into racing shape from his attempted retirement—in which he was so miserable he lost significant condition. Louise is looked upon fondly by everyone at the Downs, being nicknamed la Madre to the Mexican workers; she works hard to get Alice into shape, constantly afraid his problem knee will cause a catastrophic fall. Williams skillfully weaves her story about regular people whose lives are the racetrack, including a gradually developing attraction between Louise and the president of the track. Paperback, 278pp. $16.00
Next, we have a new trio of murder mysteries by author Janet Winters, centered around protagonist Ivy Snow, a former Olympic hopeful whose career was dashed by a
crippling fall from a stumbling horse. While the equestrian world is very much in the background, in sequential order, they are as follows:
Murder at Morgan House. We work our way through a maze of first and third person accounts to set the stage of a 49-year-old mother of teenage fraternal twins, a boy and a psychic girl who has prophetic visions. Ivy Snow Skeleton discovers her husband Bart has been leading a double life, being also married to a woman—like Ivy, a horsewoman—that Ivy just happens to encounter and engage in conversation. The woman, Marion, reveals that she met her husband at the Devon Horse Show—just as Ivy had— and, like Ivy’s, he is also a criminal lawyer. Both women stare at each other. His name is the same. Instead of viewing each other as rivals, they concoct a plan to reveal his deception very publicly. This novel is full of action, jumping from one person’s view to another’s and slowly bringing a number of loose threads together into final denouement during a jury trial for the murder of one of the characters. Paperback, 280pp. $14.99
Death at Heart’s Desire. We’ve not heard the last of Bart Skeleton, who in the previous volume was in jail for his bigamy. In this he breaks out of jail, determined on revenge. Also, Ivy’s daughter becomes a target for a man posing as a pastor, who becomes aware of her psychic abilities; when he sees her walking alone, he offers her a ride, which she naively accepts despite her mother having repeatedly told her never to take a ride with a stranger. Many of the same characters from the first book reappear in this mystery. Ivy’s son Jayson falls in with a drug-using crowd; Ivy herself continues to have life-threatening experiences; and daughter Jaycee’s nightmares continue to wake her in panic. What’s more, the budding romance between Ivy and police detective John Garrett advances, then sets back when Ivy finds out he is married. Paperback, 358pp. $14.99
Peril in Paradise. Ivy Snow and her children are in Wellington, Florida, for the winter show season; the first chapter blares the newspaper heading “Officials Suspect Drug Reaction in Florida Horse Deaths.” Several dozen polo ponies belonging to Vincente Villa collapsed and died at a polo match. And Vincente Villa and Ivy Snow once had a romance going in London. John Garrett is still very much in the picture, however, and horses are a little more in focus, as Ivy’s daughter will be showing her horse this year at Wellington. A new dark cloud arises in Ivy’s life by the reappearance of her stepfather, who may have been the one who killed her mother long ago. Paperback, 466pp. $14.99
New for very young readers and especially those you sit beside and read to:
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Decorated Horses. Illustrations by Jeannie Brett. This beautiful and colorful book for youngsters illustrates the many ways horses and their riders have decorated themselves over the millennia, from the painted ponies of native Americans through Egyptian charioteers, Mongolian, Japanese, and European mounted warriors, to circus horses, draft animals, Thoroughbreds whose riders’ silks sport a multitude of colors, parade horses, and many more. Hardcover, 48pp. $17.95
Hansard, Peter. A Field Full of Horses. Written in the first person, this is a lovely walk by a stream to visit a herd of horses. The narrator explains, “There’s nothing I’d rather do than just sit and look at horses.” Horse-loving children will enjoy the artwork depicting horses of different colors in many poses. An added benefit is the endpapers that feature images of many different breeds of the world. If you have a budding equine artist in the family, he or she will benefit from studying and copying the illustrations; Kenneth Lilly’s art is so nice I’m tempted to buy one for myself to study! Paperback, unpaginated. $8.99.
Letts, Elizabeth. My Blue-Ribbon Horse. Illustrations by Kaylar Harren. You may remember that Elizabeth Letts wrote The $80 Champion about Snowman, the plow horse who became a jumping champion. This is a very pareddown introduction, mainly featuring his purchase at the last minute from the killer dealer at an auction and how Harry de Leyer realized his jumping talents. Short and sweet for the youngest readers! Hardcover, unpaginated. $18.99
Foxfield Adds Novice Stake Numbers Are Up Across the Circuit with More Racing, Higher Purses All Season
By Betsy Burke Parker
The fall race season in Virginia features higher purses—and more stakes races— than ever, with four meets scheduled, plus continued racing at Colonial Downs in New Kent County.
The trend reflects numbers across the board on the National Steeplechase Association circuit, with several new races added across the schedule that runs seamlessly from summer major track racing at Saratoga, Colonial Downs, and New York’s Aqueduct Racecourse into the hunt meet circuit that spans from western upstate New York to South Carolina.
There are 14 days of racing September 5 through November 23.
The 103rd Far Hills Races are October 19 in Far Hills, New Jersey. The historic meet has long been considered the championship decider, with seven stakes races worth more than $675,000.
The Colonial Cup returns to the schedule November 17 following a sevenyear hiatus.
The Colonial Cup started in 1970, established by Marion duPont Scott at her Springdale Racecourse in Camden, South Carolina. The Colonial Cup last ran in 2016.
In Virginia, the 46th annual Foxfield Fall Races are October 6 at the Barracks Road racecourse in Charlottesville. Six races worth more than $240,000 in purses begin at 12:30 p.m. first post.
The new Mariann de Tejeda novice stake is part of the lucrative Sport of Kings series. Race day activities include a huge vendor village, an active kids’ zone, food trucks, a college row for tailgate tent parties, and more. www.foxfieldraces.com
New this year, the Theodora Randolph Field Hunter Championship finals will be held Friday, October 11, the day before the October 12 Virginia Fall Races. For three decades, the finals have been held on race day morning.
Qualifying meets are October 7-11 at Warrenton, Blue Ridge, Rappahannock, and Piedmont. The finals are at Sunny Bank Farm in Middleburg.
The 70th annual Virginia Fall Races are October 12 at Glenwood Park in Middleburg. Seven races worth $175,000 include the $50,000 National Sporting Library timber stake, the $25,000 Kinross Steeplethon cross-country ’chase, and the Bryant memorial ratings handicap.
The meet has run to benefit the INOVA Loudoun Hospital Foundation since 1955, along with the hosting Glenwood Park Trust that conserves the 112-acre park bequeathed to the community by the late Daniel Sands. www.vafallraces.com
The 41st annual International Gold Cup Races are Oct. 26 at Great Meadow in The Plains. Post time is 12:00 noon for the first of seven races worth more than $325,000.
The eponymous headliner is the 85th running of the International Gold Cup, a $75,000 timber stake set at 3½ miles. The International Gold Cup has a long history—it started in the 1930s in Tennessee, moved to Pennsylvania, and, in 1983, to Great Meadow.
Rare in American steeplechasing, Great Meadow offers pari-mutuel wagering, available at self-serve kiosks or with live tellers on site or on a smartphone betting app. www.vagoldcup.com
The new $150,000 Will Allison stakes runs in honor of longtime co-chair of the Virginia and International Gold Cup Races. The Allison is the ninth Grade 1 on the circuit, four more than last year and most in NSA history.
The 89th annual Montpelier Hunt Races are Nov. 2 in Orange.
Formerly home to the fourth U.S. president, James Madison, Montpelier was purchased by William duPont in 1901. DuPont’s daughter, Marion duPont Scott, inherited it and resided at Montpelier until her death in 1983. The property was given to the National Trust For Historic Preservation.
In 1932, Scott won the Maryland Hunt Cup with Trouble Maker; in 1938, her Battleship became the first American-bred and -owned horse to win the English Grand National.
Scott established the Montpelier Races in 1929.
Anchoring the seven-race card is the $75,000 grade 2 Laing brush handicap—one of two American steeplechases still run over living hedges. www.montpelierraces.org
The International Gold Cup will feature a $150,000 stakes race named in honor of Dr. Will Allison, longtime co-chair of the Virginia and International Gold Cup Races. Douglas Lees photo
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Jeff Ketzler: A Special Remembrance
With sadness I remember a friend and colleague, Jeff Ketzler, former MFH of the North Hills Hunt, Nebraska, who passed away unexpectedly on December 29, 2023, while on a European trip with his wife, Sue. Jeff left an indelible mark on the world of custom footwear and beyond.
Jeff was the fourth generation to lead the 145-year-old Dehner Company in Omaha, a legacy he upheld with exceptional dedication and skill from the mid-’70s until his passing. Over the years, Jeff became synonymous with quality and craftsmanship, producing the famous Dehner hunting, dress, and field boots that have become iconic in the equestrian and fashion worlds.
While military boots were his primary livelihood—finishing the uniforms of state police, the National Guard, generals, and ceremonial units—Jeff’s work extended far beyond that. His expertise and attention to detail brought custom boots to life for movies and plays as well as para-Olympians, demonstrating his versatility and passion for the craft.
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Julie Ulrich: Riding the Horse Love Wave PROFILE
“I am a teacher, that’s my favorite thing,” declares Julie Ulrich, distilling more than seven decades of training horses, riding to hounds, competing in grand prix jumpers and dressage, and educating riders in all disciplines on two continents.
Now, in addition to schooling students about aids, timing, and other skills, the many-time champion hopes she is passing on principles of morality in the treatment of horses, too.
“In my long life with horses I’ve seen many phases,” said Ulrich, who currently lives in Deauville, France, and was in Virginia to attend the Upperville Colt & Horse Show. “One phase now is that gradually people are becoming more intelligent about horses.”
In Ulrich’s new book, Packing My Bags, Two Sides to the Story of My Life with Horses (Trafalgar Square Books, soft cover $24.95, 272 pages), she describes a riding and teaching life on both sides of the Atlantic. In each community, she says, she sees a rising appetite among horse lovers for doing the right thing by the animals.
“We all started this because we love the horse,” said Ulrich. “Then manmade goals and deadlines and big money brought the animals down. Too many horses have been injured or killed in some disciplines and others broken down mentally.”
In her clinics, said Ulrich, “I always spout off on the future of our sport and on the treatment of our horses. I am meeting people eager to learn more about the animal and less about winning at his expense. The trend is there and I am investigating it like crazy. If they lose the public—and in racing, the betting public—the horse industry has no future. Self-governing is required and that comes from ethics, from having a moral sense.”
Ulrich spent her early childhood in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she rode at the Maurice Roberts stable. When the family moved to Boston she rode (with no trainer) at the Millwood Hunt Club in Framingham, Massachusetts, and finished her high school degree. She considered a career in journalism and attended St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York for a while before leaving to become a professional equestrian. (“I missed the horses.”) She married Richard Ulrich and the two built Friars Gate Farm in Pembroke, Massachusetts. Over 30 years, their 15-acre riding and training center swelled to 115 horses “all in work, hunters and jumpers and dressage.”
In the wake of World War II and Spanish Riding School Director Alex Podjasky’s visits to the U.S., some riders left that legendary Vienna school, including Chief Rider Karl Mikolka. He joined Julie and Richard in 1972 and founded the Massachusetts Dressage Academy at Friars Gate.
“I love dressage and we eagerly invited him and his wife Cindy to use our facility,” said Ulrich. “Richard and I had the only riding ring I have seen in the U.S. that had pillars in the middle. We put them there in honor of Karl’s long stay at the Spanish Riding School. I had to arrange the jumping course around them.”
At Friars Gate “the house was filled with working students from all over the world, from France, from South America,” she recalls. “They stayed to learn the life of horsemanship and about half of them have gone on in the profession. We were training and forming horses and went to all the shows on the East Coast.”
Once indoor rings developed and Wellington, Florida, began to provide continuous opportunities for competition, Ulrich noted, many things changed.
“When Wellington started, there was suddenly a winter circuit,” she explained. “That changed the nature of showing. At first, people simply overdid with the horses, because no one realized horses have a limit; when people show year round, horses wear out. There was a phase when competitors overused horses and were supported by veterinarians who kept them in action when they needed rest. Now I see more awareness that a horse cannot do that. People limit the number of classes in a day or in a month more wisely. People are becoming much smarter about it now.”
After divorce she realized she needed to condense her training operation and moved Friars Gate to Unison, Virginia, in 1986. In eleven joyous years there, she says, “I hunted with every hunt here, hunted almost every day in the season and also a lot in Ireland. I traveled to New Zealand’s South Island to visit Thady
Ryan, too, where we jumped a lot of wire. I love hunting in part because there is no prize at the end of the day, it takes real horsemanship, real houndsmanship. And in terms of the horse it’s one of the least damaging. In others the horse is often exploited and goes way beyond where he should go because he does what he is asked to do.”
In 1992 Ulrich chose to move to France, “because of the horses,” including the Selle Francais.
“I decided to go to a country where I didn’t know anyone and couldn’t speak the language,” she said. “It’s been my personal Outward Bound adventure. I wanted to see if I could get to the same status I enjoyed in the U.S.”
“When I first moved to Europe it shocked me: American riders are a lesson-taking culture, but [the Europeans] didn’t take lessons, they just competed. So I became a horse dealer for awhile. Now they take lessons and train like everyone else.”
She sees value in challenges to equine sport now being raised by “animal rights people and the endurance people. I see criticism of rollkur and over-longing in hunters, the distortions of Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walkers, and fivegaited saddle horses. In every discipline you can name, there is horse abuse and it’s under scrutiny now. It should be: the biggest challenge of the future is to bring our sports to a more logical way. Horses should be a priority, not a commodity used up to entertain the public.”
The future of every discipline depends on this moral change, she adds.
“We have terrific riders, wonderful course designers, better horses, improved footing to enjoy life with these horses, but the priority became winning and money. It takes self-governance to change this. We need young trainers who train people equally in ethics as well as skills of riding. So many load the horses with the goals and ambitions and ego of the rider. That cannot be. This is so close to my heart because I love horses; we must get this thing turned around.”
During her 2023 series of clinics, Ulrich explained, she was not teaching how to win but passing along facts about the horse: “how it moves and thinks and how much fun it is to improve him, not what prize to take out of the ring. The students all told me ‘This is fun, this is what we want to do.’ It does not need to be expensive, it works for 4-H, Pony Club, trail riding, and at the local level.”
“One woman told me she was looking for a trainer and one of them asked her ‘Do you own a horse that can go to the A circuit? I’m not interested if you don’t.’ How many young riders possess a horse like that? That is silly and so wrong. What we are missing is those people who are willing to train kids to ride and to just enjoy their horses.”
“I am 83 and was very lucky to live the time I lived,” she says. “I got to just play with horses. My trainer and I talked horses forever and were never sick of it. He told me stories and we were extremely close.”
“You cannot legislate morality, it’s taught by parents, coaches or mentors. You gain it from someone else who has those qualities. Without it you end up being an extremely materialist person. People are telling me it’s their coaches and their trainers who want somebody big to stand beside in the ring.
“A lot of people are looking at things differently, it needs to be addressed that horses need to be protected. I see that we are going in the right direction: in Europe, you cannot ride with tight nosebands, you are not allowed to overflex the horse or hit a horse more than twice.”
She also welcomes the greater vigilance over drug use in racing, including the use of calcium-building drugs. Given to foals, these may cause intense but faulty bone growth: “It breaks and suddenly 26 horses break their legs at Santa Anita,” she explained. “These things are gradually found out and being acted upon.”
“Education will protect the horse in the end,” she says. “So we need to educate our teachers and coaches in self-governance in the best interest of the horse.”
Julie riding Barnabus, her favorite, “in the late seventies somewhere in Florida.”
The Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles, a formal beagle pack hunting in Clarke and Warren counties, Virginia, celebrated their 100 year milestone in 2024. The pack was founded in 1922 and recognized by the National Beagle Club of America in 1924. They have been continuously hunted throughout the entire 100 years under ten Masters and five Huntsmen. Founded near Philadelphia, they hunted as the Treweryn Beagles from 1922 to 1956 when they merged with the Nantucket Harriers following the marriage of the respective masters, David B. Sharp and Rebecca Trimpi. In 1961 the combined pack moved to Unison in Loudoun County and later, upon the deaths of the Sharps, to Clarke County where it has remained for 36 years.
Today the Joint Masters are Peter J. Cook (1991), Marianne J. Casey (2013), and Russell Wagner (2013). Mr. Wagner also serves at the huntsman. The pack became a subscription pack when it moved to Clarke County and remains so to this day. The hounds hunt between 150 and 180 days per year from August to April. They chase cottontail rabbits on many of Clarke County’s most historic and picturesque farms.
In February 2024, Delegate Delores Oates introduced House Resolution 239, honoring the pack’s 100 years, at the Virginia General Assembly and, following passage, presented the certificate to the Masters at the pack’s Centennial Celebration party. To see the full text of the bill, go to https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HR239/id/2941919
Virginia Hunt Week 2024
We’re back and better than ever! Two more hunts than last year! Evening parties in the works following several meets!
Wednesday, October 23
Thursday, October 24
Friday, October 25
Saturday, October 26
Sunday, October 27
Monday, October 28
Tuesday, October 29
Wednesday, October 30
Princess Anne Hunt
Deep Run Hunt
Caroline Hunt
Rappahannock Hunt
Thornton Hill Hounds
Warrenton Hunt
Old Dominion Hounds
Keswick Hunt
Thursday, October 31
Friday, November 1
Saturday, November 2
Sunday, November 3
Monday, November 4
Tuesday, November 5
Wednesday, November 6
Thursday, November 7
Bull Run Hunt
Bedford County Hunt
Rockbridge Hunt
Oak Ridge Fox Hunt
Travel & Shopping Day at Horse Country
Glenmore Hunt
Middlebrook Hounds
Farmington Hunt
Please note: dates and locations are subject to change.
Registration forms will be available around September 1 at vahuntweek.org
Cost will be $350 for members of participating hunts and $600 for non-members. Details on the website soon.
For questions about Virginia Hunt week 2024, please contact Hugh Brown, MFH at brownhh@jmu.edu or 540-290-9868
Huntsman Russell Wagner, MBH, with Whipper-In Marianne Casey, MBH, hunting the Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles from the LeHews’ Shannon Hill, Warren County, Virginia, March 4, 2018. Mark Houliston photo
2024 Brings Changes to the Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship FIELD HUNTERS
For the 2024 running of this popular event, the first four days (October 7 - October 11) will follow the same pattern that has held since its inception forty years ago. Contestants will ride with four different Virginia hunts Monday through Thursday under the watchful eye of expert judges who will select those deemed qualified to compete in the finals. This year’s schedule includes (Monday-Thursday) Warrenton Hunt, Blue Ridge Hunt, Rappahannock Hunt, and Piedmont Fox Hounds. Evening social events will also be held.
Then, rather than taking Friday off and gathering on Saturday morning at Glenwood Park prior to the Virginia Fall Races for the finals, the selected horse and rider pairs will vie for the ribbons and prize money Friday morning at Sunnybank Farm, the home of Eva Smithwick, just outside Middleburg. Eva’s late mother-in-law, Dot Smithwick, first conceptualized this competition to recognize the quality of hunt horses throughout North America.
Awards will be given throughout the week and at the finals for Best Turned Out, Most Suitable Pair, and Sportsmanship. Ribbons will be pinned through eighth place at the finals and prize money will be awarded through fifth place. The Matthew Mackay-Smith Award will be given to the highest placing Jockey Club registered Thoroughbred at the finals.
Registration for the 2024 competition is $425 until September 20, $475 thereafter. No registrations will be accepted after October 4. Entry forms and information are available from the Virginia Fall Races website: VAFallRaces.com.
Laura Sloan rode “Forthegreatergood” (aka “Dom”) for the win at the 2023 Theodora A. Randolph North American Field Hunter Championship.
Joanne Maisano photo
HORSE SHOW
Warrenton Horse Show Offers Irish Horse Exhibition Division
Thursday, August 29, 2024
By Mary Ewing, MFH
The Warrenton Horse Show, celebrating its 125th anniversary, is including an Irish Horse division for the first time in its history. Following on the heels of the renewed Irish Division at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show, which attracted more than sixty top class entries, Warrenton’s Irish division promises to bring increased entries for the Warrenton Horse Show from the breeders, owners, and riders of this breed.
The division will consist of separate in hand conformation classes for Purebred Irish Draughts and for Irish Sport Horses (Part-breds) and combined Hunter Hack and Handy Hunter under saddle classes. Champion and Reserve awards will be presented to the Purebred Irish Draught and the Irish Sport Horse acquiring the most points. Tony Phillips, senior judge with the Irish Draught Horse Society of Great Britain, will judge. The show date is Thursday, August 29. Entry forms are on the Warrenton Horse Show website, https://www.warrentonhorseshow.com. For information about the classes or breed criteria for entries, email Brandy at esgreenwel@me.com.
Spearheaded by Rae Stone, DVM and Irish Draught breeders Brandy Greenwell and Mary Ewing, MFH, the OCH Conservation Foundation (OCHCF) and Piedmont Fox Hounds Conservation Fund (PFHCF) partnered to sponsor the division. Together the nonprofit OCHCF and PFHCF organizations work to preserve Northern Virginia’s diverse wildlife habitats and unparalleled open space for future generations of equestrians. For more information about events and activities, visit www.ochcf.org and www.pfhconservationfund.org. Be sure to stop by their ringside tailgate at the Warrenton Horse Show for refreshments and conservation insights!
The Irish Draught Horse is a storied breed, developed in Ireland centuries ago as an all-around working horse. The Irish farmer by necessity developed an adaptable horse that could carry out farm work but could also take the farmer out for a day’s hunting, give a ride for the farmer’s children, and pull the family carriage to take them to church on Sunday. Known for their intelligence and kind expressions, today’s Irish horses can be found in the hunt fields of Virginia and elsewhere, and in competitions in the show ring, eventing, dressage, and driving as well as a treasured family horse. Excellent temperaments, athleticism, strong constitutions and beauty are hallmarks of the breed.
Reserve your space for Santa Fe Hunt’s 4th Annual Bryce Canyon 5-NT Hunt Week
September 17-21, 2024
SCHEDULE
Saturday, Sept. 14-16, 2024, add to your trip, arrive on your own (optional)
Day 1: Tues., Sept. 17 Trail Ride, Welcome Cocktail Party
Day 2: Wed., Sept. 18 Hunt Day, Catered Punch Bowl
Day 3: Thurs., Sept. 19 Trail Ride, Full Moon Dinner on the Rim
Day 4: Fri., Sept. 20 Hunt Day, Catered Punch Bowl
Day 5: Sat., Sept. 21 (Farewell) Breakfast on the Rim Trail Ride on your own!
If you would like an additional trail ride prior to or after our 4 night package please advise.
Deposit $300 per person confirms your reservation!
If bringing your own horses, please check with your vet regarding health certificate/Coggins
For more information: www.santafehunt.com or email MarianCerilly@gmail.com
Casanova Rebel, ridden by Joe DeSantis of The Frame Sport Horses, was the Upperville Irish Draught champion. The horse was imported by Mary Ewing, MFH, and is owned by Nancy Danks. (l-r) Katy Carter; Dr. Rae Stone, DVM; Serina Stropko, The Frame Sport Horses; Nancy Danks; Laurie Ambrose. Erin Gilmore photo
Horses and People to Watch
Virginia Equine Alliance
“Virginia Wins With Horses” TV Commercial Wins
Prestigious Telly Award
Richmond, VA-based BES Studios and its client, the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), were awarded a prestigious Telly Award this summer in recognition of a sixty second TV commercial titled “Virginia Wins With Horses” that was submitted in the annual competition which honors excellence in video and television across all screens.
The VEA, whose mission is to sustain, promote and expand the horse breeding and horse racing opportunities in Virginia, initiated a multi-media campaign. BES Studios acquired hours of authentic footage to select from via day-long video shoots at four key locations: Colonial Downs, Shenandoah Downs, Eagle Point Farm, and Audley Farm Equine. Footage highlighted the state’s economy, tourism, jobs, careers, and agriculture.
Samples of the entire campaign, along with video of the award-winning spot, can be found at the all new virginiahorseracing.com website.
Virginia Connections off to Solid Starts at Colonial Downs Summer
Thoroughbred Meet
As Colonial Downs passed the one-third mark of its 2024 summer season, Virginia trainers and connections made their presence felt early on.
Susan Cooney, whose stable is based in Delaplane, got her picture taken on back-to-back days with a pair of Virginia-breds—Andrew Lavin’s Virginia Fitz who was best in a $56,250 maiden claiming 2-year-old race July 25 and Cooney’s own Carolina Hideaway who scored in a July 26 $75,000 maiden special weight event. The former was bred by Becky Lavin and surprised many with a $45.40 win payout while the latter was led by jockey Trevor McCarthy after a very difficult load in process at the starting gate.
Ferris Allen, a Varina native and all-time leading Colonial Downs trainer, got a July 25 win with Walter Doggett’s Translate. The 7-year-old Tonalist mare earned her fourth career win with all-time Colonial leading jockey Horacio Karamanos up. Allen won his 303rd race at Colonial while Karamanos recorded win number 554 in New Kent. Colonial’s all-time leading owner, David Ross, President of the Virginia HBPA, collected victory #163 at the New Kent track July 18th with 2-year-old War of Will gelding Curahee. Ross, whose stable name is DARRS, Inc., also won an opening day race with 4-year-old Temple City gelding My Sanctuary.
Trainer Leanne Hester of Gloucester, Virginia, scored with Cajun Expectation while Madison Meyers, whose Ballyerin Racing Stable is based at the Middleburg Training Center, won with 3-year-old filly Lady Ophelia. Trainer Diana McClure of Berryville collected a win with 5-year-old gelding Arden’sluckytobe in a $80,000 dirt allowance and Karen Godsey, whose Eagle Point Farm is based in Ashland, connected with 4-year-old American Freedom gelding Green Beans who was bred by Robin Richards.
Ninth Annual Shenandoah Downs Harness Race Season in Woodstock to Run from September 14 - October 27
The Shenandoah Downs harness race meet in Woodstock ushers in its ninth annual fall season September 14 and continues racing every Saturday and Sunday thru October 27 with a 1:05 PM first post. Admission and parking are free and the races are family friendly. A series of promotions are lined up every race day including Wiener Dog Races Sept. 22 and Miniature Horse Races Oct. 19. The track is conveniently located off I-81 at Exit 283 in the scenic Shenandoah Valley. Meet highlight is the $650,000 Virginia Breeder’s Championships on Sunday October 27.
Virginia-Bred Horses Compete at Colonial Downs in 4-Pack of Stakes
Worth a Combined $500,000
A 4-pack of $125,000 Virginia-bred/sired stakes races helped usher in the Colonial Downs summer meet on July 20. Susan Moulton’s well rested Tufani topped the field in the Brookmeade Stakes by capturing the distaff race by 1¾ lengths. Trained by Mike Stidham and ridden by Ben Curtis, Tufani completed 1 1/16 turf miles in 1:43.26. The 4-year-old bred by Chance Farm & Distorted Humor Syndicate, earned $75,000 for the win and grew her bankroll to $254,442.
“We’ve been very keen to give her a break and let her mature and you can see she’s filled out and she’s grown,” Curtis said. “She used to be very hot, she got warm and was a bit busy in herself. Now you can see it, she walks out like a professional and she relaxes straight away into racing. It makes my job easier, and it makes her job easier.”
Reiley McDonald’s Passion Play grinded out a victory in the Edward P. Evans Stakes by running down Gettin’downonit in the final stages of the one-mile contest. The winner was trained by Mary Eppler, ridden by Horacio Karamanos, and bred by Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III.
“Mary Eppler is so special to me,” said Karamanos after the race. “She supported me from the very beginning when I started competing at Laurel. She gave me a chance from day one with some of her really good horses. She has meant so much to my career. She is beautiful because she never gets upset even when you make a mistake.”
Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom completed a multi-year hat trick in the Punch Line Stakes, scoring his third straight victory in the 5½ furlong turf event. Trained by Phil Schoenthal and ridden by Victor Carrasco, Determined Kingdom completed his gate-to-wire journey in 1:03.16. Improving his record to 21-82-2, the son of Animal Kingdom was bred by Audley Farm Equine now boasts career earnings of $556,789.
“My instructions were very simple,” said Carrasco. “You got the one hole, you got the best horse, just go on and win. He’s been winning that way lately and he’s been very successful. He is such a nice horse. He was ready and I didn’t think anybody could beat him in this race.”
Madison Avenue Racing Stable and Jagger Inc.’s Mystic Seaport stalked and pounced victoriously in the Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty Stakes which was contested in a steady downpour. Trained by Jamie Ness and ridden by Mychel Sanchez, Mystic Seaport completed 5½ furlongs in 1:03.23. She was bred in Virginia by Daybreak Stables.
Steeplechase
Racing
Has Been Integral Part of Colonial Downs Summer Racing Season
Colonial Downs is in the middle of playing host to 18 steeplechase races during the summer Thoroughbred racing season in New Kent. Three jump races are being held on six different occasions (Thursdays) through September 5 including a pair of $100,000 filly/mare stakes—the $100,000 Randolph D. Rouse, which was contested August 3, and the $100,000 Life’s Illusion on September 5. A $50,000 flat race for jumpers will close out festivities, as steeplechase race #19 in a sense, on Friday, September 6. All jump races this summer have featured pari-mutuel wagering for the first time in several years. Fans on track and at simulcast outlets around the country have been able to wager on them all season. Most days, handle on the three races combined has been impressive—in the $100,000 range. Prior to 2024, steeplechase races were conducted as non-betting races and held prior to the simulcast signal being available to fans.
Trainer Susan Cooney (right) poses in the Colonial Downs winner’s circle with jockey Trevor McCarthy after Carolina Hideaway’s win. Susan’s husband, Patrick Cooney (left), joined in the celebration. VEA photo
Jockey Horacio Karamanos urges Mary Eppler’s Passion Play on to victory in the Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial Downs. Coady Media photo
Phil Schoenthal’s Determined Kingdom prevails in the Punch Line Stakes at Colonial Downs, his third straight win in the stakes. Coady Media photo
Eagle Point Farms’ Donna Dennehy & Karen Godsey, whose Ashland-based horse farm was featured in the VEA’s award-winning commercial, pose with the Telly Trophy. VEA photo
REMEMBRANCE
Jim Meads: Photographer Extraordinaire
Jim Meads, who passed away in June, a month shy of his 94th birthday, achieved a record of accomplishments unlikely ever to be equaled. Long-time readers of this publication no doubt will remember the many years his photos and reports enlivened these pages. His six collections of hunt field photos now grace countless bookshelves and coffee tables throughout the sporting world.
But it was the man behind the camera who endeared himself to the legion of admirers that not only appreciated his unmatched talent but also were proud to call him a friend.
An extensive profile of Jim, written by Lauren R. Giannini, appeared in the February/March 2011 issue of In & Around Horse Country. The article was in recognition of the day in December, 2010, when Jim, at the age of 80, achieved the landmark accomplishment of photographing his 500th foxhunt when Loudoun Hunt West hosted a joint meet with Fairfax Hunt near Leesburg, Virginia. Much of what follows here is drawn from that article.
Jim was born in Hertfordshire (UK) in 1930. As a child, he rode in the Enfield Chace Hunt Pony Club from 1936-1939.
(1930-1924)
“I didn’t have rich parents and I just borrowed a pony from the local riding school if somebody hadn’t turned up who’d already booked it,” recalled Meads. “I loved it. Then the war came and that’s when I had to give up riding.”
His father, Frank, was a professional photographer, so the inclination to follow that path was present from an early age. Jim left school in 1946 and took a job as a trainee photographer at an aircraft company. “I flew in wartime bombers with parachutes and all that stuff—this was just after the war—taking pictures, leaning out of the window. Then I went into the Royal Air Force, thinking they might make me a photographer, but they made me a truck driver.”
Jim was already shooting foxhunts and hound shows, including the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, while still in the RAF and his shots were making the pages of Horse & Hound. So the move to fulltime freelancer when his military service ended in 1950 was an easy transition.
What wasn’t easy was working with the photography technology of that time. Jim’s father insisted that quality images could be made only by using large format film with glass plates, which required a new one for every picture. The cameras were heavy with no means of focusing or set up. Everything was done by guess and mistakes were very costly. But such priceless training in the field contributed to Meads’ stellar reputation as a sporting photographer. Rather than snapping off a lengthy string of shots with the hope of finding something worth using from a batch of thumbnails, Jim learned to make sure everything was perfect before he took the shot. With such a practiced eye, there were never any distractions in the resultant images—no electric power lines in the background, no rider’s face obscured by a horse’s ear—nothing less than perfection.
The weight of those old cameras provided both a challenge and an ancillary benefit. Jim quickly became known as “The Running Photographer.” He possessed the unique combination of abilities to know how to place himself in the optimum position in the hunt field and to get there via “shank’s mare” (i.e., by his own legs). The heavy camera provided an extra measure of conditioning from such exertions. He started using medium format film in 1964, which required somewhat lighter equipment. But his ability to transport himself to the ideal location and then envision a shot before capturing the image were so ingrained that the type of equipment used was a secondary consideration.
Getting into those ideal positions not only required physical stamina but at times a disregard for safety. Depending on the territory, hazards could include bogs, unruly livestock, snakes, and other potential risks. “I’ll do anything to get a picture,” he says.
Flirting with disaster started when Jim was a child during the war and the Meads family lived near London during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. “We were bombed every night,” he recalled. “July 1, 1944, one of those German flying bombs, a doodlebug, picked on our house and the house was blown down with us sleeping in it. We were cut and bruised and all that, but we survived. So I have
lived a dangerous life.”
People cherish their hunting photos taken by Meads and many personal collections include at least one, if not all, of his six books. They Still Meet At Eleven marked his debut into the literary world in 1979, but he didn’t produce the next one until 1991 when They Will Always Meet at Eleven came out. His career picked up even more momentum when Marion Maggiolo began organizing book launches at Horse Country Saddlery: My Hunting World (1999), In Full Cry (2003), and Going Home (2008). His fifth and final, Good Night, Masters, was published by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America in 2012.
In 1974 Meads came to the USA for the first time and was hosted by Pennsylvania’s Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds with the late master, Nancy Hannum. That visit launched a decades long practice of shooting hunting action not only throughout the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales) but in North America and France as well. He was always an honored guest at every hunt he visited, for both the photos that would follow as well as for his engaging company. Jim developed deep and lasting friendships throughout the hunting world and will long be remembered partying until the hunt ball band sounded the last notes in the wee hours. Jim will have undoubtedly danced with every lady in attendance by then.
Starting in the mid-’90s, Jim added In & Around Horse Country to his publishing CV when “Across the Pond” began its run. For the next two decades, readers enjoyed both his images and reports of hunting days and hound shows. His coverage ranged from such major occasions as the MFHA Centennial competitions and the Peterborough show to the sporting day of a Highlands farmers pack or a show of Fell hounds in a remote Welsh village.
“Every hunt is a challenge,” said Meads, “and that’s the beauty of live hunting—you never know what’s going to happen. People ask what’s the secret of getting really spectacular hunting pictures, and I say it’s down to three ‘ations’— dedication, concentration, and anticipation.”
That’s easier said than done, which is why there will never be another sporting photographer who wields a camera quite like Meads. His archives are destined to be one of the most brilliant collections of foxhunting images and memorabilia ever gathered, guaranteeing that, as an artist, Jim Meads will always run with the hounds.
On Dec. 5, 2010, Jim Meads achieved his long-held ambition to photograph 500 different hunts when he shot the Loudoun Hunt West’s joint meet with Fairfax Hunt. Immediately after clicking off the first shot, he raised his hands in exultation at this amazing accomplishment. Douglas Lees photo
