746 746 breathtaking acres located in Madison County with long frontage on the Rapidan River, and numerous ponds and streams. This rare large tract ofers excellent Blue Ridge views, with numerous stunning building sites, abundant fenced pastures for grazing livestock, with automatic waterers, fertile bottom land for crops, extensive road, and trail system, and well maintained barns, and a recently updated brick home for a farm manager. The property is in six tax map parcels, and is an ideal candidate for a conservation easement. This unique property combines beautiful land with amazing topography, complete privacy, long river frontage, no conservation easement, and within 2 hours of Washington.
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
GREENVILLE
$6,995,000 | MLS 650903
One of the State’s finest examples of Classical Revival architecture, sited on 716-acres of rolling, highly productive cropland with long frontage on the Rapidan River. The home is instantly recognizable with its 4 massive Doric columns and “M” shaped copper roof. Built in 1854, the residence was meticulously restored by Alexander Nicholson to its present condition. The river and its lowlands ofer endless recreation including some of the area’s best duck hunting. Additional improvements include a restored, period summer kitchen, conservatory, pool and pool house, stables, numerous cottages, and farm infrastructure.
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
PETER A. WILEY 434 422 2090
LINDEN HILL
$3,750,000
LOST VALLEY
$375,000 | MLS 649504
This 32.5-acre wooded parcel is tucked away near the end of a private gravel road. The property ofers seclusion with mountain and pastoral views. Water features include two creeks. Gentle topography allows for easy access to multiple building sites. Less than 25 minutes to Charlottesville.
PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090
CHERRY SPRINGS
$2,900,000 | MLS 658045
448 private acres centrally located between Orange and Gordonsville, with great views of the South West Mountains, and ample frontage on Madison Run Rd. The land is a mixture of open pasture, hay fields, and mature hard wood forest, with approx 6 mi of ATV trails.. The land is further improved with four wells, pond, under ground electric, roads, trails, long frontage Madison Run stream, and a small multistory home w/ fireplace, full kitchen, laundry, bath, and roof top ofce, that is being sold in "as is" condition. The property is currently being used as a cattle farm, and is currently in land use. The property is not in a conservation easement and can be subdivided
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
Linden Hill is one of Charlottesville's most distinguished properties, set on over 1.3 acres of beautifully manicured grounds with impressive mountain views. This iconic, fully renovated 1920's 5-bedroom residence includes two charming cottages with two additional bedrooms, a heated, saltwater pool and spa, ofering a luxurious yet private retreat just minutes from downtown, the University of Virginia, shopping and schools. A gourmet kitchen boasts a Lacanche range, stand-alone subzero fridge, quartzite countertops and exceptional custom cabinetry. This is a rare opportunity to own one of the finest estate-caliber properties Charlottesville has to ofer.
PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090
RAPIDAN DEPOT
$175,000
The Rapidan freight depot dates to 1853, and has been a familiar landmark in the town of Rapidan for many years. Built prior to the Civil War, this structure has witnessed much of the history that has taken place in the last 172 years. The two-story structure has a partially finished main floor and a finished second floor. The property has a nice large vaulted room on the main floor, which has great potential. The property also has of-road parking and great visibility from Rapidan Road and is also conveniently located between the towns of Orange and Culpeper. This is an ideal location for retail, an art gallery, or ofce space.
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
FOXHUNTING
Wateree Hounds, Camden, SC, hosted their inaugural Hunt Week, January 26 – February 1, 2025. Visiting packs included Old Dominion Hounds (VA), Essex Fox Hounds (NJ), and Rolling Rock Hunt (PA). Shown here (l-r) are huntsmen Josh Bentley (Old Dominion), Bart Poole (Essex), and Sam Clifton (Wateree). Mark Jump photo
A dozen members of Old Dominion Hounds made the trip to Camden, SC, for Wateree Hounds’ Hunt Week. (l-r) ODH joint-masters Kim Poe and Les Moeller share a moment with Vince Paschal, MFH Wateree Hounds. Mark Jump photo
Ryan Johnsey, MFH/Huntsman for Tennessee Valley Hunt, served as huntsman for the performance trials hosted by Belle Meade Hunt, Thomson, GA, January 24-25, 2025. Hounds from Belle Meade, Moore County Hounds, Long Run Woodford Hunt, Sedgefield, Mill Creek, Goodwin, and Goshen were entered for the competition. When the final judging was done, Belle Meade’s Patton was selected as the champion, with Moore County’s Rutger second. Allison Howell photo
Green Spring Valley Hounds rousted some snowy action when they hunted from Jackson Hole, January 28, 2025. Karen Kandra photo
Blue Ridge Hunt, November 28, 2024, Thanksgiving Day. Rushing home for the holiday meal. Joanne Maisano photo
Orange County Hounds from Westbourne, December 12, 2024. “You go ahead. I’ll stay on lookout.” Joanne Maisano photo
“Hey, guys! Look at me. I’m the Huntsman!” Blue Ridge Hounds walking out on a snowy day, January 8, 2025. Joanne Maisano photo
SPORTING LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
EVENT NOTICES
Upcoming Events In and Around Horse Country
Spring will soon be blooming with a bouquet of challenging, exciting, and just plain fun events. We encourage you to get out and enjoy the many happenings in Horse Country.
Hunter Pace Events and Spring Races:
The spring races and the hunter pace series begin in March. For contact information and more details, go to www.centralentryoffice.com.
Spring Races, Virginia:
Saturday, March 1: Rappahannock Hunt
Point-to-Point
Saturday, March 15: Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point
Saturday, March 22: Piedmont Fox Hounds
Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 5: Old Dominion Hounds
Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 12: Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 19: Middleburg Spring Races
Sunday, April 20: Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 26: Foxfield Spring Races
Sunday, April 27: Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point
Saturday, May 3: Virginia Gold Cup Races
Spring Races, Maryland:
Sunday, March 30: Green Spring Valley
Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 5: Elkridge-Harford Hunt
Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 12: My Lady’s Manor Races
Sunday, April 13: Mount Harmon-Wicomico
Point-to-Point
Saturday, April 19: Grand National Steeplechase
Saturday, April 26: The Maryland Hunt Cup
Sunday, May 18: Potomac Hunt Races
Saturday, May 24: Fair Hill Races
Hunter Pace Events:
Sunday, March 23: Piedmont Fox Hounds
Saturday, March 29: Orange County Hounds
Sunday, April 6: Old Dominion Hounds
Saturday, April 12: Rappahannock Hunt
Saturday, April 19: Blue Ridge Hunt
Sunday, April 26: Warrenton Hunt
Sunday, May 4: Loudoun Hunt
Other Springtime Happenings:
Bull Run Hunt March Madness Hunt Week
Sunday, March 16 – Saturday, March 22 www.BullRunHuntClub.com
Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America Huntsmen’s Room Induction Ceremony
Two highly deserving figures who carried the horn with distinction will join the 41 huntsmen who have thus far been so honored. The public is welcomed to attend and join in the celebration of these storied careers that have done so much to advance the sport of mounted hunting.
Saturday, May 24, 4:00 pm
The Mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg Open to all. www.mhhna.org
Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America Members Reception
Saturday, May 24, 5:00 pm
The Mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg Open to current members and members’ guests. www.mhhna.org
Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America Exhibition & Sale
Saturday, May 24 – Sunday, May 25
The Mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg www.mhhna.org
Virginia Foxhound Club Cocktail Party and Dinner
Saturday, May 24, 6:00 pm
Horning Blowing Contest, 7:00 pm Morven Park, Leesburg
Virginia Hound Show
Sunday, May 25
Show begins at 9:00 Morven Park, Leesburg rferrer@patricioenterprises.com
For other hound show scheduling info, go to www.mfha.com.
Upperville Colt & Horse Show
Monday, June 2 – Sunday, June 8 www.upperville.com
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER:
Karen Kandra
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Coady Media
www.coadyphotography.com
Quenton Egan
Lauren R. Giannini
Allison Howell
allisonhowellimages.smugmug.com
Mark Jump markjumpphotography.com
Karen Kandra
Douglas Lees douglaslees@comcast.net
Dillon Keen dillonkeenphotography.com
Joanne Maisano joannemaisano.com
John McKean
James Leslie Parker Pennington Photo
Kaitlyn Kubiak, seen here on Thanksgiving Day, 2024, when Piedmont Fox Hounds hunted from Oak Spring. Kaitlyn is in her first season as professional Whipper-in to Huntsman Jordan Hicks. She was introduced to foxhunting in 2012 with Moore County Hounds, Southern Pines, NC. From there she moved to Virginia and whipped-in for a few seasons at Orange County Hounds. For the next seven years, she ran Kubiak Sport Horses, LLC, in Tryon, NC, specializing in field hunters and whipping-in at Tryon Hounds. Kaitlyn made the move back to Virginia last March to join Piedmont’s professional staff. Douglas Lees photo
for personal reflection during a walk out session from the kennels on a snow-covered winter morning, January 8, 2025. Joanne
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 Summer issue is May 5, 2025. Payment in full due with copy.
Publisher: Marion Maggiolo Managing Editor: J. Harris Anderson
Green Spring Valley Hounds, hunting from Jackson Hole, January 28, 2025. Huntsman Ashley Hubbard followed by professional Whipper-In Brian Groves and honorary Whipper-in Ned Halle, ex-MFH.
Blue Ridge Hunt's Doodle took a moment
Maisano photo
FOXHUNTING
Rocky Fork Headley Hunt
A Century of Sport in Central Ohio
[Editor’s Note: The 1920s were boom years for the creation of hunt clubs. Of the MFHA recognized hunts still active today, 24 of them show an “Established” date during that decade. In our Winter/Spring 2024 issue we showcased five hunts with founding dates from 1920 to 1924. Here we present a recap of the hundred year history of the two hunts, both Ohio-based, founded in 1925, Rocky Fork Headley and Camargo.]
Foxhunting was first established on an organized basis in the Columbus, Ohio, area with the 1903 founding of the Columbus Riding Club. In 1911, the hounds were transferred to the Dean Valley Hounds, hunted by Dr. Harry Brown around Central College. Then, in 1925, these hounds, which were owned by Dr. Brown and Mr. F. Everson Powell, were integrated into the entity that eventually became the Rocky Fork Headley Hunt (RFHH).
As was the case with several hunts that trace their founding to the booming days of the Roaring Twenties, the RFHH owes much of its existence to one man, Walter Jeffrey, the son of Joseph Jeffrey, founder of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, at the time the world’s leading makers of coal mining machines. Walter Jeffrey became a self-made man himself, all the while retaining his strong love of horses. He entered military service and joined General Jack J. “Black Jack” Pershing and rode against Pancho Villa in the Mexican Campaign of 1916. After coming home from World War I in 1920, Walter Jeffrey tried to return to the lifestyle he had left behind, but found that it had changed—and in a way that rings familiar to foxhunters and horse enthusiasts of today.
As Columbus continued to grow, the open area east of Alum Creek, where one previously could run foxhounds, play polo, or take extended rides with the Columbus Riding Club, was becoming no longer suitable for those purposes. In another all too familiar development, the golfing patrons of the Columbus Country Club, where Walter Jeffrey and many of his friends stabled, were becoming less enthralled with the idea of sharing their grounds with horses. So Walter Jeffrey recognized that the time had come to move further from the city, and in 1923 quietly acquired a large amount of land east of Gahanna, containing some of the most scenic country in central Ohio. At about this same time, a group of men became interested in having a club less formal and less elaborate than the existing country clubs in Columbus, and founded the Rocky Fork Hunt and Country Club in July, 1925. Walter Jeffrey made some of his Gahanna property available to this new organization and joined as a member.
Soon thereafter, though, it became clear that some of the club’s members were more preoccupied with riding than playing golf, so The Rocky Fork Riding Club Co. was established in November of 1925 for the purposes of “… providing the privileges and benefits of and the means and facilities for the promotion of and instruction in horseback riding, driving, hunting...”. The riding club’s name was officially changed to The Rocky Fork Hunt in 1933 while the golfing-focused group retained the name Rocky Fork Hunt and Country Club. Happily, a warm and friendly relationship continues to exist between the two organizations.
In 1935, a group of members of The Rocky Fork Hunt organized another hunt in the area of Zanesville, which they named the Headley Hunt, Inc. as a romantic reincarnation of a pack of
hounds owned by Usual Headley, who hunted hounds for the entertainment of his tavern guests as early as 1802. In 1940, the two hunts were merged and agreed to be called The Rocky Fork Headley Hunt (RFHH).
Over the years, each huntsman has stamped the pack with his or her preference for the breed and its accompanying traits, such as speed, nose, biddability, etc. Over time various hunts have drafted out hounds to RFHH including Andrews Bridge, Golden’s Bridge, Camargo, Chagrin Valley, Sewickley, and Miami Valley. Today’s pack is predominantly Crossbred with some American and a touch of Penn-Marydel.
The RFHH has had a variety of professional and honorary huntsmen during its hundred year history. From 1970 through 2004 one of the MFHs always served as the honorary huntsman. Crawford Louthan then served as professional huntsman from early 2005 through late 2006. Aided by the knowledge about hunting and hounds he imparted to the staff, the practice of one of the masters carrying the horn was resumed. Sally Crane Cox took on that role in the fall of 2006. Today she shares that duty with her joint-MFH Stephanie Phillips.
The land on which the Rocky Fork Hunt stables and kennels were built in the late 1920s and early ’30s continues to be leased from the Rocky Fork Hunt and Country Club with improvements being made by the RFHH. But over time, the cost to update these facilities became prohibitive. So plans were considered to raze the existing buildings and build new expanded kennels at the same location. Those plans took an unexpected turn, as joint-MFH Sally Crane Cox explained:
“We did end up rebuilding our kennels in 2008. The country club, from whom we lease the kennels fixture, requested that we tear down the old barn there and the local fire department offered to conduct a practice burn of the building, which was attached to the kennels. Thankfully, we moved the hounds to temporary housing, as the fire turned into a three-alarm blaze that burned the kennels and barn down in short order. We rebuilt our kennels in the same location, but did not rebuild the barn.
“We still exercise hounds and hunt from the country club,” Sally continued, “but only about once a month these days, as it is now a well-trafficked suburban area. Today, we hunt at five different fixtures, all in the central Ohio area, and continue to explore expansion into other areas around the state. Our relationship with the country club remains close and we are grateful for their support of our sport and are working in coordination with the country club on our centennial celebrations.”
Those celebrations will fill this year’s calendar, starting with a joint History Night presentation in April where members of the country club and hunt will share stories, videos and photos. A 1920s-themed hunt ball follows in June, with a polo match that summer. The annual Blessing of the Hounds in November will be an amped-up event with a party wagon, hay rides, and tailgate competition.
Major Harry Brown, Honorary Huntsman, leading the Rocky Fork hounds down the Rocky Fork Hunt and Country Club driveway in 1934. The Hunt’s stables appear on the hill in the background. Photo courtesy Rocky Fork Headley Hunt.
(l-r) Mr. Edward Durell, Honorary Huntsman, and Mr. Fred Craft, Whipper-in, preparing for a hunt in 1939. Photo courtesy Rocky Fork Headley Hunt.
Members of Rocky Fork Headley Hunt follow the piper to the Blessing of the Hounds, 2024. John McKean photo
FOXHUNTING Camargo Hunt at 100 Adapting to Change is the Key to Survival
By Frank Welsh
The Camargo Hunt was founded in 1925 and celebrates its Centennial this year. Since its founding, the Camargo Hunt has transitioned from a monarchy to an exclusive club to a democracy as its form of governance. The Riding Club of Cincinnati, founded in the 1870s in the city’s heyday, featured both carriage driving and horseback riding in the Hyde Park neighborhood. City fathers became restless for more space to ride and established an English-style equestrian community in the Village of Indian Hill. The Camargo Realty Company planned miles of bridle trails throughout the new development. The trails are maintained exclusively for equestrian sport to this day.
Julius Fleischmann, Jr., heir to a gin and yeast fortune, was the founder and first Master of Fox Hounds. He bought 1,600 acres in Indian Hill and built Winding Creek Farm in the style of an English country manor house. It was huge— with cow barns, greenhouses, gardens, a tea house, a swimming pool, and stables for horses and kennels for foxhounds. Fleischman was the sole owner. He paid for kenneling of the hounds, hiring of the huntsman, and stabling of the horses for the masters and hunt staff. The members were friends of the court, so to speak. Most had been members of The Riding Club. Members hunted as guests of the master and behaved with all due deference because of his largesse. His friends called him Junkie, others, not so much. Fleischmann undoubtedly enjoyed his role as master of it all. The buildings on Winding Creek Farm stand today as the Greenacres Arts Center, equestrian center, and farm store.
The Camargo Hunt was recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 1928. Hunt members were the aristocracy of the Roaring Twenties, a time of rapid economic growth and social change. They were captains of industry. For generations they taught their children to ride, jump fences, and follow the hounds, just as hunt members still do today.
After Mr. Fleischmann passed away in 1968, Camargo evolved into an exclusive club. Members shared both leadership and expenses. The first families remained friends and continued hunting on their farms in Indian Hill, which offered both cover for the game and tenants willing to accept the hunt racing over their fields two or three days a week.
As the Village of Indian Hill became more settled up, however, the hunt country gradually fell from 2,500 acres to 1,000 acres. New homeowners frowned
on the intrusion. The number of hounds declined, and disputes about financing led to incorporation of the organization as the Camargo Hunt, Inc., an Ohio Corporation. In the early 1990s, the hunt moved to Clermont County to replace territory lost to urbanization. Mary Cunningham Stephenson Leblond became Camargo’s first woman Master of Fox Hounds. Like Fleischmann, she funded the stables, the kennels, and a cozy clubhouse. Ann Shepherd recalled standing outside in drizzling rain, holding her horse, and waiting to be invited into the clubhouse. But once in, she enjoyed the warm hospitality and memorable cooking of Fred and Irma Lazarus, owners of the largest department store in Cincinnati at the time.
Peggy Glazer, Camargo’s first woman huntsman, helped enlarge the Clermont County hunt country to 3,000 acres. But a local power company abandoned finishing a nuclear plant and reverted to coal. As a result, the power company required thousands of acres to dispose of coal ash, leaving little open country for horses and hounds. So, the kennels were moved to Boone County, Kentucky. Danny Kerr was hired as huntsman in 1990 and remained for the next 28 years. He was just the fifth huntsman in the first 80 years of the hunt.
The hunt thrived with the absorption of Owen County Hounds. But still more land was needed, and the hunt moved down to Owen County, Kentucky, halfway to Lexington. New kennels, a stable, and a huntsman’s house were built together on a single site and several thousand contiguous acres accommodated the two-tothree-hour hunts that have been traditional for the last 30 years.
By now the hunt was clearly a democracy with members’ enthusiastic participation. Art Lee, M.D., and his wife Caryn offered a hangar-sized building on their property to serve as the clubhouse, Brown Hall. Andrew and Jenna Bowen contributed acreage for the new kennel complex. Andrew Bowen collaborated with huntsman Andy Bozdan to plan a matched set of buildings and design a state of the art kennels. The facility was dedicated in 2022 with MFHA Director Andrew Barclay speaking to a crowd of enthusiastic hunt members who gathered for the event.
An elected Board of Trustees governs the hunt today. Current masters are Morley P. Thompson, Jr., MFH; Barbara A. Kreider, MFH; Natalie Nesbitt, MFH; and Kerry Daus, MFH. Kathrine Gunter Weathers is huntsman. The hunt season runs from September through March. During the depths of winter, hunt members visit hunts in nearby Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas to enjoy more temperate weather.
A large social membership enjoys the many events held during the year, both during the season and in the summer. Opening Day, the Blessing of the Hounds, hunt brunches, teas, a Christmas party, and a Boxing Day reception for Village residents keep members busy. The Camargo Hunter Trials, held the first week in October, is our main fundraiser. A tailgate picnic competition at the Trials is especially enticing. Participants are awarded ribbons for the best dishes and drinks. Your author treasures such a ribbon he collected in 1979—long before his hunt career began.
Today, the Camargo Hunt blends elements of monarchies, exclusive clubs, and democracies. And the hunt has every good intention to do so for the century to come!
Celebrating the club’s 50th anniversary in 1975, Camargo’s staff, led by Huntsman Russell McKee, prepared to move off from Winding Creek Farm. Among the followers (third from right, peeking around the gate) is Barbara A. Kreider, riding in her first hunt. She went on to ride as an honorary whipper-in, served two terms as MFH, and is the club’s current president. Photo courtesy Camargo Hunt
Julius Fleischmann, Jr. founded Camargo Hunt in 1925 at his Winding Creek Farm.
Photo courtesy Camargo Hunt
In the early days, shortly after Julius Fleischmann formed Camargo Hunt in 1925, members gathered to enjoy his largesse for a day of sport at the grand manor house at Winding Creek Farm. Photo courtesy Camargo Hunt
Sunday, April 20, 2025
full day of racing starting at noon at Featuring:
Hurdle Ratings Handicap Hurdle and Apprentice Rider Hurdle. Rail Spots, Mid-Level Terrace Spots and Upper Lever Sponsor spots are available for a memorable day at the races for your family and friends or a corporate event.
For more information and to purchase tickets, parking/subscribers/sponsorship information please visit:
PERSONALITIES
Patty Heuckeroth: Always Put The Horse First
By Lauren R. Giannini
Patricia Heuckeroth was born crazy about horses in the nicest ways possible. Her passion for this beloved species is imbedded in her very DNA, and her accomplishments as rider and trainer, spanning decades, are impressive. She’s as honest as the day is long, and her methods place the horses first and foremost. Within the horse world, she is a respected member of the most elite riders with inductions into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame (2007) and the Carolinas Show Hunter Hall of Fame (2018). The Chronicle of the Horse in 2016 featured Patty in their Living Legend series with a glamorous cover photo and story. Horse of the Year titles include 1968 AHSA Regular Working Hunter Horse of the Year Aldie Belle and 1970 AHSA Horsewoman of the Year. In 2009 and 2013, she earned North Carolina Hunter Jumper Horsewoman of the Year titles. She received the 2011 J. Arthur Reynolds Horseman Award at Upperville Colt and Horse Show and was named to their Wall of Honor in 2017. Plus there are all the horses she has ridden and trained to blue rosettes and tri-colors.
Given all that, Patty is remarkably humble with a delightful attitude and personality. She lives for horses. Her expertise is deeply rooted in oldfashioned horsemanship, thanks to her father, Otto Heuckeroth, manager of Ox Ridge Hunt Club (Darien, CT) for 40 years. Otto taught the likes of Victor Hugo-Vidal, Ronnie Mutch, and George Morris.
“My father Otto did a bit of everything—he rode, drove, and played polo,” Patty said. “He exposed me to dressage, one-day events, hunters and jumpers, and I had a great array of horses to ride at the hunt club. My father gave me the basics, the horses taught me the rest.”
Patty started riding before she could walk. One favorite memory, when she was maybe three, harks back to all the times she rode in front of Otto when he cantered horses around the Ox Ridge grounds. Her father’s emphasis on the eternal importance of basics ruled her days. His pipeline of unruly, opinionated ponies served as demanding schoolmasters and challenged the young equestrian to survive and thrive, to stick tight and ride with grace. Totally hooked, she dedicated her life to horses.
“My first pony was a little black Shetland named Tarbaby,” Patty reminisced. “When I started riding solo—or should I say trying to learn to ride solo!—she dumped me on a daily basis. The ponies were all black or black and white, and they all would do something terrible, rear or spin or full stop—sometimes all three! I never had a good show pony, but they taught me a lot. They especially taught me about Rule #1 of Riding: always keep the horse or pony between you and the ground! If you’re going to ride, you’re going to have some falls. I learned years later that you have to be willing to take that chance without allowing yourself to ride in a protective or guarded fashion. You must also allow the horse to learn from its mistakes. My father was a firm believer that horse
and rider learn the basics. He always believed in a well-rounded education in riding, not just one discipline.”
Precocious Graduation to Horses
Patty was about nine when she got her first horse, a 16.1 hand chestnut Thoroughbred gelding. “He was a good one,” she recalled fondly. “His name was Gamecock, the horse that George Morris [at the age of 14] rode when he won the Medal and Maclay finals in 1952.” It was an idyllic childhood: Patty was the baby, her brothers Otto and John rode briefly, but weren’t bitten by the bug, and their mother Marjorie didn’t know anything about horses. “Between my father and myself, she was stuck hearing non-stop horse talk,” Patty admitted. “She was a very kind person, always supportive in the background. She never got enough credit for putting up with me, my father and the horses. I was the youngest, the only girl and totally horse-crazy, so I was the chosen one. I was born on St. Patrick’s Day, and my father said I would have the luck to go with it. Sure enough, I feel I’ve lived a charmed life.”
Total immersion was the best education: riding daily, helping to exercise and school Ox Ridge’s ponies and horses under her father’s tutelage. Otto instilled in his daughter the importance of an equine having a good brain. When she was a teenager, Patty started riding the versatile Pete whom she describes as a “great horse with a heart of gold”: winning the USET medal in 1960, showing him in everything: hunters, hunt seat equitation, jumpers, dressage, and a horse trial, which they won. Patty retired the trophy awarded by the PHA National Dressage Medal with three consecutive wins on Madame Silly, borrowed from Mrs. Joshua Barney.
After graduating from high school, Patty taught at Ox Ridge for a couple years and spent several winter months in Virginia to ride with Gene Cunningham of Cap n’ Gown fame. It was a revelatory, albeit humbling, experience, but proved the making of Patty as a rider. Otto had his roots in the German system of equitation, whereas Gene trained with Gordon Wright (1903-1990), who established the forward seat in the US and trained Olympic show jumping contenders. Gene was responsible for polishing and refining Patty’s skills in terms of common sense horsemanship.
“The main thing Gene taught me was finding the middle of the horse,” Patty said. “I used to ride with a really deep seat and a little behind the motion. He taught me about the subtlety of aids, influencing the horse gently, no extremes. You want everything medium, in proportion, balanced. If the snowball starts rolling down hill, it’s already on the way to being out of control. Another thing Gene taught me is how your horse is feeling. That’s something we overlook. People tend to treat them like cars—we get on and want to go. If people would start thinking about horses from the horse’s viewpoint, they’d have far better performances.
Patty Heuckeroth, her favorite photo off a horse and Living Legends cover for The Chronicle of the Horse, May, 2016. Photo by James Leslie Parker, cover Courtesy of The Chronicle of the Horse
Otto Heuckeroth and Patty on her first pony, naughty Tarbaby the schoolmaster. Photo courtesy Patty Heuckeroth
Patty Heuckeroth and Once A King are picture-perfect winning Working Hunter Classic at 1974 Chagrin Valley PHA show. Photo Courtesy of Marshall Hawkins Archive
“I’m a very vocal rider,” she explained. “I’m telling him he’s a good boy or no-no. If you get the horse listening to your voice, then you usually only have to use half the strength of the aid to control him, whether it’s pushing or pulling. The cluck or whoa is asking your horse. Your legs, hands or seat are telling your horse. That’s an important piece of advice, especially when dealing with a mare. Mares do not like to be told. A horse that comes forward with a cluck, that’s different from asking with your leg when maybe he gets strong and comes forward too much. You want him to be relaxed: you can never lose his mind.”
Patty sees each horse as an individual, mind and body. They warm up and learn differently, they have good and bad days. Daily turnout is important, and she learned from experience early on that getting them too fit meant their bodies were stronger than their minds. Schooling sessions last 20-30 minutes, they’re hacked out on the hills as often as possible, and go on easy trail rides for 30-45 minutes. The results are in the ribbons: relaxed, happy horses with sound minds and bodies, comfortable doing their jobs.
Good Old-Fashioned Horsemanship
Patty competed in the biggest shows on the rated circuit, including the National at Madison Square Garden, Pennsylvania National, Washington National (now International), and historic Upperville and Devon. From conception, she has lived the dream of every horse-crazy kid, whatever their age.
“I never slowed down to think about it, growing up,” she said. “I couldn’t get enough riding. I loved to get a new horse to train and try to figure out what makes it tick— each horse was a new puzzle, every horse had its own personality, just like a person. Some needed a ‘shout’ and some needed a ‘whisper.’ If you didn’t recognize which one the horse needed and picked wrong, the training would unravel in a hurry. It all comes down to doing what’s best for the horse at home and being patient that the horse is prepared and fit, mentally and physically, before you put the horse to the test at a show.”
Patty’s show record includes just about everything: pony hunters, equitation, every type of show hunter—junior, green, working, conformation—and, since 2010, the hunter derby, which harks back to the hunt field origins of the show hunter. Then there’s her long association with Sue Sisco and sidesaddle.
Patty is the real deal and can do it all; if she has a “specialty” per se, it’s training young horses. She grew up in what might be called the glory years of the AHSA (now US Equestrian) when working hunters jumped four-foot and four-six. She rode jumpers and had the honor of starting the great Simpatico in his basics for his stellar career (USHJA HOF 2017). She has earned an elite equestrian athlete status with her life-long clean record and continuous success in the show rings, because Patty’s training philosophy rests on a solid commitment to put the horse first, no matter the pressure or the prize. A popular clinician and respected USEF “R” judge in two categories, Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation and Hunter, she knows both sides of the equestrian equation and is quite candid about the less positive changes.
“Horses today are like Kleenexes: use them and discard them,” Patty said. “Horse shows are non-stop now. Week after week, all year round. The horses used to get a break after the Indoor Circuit until Spring, but once the Florida circuits started, the rest period disappeared and was replaced by medication. Again, on the negative side, neither horses nor riders are taught the basics. It’s buy a made horse, go straight to the shows, ride by numbers. Riders are not taught to consider the horse’s feelings or thoughts or their mental or physical limitations. I’m afraid that ‘love for the sport’ is overtaking ‘love for the horse’ and I feel strongly that one should always think ahead as to when your horse no longer serves your purpose. Who is going to look after that horse in its later years?
Horses should be thought of as part of the family.”
Patty has compiled an extensive list of owners for whom she has trained and competed, but her 40-year association with Mrs. Rionda “Mary” Braga (1921-2014) stands out because of their total commitment to bring along young
stock from scratch and then, when they’re ready, they go to the shows. The late Sue Sisco (1959-2023), was part of that dynamic. One anecdote that pretty much defines how special Patty really is took place at Upperville, a top-rated heritage horse show, dear to their hearts. Established in 1853, the oldest show in the US has grown into a huge week-long festival at the Grafton and Salem Farms with hunters on one side of Route 50, jumpers on the other. Ladies’ sidesaddle takes place on Saturday under the oaks on the hunter side. In 2007 Patty, Sue and Mrs. Braga scored a huge victory with Warranty, champion show hunter. It turned into a most memorable day.
“Warranty showed in Regular Working Hunter and Regular Conformation. As luck would have it, Sue Sisco’s mount for the sidesaddle division that day was unable to go,” recalled Patty. “We had talked about trying Warranty sidesaddle, but little did we think that would be the day! Warranty was all bandaged and ready to go home. He had never had a sidesaddle on his back. Sue gave him a practice ride in the warm-up ring and he seemed very at ease with it. She even jumped him over a couple tiny fences to see if that would bother him. He was fine. We decided to show him in the under saddle class. He won it.”
Then they decided to show him in the Hunter Hack, an under [side]saddle class with two jumps. He won that class also. Patty asked Sue if she would like to try the next two classes which each consisted of eight jumps.
“Sue was a little concerned because she had never ridden Warranty even astride over a course,” recounted Patty. “I told Sue ‘You don’t have to do a course. Stay calm and think of it as two fences and a turn, two fences and a turn, two fences and a turn, two fences and a turn, rebalancing on the ends of the ring.’ If you can make that happen, you’ve had a good round. I’ve always said the turns are as important as the jumps. She pinned second in that one. Then came the Sally Sexton Stake Class and she won that also—and the Sidesaddle Championship. That was one of our most memorable wins.”
In 2008 Mrs. Braga’s Warranty and Sue Sisco again earned the judge’s nod to win the Sidesaddle Championship, proving that their debut victory was no fluke. Patty gave all the credit to horse and rider, saying, “To take a horse that had never been ridden sidesaddle until an hour and a half before the division, and for him to become champion at Upperville first time out… of course, Sue Sisco was a genius riding sidesaddle.” It was Patty’s good, old-fashioned horsemanship that put sound basics on the show hunter.
“I owe all my good life and success with horses to my parents, my childhood riding naughty ponies, to my mentors and owners,” she said. “I have had the most fabulous owners—Grace Schettino and Aldie Belle, Ed and Fran Bulkeley and their Sly Step, Once A King, Boren, First Light, and so many others. Then there’s Mrs. Braga and her daughter Pam Ohrstrom, and my wonderful staff, especially Heuckeroth Farm’s manager, Torrie Clavan, who came for the winter and is still with me. Most of all, I am grateful for all the horses who taught me how to ride and train.”
Patty is a true champion of doing right by the horses. She’s totally opposed to the “ride by numbers” approach of counting strides between fences. She’s appalled by the damages that year-round show circuits do to horses. She has compared modern show hunter training to putting a roof on a house before its foundation is built. She’s absolutely right when she says “Love for the sport’s rich prize money outweighs love for the horse.”
The world needs more horse people like Patty Heuckeroth.
(l-r) Mrs. Mary Braga, Patty Heuckeroth, Jeanne Blackwell with the Madcap Farm trophy, Sue Sisco and Warranty, Sidesaddle Champion 2008 Upperville. Lauren R. Giannini photo
Patty and Wavebounder, by Tunante 2nd, bred by the late Winnie Howland at Land Ho Farm, Warrenton, VA. Madison Square Garden, 1985. Pennington photo
RACING PREVIEW
After Banner Year in 2024, Virginia Steeplechase & Point-to-Point Meets Set 2025 Schedule
By Darrell Wood, Virginia Equine Alliance
Virginia’s 2025 steeplechase and point-to-point (PTP) season kicks off March 1 with the Rappahannock Hunt PTP meet at The Hill in Boston, Virginia, and concludes November 1 with the Montpelier Hunt Races at James Madison’s homestead in Montpelier Station. In between, six more spring point-to-points will be conducted—three of which feature a sprinkling of National Steeplechase Association (NSA) sanctioned jump races—in addition to the six full NSA sanctioned jump meets.
Following Rappahannock’s kickoff event, the PTP schedule continues with the Warrenton Hunt PTP March 15 at the Airlie Race Course, the Piedmont Fox Hounds PTP March 22 at the Salem Course in Upperville, the Old Dominion Hounds PTP April 5 at the Ben Venue Farm in Washington, VA, the Blue Ridge Hunt PTP April 12 at the Woodley Farm in Berryville, the Loudoun Hunt PTP April 20 at Morven Park in Leesburg, and the Middleburg Hunt PTP April 27 at Glenwood Park. The first five PTP’s are on Saturdays and the last two fall on Sundays.
Based on the recent success of running several NSA sanctioned races at Virginia’s spring point-to-point meets, that strategy will continue and even expand in 2025 according to NSA Director of Racing Bill Gallo.
“We’ve had a good experience at the Old Dominion and Blue Ridge meets and will be adding the Loudoun Hunt Meet to the mix this year,” said Gallo. “We thought it would be a good idea to reach out to point-to-point meets that were well established and had good racecourses that were safe to race over and give them a chance to expand their racing opportunities. We refer to them as hybrid meets now since they include regulated NSA sanctioned races and other races they traditionally have run that are not regulated. These mixed meets give point-to-points a bit more validity and substance,” added Gallo. “It clearly gets the top riders and trainers to participate in these meets. It’s a win-win situation. It’s a small step but a very positive one. It’s good for the pointto-points and good for the NSA as well.”
The new Loudoun Hunt PTP will feature three sanctioned races. The Old Dominion PTP hosted two sanctioned races last year—one hurdle and one timber—and will get an additional sanctioned hurdle race this spring to bring its total number up to three. The Blue Ridge, which has a new date of April 12, will host a four-pack of sanctioned races, up from two last year. They will have three hurdle events and a timber race.
A trio of long established one-day NSA sanctioned jump meets will be held in spring with another four scheduled in fall. The Middleburg Spring Races kick things off April 19 at Glenwood Park followed by the Foxfield Spring Races April 26 in Charlottesville and the 100th running of the Virginia Gold Cup Races on May 3. The fall docket includes the Foxfield Races October 5, Middleburg Fall Races on October 11, International Gold Cup card on October 25, and the 90th running of the Montpelier Hunt Races a week later.
Overall, the NSA is coming off a strong 2024 which saw purses rise one million dollars—from just under $6 million, to just under $7 million. Gallo referred to the gain as “unheard of”.
“The fall meets in Virginia were great and a big reason why we had a successful year,” he said. “We did have a course problem at Great Meadow due to last year’s drought but the transition to running it at Glenwood Park in Middleburg worked out
Horses compete in the Virginia Equine Alliance Maiden Hurdle at Foxfield. Dillon Keen photo
nicely. Thank God we had that option for the International Gold Cup card as opposed to cancellation of a major meet. Horsemen liked running at Glenwood Park.”
“Montpelier had their strongest race card ever and had the biggest crowd that I’ve ever seen there,” continued Gallo. “And Foxfield put a tremendous amount of effort into their course thanks to Jack Sanford and Reynolds Cowles. They are presenting themselves beautifully with major renovations and increased purses. As a result, they have two premier meets now. Horsemen really appreciate those efforts.”
Two new additions to the Virginia stakes schedule also played a major factor in 2024’s growth. The Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup was run during the spring Gold Cup card and the Grade 1 Will Allison Stakes was contested during the fall Gold Cup card. The pair represented the first Grade 1 steeplechase stakes to ever appear on Virginia’s jump calendar.
The steeplechase race program at Colonial Downs in New Kent also was key. “We love going to Colonial,” added Gallo. “It is such a great opportunity. It’s not just the volume of races, but the purses are very good too. It’s pivotal for us. The meet there offers $50,000 purses for maiden special weights—which is substantial for us—along with several ratings races for claiming type horses which are in the mid to lower end— like they are in any kind of racing. The meet was complemented by two $100,000 filly stakes which were held a month apart which fit perfectly with the program.” Discussions are currently taking place about what the 2025 summer season in New Kent will look like.
Two of the three horses that were named Champion Steeplechaser finalists at January’s Eclipse Awards ceremony experienced plenty of success in Virginia. Paul and Molly Willis’ Carloun won three straight races in the Commonwealth to close out 2024. The Keri Brion trainee won a maiden special weight at Colonial Downs August l, a handicap at the Middleburg Fall Races October 12, and the Grade 1 William H. Allison Stakes on the International Gold Cup card October 26. Jockey Stephen Mulqueen led the winning effort in all three, going from a maiden win to a Grade 1 score in just three months.
Bruton Street-US’s iconic steeplechaser Snap Decision has won five stakes in Virginia—four of them graded—including the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap at the 2024 Middleburg Spring Races. A career winner of over $1.3 million, the Jack Fisher trainee has also prevailed in the 2021 and 2023 Temple Gwathmey, in the Grade 2 David L. “Zeke” Ferguson Memorial (2023), and in the David Semmes Memorial Stakes (2020).
Optimistic heading into a new season, Gallo reminisced about the NSA’s path forward after the pandemic. “COVID was crippling to us. We salvaged some meets that year to keep our horsemen going but didn’t have fans at any of the races—which is a big source of revenue. It was very difficult financially. We’ve rebounded and rallied to the point that race meets are much better and NSA is doing much better. We are very excited about the future.”
The Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point will feature three NSA sanctioned races as part of its card. Douglas Lees photo
Elegant Rarities
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BARBOUR® FLEECE LINED WRAY VEST Black or Orange #4-LG0017## (HC2A) $180.00 MYSTIC
LADIES' FELT TRILBY HAT Black with red ribbon #4338-001 (HC2G) $98.00
Race Day Tailgate
Melamine selection of 9" and 4" plates, serving platter, chip and dip, cheese board along with earthenware mugs in a scene to enliven your tailgate. Also coming: race themed cheese spreaders, towels, stainless horseshoe dishes, serving trays and more. 2025 is the 100th anniversary of the Virginia Gold Cup Races. See you at Great Meadow.
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hunts
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BOUNDING FOX SILVER KNIFE SET Set of six in a presentation box #2765-676 (HC4F) $895.00
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Hand-stitched best bridle leather 1" or 1 1/4" wide, size 26-44 Choose from Chestnut, Newmarket or Black with Silver #3289-BLEN-08 (HC6C) $195.00
SPORT FIELD BOOT
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HORSE CARE ESSENTIALS
JENNY’S PICKS
Winter is upon us, and what a winter! Just the right weather to stay indoors and read a few books. Even parts of Florida have had a taste of snow, and not just a dusting. Horse blankets have been sailing off our shelves in the past couple of weeks—but fear not, we still have plenty if you need one.
Even if you can’t ride or are limited to walking because there’s too much snow/ice on the ground, it never hurts to keep in shape. Consider the following:
Anderson, Laura Crump. Ultimate Exercises for Riders. Laura Anderson is a personal trainer, which means she’s here for your fitness and health. Her introduction includes a caution about healthy practices such as proper eating. She states that the book “is designed to fill in the gaps in our understanding related to rider fitness with accessible workouts.” Before introducing a number of exercises performed by different people, she discusses the importance of human fitness and “what to know before you begin your rider fitness program.” Being a woman, she is also savvy enough to include considerations for pregnancy and what exercises to avoid during that time. I also noticed some exercises that might be difficult for someone with leg problems; I doubt I could do the lunges (like you see fencers doing) and similar exercises that involve bended knees. Hardcover, spiral bound, 164pp. $29.95
Ballou, Jec Aristotle. 33 Strength and Fitness Workouts for Horses. Ballou, who is also the author of 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses, offers a number of in-hand exercises (as well as mounted ones) that can be adapted for inclement weather situations. A little carpentry work might be necessary if you do not have something where a horse can step up and step down, but otherwise there’s nothing complicated about the system, unless you live in flat country without any hills to climb or descend. Ballou’s recommendations have helped improve the locking stifle of one horse and brought another back into working condition following a layoff after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Precise instructions and clear color photographs get you started with these often simple exercises. Hardcover, spiral bound, 132pp. $26.95
Batton, Sally; and Christina Keim. Equicize. Here we have “progressive, mounted exercises that improve cardiovascular and muscular fitness for everyday riders of all levels,” but first we have warmup stretches, like all athletes. I got a kick out of some of the names they have chosen for some of their exercises, but they do help you visualize what’s expected—“Popeye” for biceps flexing, “chicken wing” for suppling shoulder and upper arm. There are exercises you can do while grooming. Even just climbing stairs starting with your non-dominant leg helps strengthen those muscles. There are some good, sound ideas here! Hardcover, spiral bound, 158pp. $29.95
On to a variety of new books: Bills, Katrina Balding. Dragon, the Story of a Fiery Thoroughbred and the Girl Who Loved Him. When young Katrina outgrows her show pony, she goes to an unnamed track that sounds suspiciously like the old Charlestown Racetrack (WVA) to look at some
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Thoroughbreds who weren’t making it as racehorses. With her to assess them are her instructor Beth and “Granddaddy,” a former cavalryman and Beth’s grandfather. The one that catches Katrina’s eye is a chestnut with white trim nicknamed “Fella,” three years old, just gelded—and he bites. But he is sound, and Granddaddy thought he would turn out well, so her dubious parents purchase him. Katrina renames him “Dragon” for his fierceness, and thus begins an exceptional relationship that only improved the longer she rode him. He accompanies her to Sweet Briar College, where the late Paul Cronin was teaching. As time goes on, she acquires a boyfriend who is allergic to horses and her parents buy a farm. And, amusingly, she refers to her horse as “Fella”—not “Dragon”—throughout. This biography/autobiography is a real pleasure to read, especially since it takes place here in Virginia, in territory I know well. No, she doesn’t go on to an Olympic career—at least at the time of this writing. This is a lovely story about a partnership that I hope our readers have been fortunate enough to share with a horse of their own, even if it’s “just” a trail partner or hunt companion. You’ll enjoy it. Paperback, 296pp. $25.00
Jebackova-Lazanska, Iveta. Keeping Horses Outdoors. I’ve been spending the last few weeks perusing this fascinating volume from a Czech author about keeping horses outside instead of in a stall 23 hours of the day, and how you can make this a pleasure for your horse. Granted, if you have an expensive show horse, you probably won’t go whole hog on the idea, but there are plenty of suggestions you can use in some form if you keep your horse(s) at home. For years my horses were generally free to come and go from stable to about four acres of pasture day and night unless the weather was foul, but when the large pony foundered on the grass this fall, that came to a halt. Iveta’s book is giving me some ideas to improve the small paddock they are now allowed into. How about a sand or straw bed for sleeping on once the snow is gone? Mats on the ground to keep the mud from packing hooves? Slow-feed hay containers for browsing? Scratching posts for itchy, shedding winter coats? Toys? Something to chew on besides tree trunks?
Much more is covered in detail: fencing, shelter and windbreaks, footing, water, “urination stations,” outdoor feeders, salt licks, pasture management, manure storage, and winter weather are among topics covered, illustrated by a plethora of lovely color photos, especially the ones of horses lying flat out basking in the sun on sand or rubber mats. The less time spent in the confines of a stall, the happier your horse is going to be. Softcover, 291pp. $32.95
Spier, Peter. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night. If you’ve bought records, CDs, or whatever based on foxhunting songs, you’ve undoubtedly heard this one about a fox’s successful raid on a farmyard in a country town. The author/artist of this book first had
it published in 1961, with half the delightful pictures in color, the other half in black and white to save money on printing. Now the publisher has had it reprinted in full color for the pleasure of your little ones. Read it or sing it if you know the tune! The music and words to the song are included in the back, along with a note from the artist about how the song inspired the creation of his original book. Hardcover, unpaginated. $18.99
Warrenton Antiquarian Society. Jericho Turnpike/The Storied Route of Foxhunting from New York to Virginia. We have offered this oversized booklet/magazine for a number of years, but I don’t know if my predecessor ever wrote a review of it, so our distant customers may not even have heard of it. It was published to help defray costs of maintaining Weston, the former home of several generations of the Nourse family and kennels of the Casanova Hunt, of which Charlotte was MFH. Weston was last occupied by sisters Charlotte and Constance Nourse; after Constance passed away, Charlotte wanted to make sure the old home and its contents were in the hands of someone who would maintain it and, no doubt, to secure its use by the Casanova Hunt, which only recently disbanded due to loss of hunt territory. The Warrenton Antiquarian Society became its owner and protector. I was fortunate enough to visit it long ago, I believe on one of Virginia’s House and Garden Tours, and it is a charming house—comfortable, but a timber cabin, not a grand mansion.
Though not wildly famous, Charlotte Nourse was a capable artist, some of whose work hangs in the Museum of Women Artists in Washington, DC. Brief b&w sketches of hounds, foxes, and horses appear on pp. 20-21 of this publication. The title article, Jericho Turnpike, about foxhunting in the Northern Virginia area, was published in the November 1930 edition of Fortune magazine. Former Casanova Huntsman Tommy Lee Jones produced two articles on Virginia foxhunting; Alden Hatch has one on Casanova Hunt. There is a compilation of “organized hunts of America” from 1934, and Laura S. Starke submitted the article on the Nourses and Weston. There are lots of early 20th century photos of foxhunters and of the old Weston property and outbuildings. Paperback, 41pp. $16.00
Winegar, Karin. Horse Lovers/Unpacking the Female Fascination. The colorful cover art by artist Donna Howell-Sickles is a great advertisement for a book about the strong attraction that horses have for many women. Obviously, this is not universal, but an unusual number of girls (including myself) fall in love with horses at a very young age and never lose that enthusiasm. Men will say the horse is a sex symbol or that it gives women a sexual thrill to be riding, but what does a four or five year old child know of sex? When I found that first toy horse in the gutter in front of our house, I was captivated— and I wasn’t even in first grade yet. Forget the dolls; what I wanted was more horses. Winegar seeks to find a reason behind this powerful bond, and her investigation results in our introduction to a host of delightful people, including herself. There are no clear-cut conclusions; all we horsewomen can do is understand that we have a special relationship with a magnificent animal, and it’s a pity more men don’t have the ability to understand and accept it without making snide remarks. Paperback, 158pp. $27.95
Osmun: The Philosopher of Focus
There are dogs who listen when called, and then there is Osmun, my best friend, house companion, and a Scottish Terrier. Osmun’s hearing, as it turns out, is selective. In fact, he prefers to call it “focus”—a state of mind so intense that the laws of communication simply do not apply.
Each morning, I wake to find him perched on the windowsill, staring at the field and reservoir as though it holds the secret to the universe. When I call his name, I receive no response—no wagging tail, no perky ears, just a deep, thoughtful gaze into the distance. “Osmun,” I say again, “time for breakfast?”
A slow blink, a slight tilt of his head, and then—sigh. Not the sigh of a dog who’s just had his sleep interrupted but the sigh of a philosopher contemplating the mysteries of existence. “I’m thinking,” he says, looking at me as if I’ve just interrupted the most profound contemplation of his tiny, fur-covered life.
“Thinking?” I ask, skeptically. “It’s 6:30 AM, and you’re thinking about food, aren’t you?”
He looks at me, deadpan. “Focus, Marion. I’m planning.”
Planning what? The next great squirrel invasion? The optimal route for napping under the sun? No idea. But in Osmun’s world, “planning” is serious business, and clearly, breakfast can wait.
I give up and head to the kitchen. Moments later, I hear his little feet scampering behind me—almost as if he’s been watching me this whole time, just waiting for the right moment to join the action. He takes his place by the food bowl, but not before giving me a look that seems to say, You have no idea how complicated this is. Feed me, please.
The Focus of a Scottish Terrier
Now, let me clarify: Osmun’s “focus” doesn’t end with breakfast. Oh no. It extends to every part of his day, especially when it comes to ignoring me.
For example, there’s the moment when I call him to come inside after a long, lazy Sunday afternoon in the yard. “Osmun, time to come in!” I shout, standing by the door. But no—there he is, staring at a spot on the lawn, his eyes wide, his body stiff. He’s not even blinking. A leaf floats past, and his gaze never wavers. He’s locked in, undisturbed, in his own world. I could call him a hundred times, and he wouldn’t even flinch.
“Osmun!” I repeat, now growing more desperate. “Come inside!”
He finally blinks—once—and then returns to his post. I approach, but he doesn’t even acknowledge my existence. I try a different approach. I jingle the treat jar. Still nothing. I wave a tennis ball in front of his face. Nada.
“Osmun! Are you listening to me?”
Finally, he turns his head ever so slightly, eyes narrowed, and lets out a small, dismissive snort. “I’m busy,” he says, as if he’s being inconvenienced. “You wouldn’t understand. This is important work.”
Important work? What could be more important than coming inside where it’s warm?
And then, he drops his bombshell. “I’m protecting the house.”
“From what? The mailman?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
His gaze intensifies, and he points with his nose. “From everything. The squirrels. The birds. The shadows that move in the field below the house, the corners of the yard. I’m focused on security. You’re welcome.”
Security? I can’t even get him to come inside without making a scene, and he’s claiming to be a one-dog security force. It’s times like these I wonder if Osmun’s selective hearing isn’t some kind of elaborate ploy to avoid doing anything that involves the slightest bit of movement or effort.
Protection: The Nighttime Vigilante
But wait. When the sun sets, Osmun becomes something else entirely. He transforms from a disinterested philosopher into a black, furry sentinel on high alert. I don’t know when it happens—one moment, he’s lying lazily on the couch, and the next, he’s pacing around the house, checking corners, sniffing the air, ears flicking at every creak of
the floorboards.
I swear he’s convinced there’s an army of evil lurking outside. Maybe it’s the neighbor’s cat, maybe it’s the invisible menace that’s been haunting the yard since last Tuesday, or perhaps he’s simply preparing for an invasion of rogue vacuum cleaners. Whatever it is, Osmun’s mission is clear: Protect. The. House.
But it’s not just the house. Osmun’s vigilant watch is crucial—because beyond our backyard, just over the fields by the reservoir, lurks a real danger. Coyotes. Wild, cunning creatures that prowl at dusk, looking for a quick meal. Osmun knows they’re out there. And if they ever venture too close, they’ll regret it. He’ll be ready. He has to be ready.
I look at him and ask, “Osmun, what are you doing?”
“I’m protecting you,” he replies, looking at me as though I should have known this by now. His tail is stiff, his eyes narrowed. “I’ve been on guard since dusk. Someone has to do it.”
I glance at the door. The only threat I see is the faint rustling of leaves outside in the wind. “Osmun,” I say, “it’s just the wind.”
He turns to me with a look that could only be described as “I know better than you.” “The wind is part of the threat. You think they wouldn’t use wind to their advantage? Think again.”
A low growl rumbles in his throat, and his ears perk up. I freeze. From the far corner of the yard, just beyond the fence, I hear a rustle. A snap of twigs.
Osmun’s eyes widen. “Do you hear that?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper. “Something’s out there. It’s not a squirrel. It’s too big. It’s the fox.”
Foxes. Mangy, ill-tempered things that make their home under the neighbor’s shed. Osmun has been chasing them off for months, right after one walked on the pool cover, and he’s not about to let one of them sneak by without making his displeasure known.
He runs to the door, pawing at it urgently. “Let me out! I’ll handle this!”
“Osmun, it’s a fox,” I say, incredulous. “You can’t handle a fox. You can barely handle your own reflection in the window.”
But Osmun isn’t listening. The door flies open, and there he goes, dashing into the night with a speed that belies his small frame. I follow, but by the time I reach the yard, he’s already at the fence, barking furiously. His tiny body is a blur of motion, his tail straight as a rod, ears pinned back, and he’s ready—ready to defend this domain from whatever sneaky creature dares approach.
For the next ten minutes, Osmun stands guard, barking at shadows, glaring into the darkness, as I stand there, uncertain of whether to be impressed or concerned.
Finally, as the breeze picks up again, Osmun slows down. His posture relaxes, and his tail wags a little. He looks up at me, his eyes gleaming with pride.
“Threat neutralized,” he says, as if he’s just defeated an army. “I’ve sent them a message. No foxes or coyotes on my watch. They know better now.”
I stare at him, unsure if I should be grateful or mildly terrified of the fierce protector standing before me. “You are something else, Osmun,” I mutter.
And just like that, he trots back inside, as though nothing happened, and settles on the couch as if to say, I’ve done my duty for the day.
Claudia Coleman illustration
E. Sue Bopp
The Inevitable Consequences of Focus
It all came to a head one evening when Osmun’s “focus” led to some rather humorous consequences. We were preparing to go for a car ride—something Osmun usually enjoys. I called his name from the driveway. “Osmun, come on! Let’s go for a ride!”
Not even a glance. He stood at the end of the yard, staring at a particular patch of grass like it was a map to buried treasure. “Osmun!” I shouted, waving the leash in the air.
“I’m busy,” he replied. “I’m focusing. There’s a raccoon in the trees. Or perhaps a ghost. Either way, I cannot be disturbed.”
A car ride? To Osmun, that was secondary. The raccoon—now that was an issue.
After about 15 minutes of repeated calls and waving the leash like an Olympic flag bearer, I finally resigned myself to the fact that Osmun was not going to come. Not now, not ever, unless an actual crisis had passed. It took me ten more minutes to coax him inside. The raccoon, which I never saw, was apparently “scurrying along the roof,” according to Osmun. He wasn’t going to let anything slip by on his watch.
Conclusion: The Unwavering Focus
And so it goes with Osmun, my beloved Scottish Terrier, house mate, philosopher, protector, and expert in the art of selective hearing. I have come to accept that when he says he’s “thinking,” he’s not just planning his next snack, and when he says he’s “protecting,” he’s not simply barking at shadows. He’s doing important work—work that, frankly, I could never understand.
So I let him do his thing, focusing on his squirrel surveillance, fox deterrence, and the occasional coyote warning. And though he never listens when I need him most, I know one thing for sure: Osmun’s focus is unwavering, and his intentions—however misdirected—are always pure.
And maybe, just maybe, he’s teaching me a thing or two about the importance of tuning out the noise and focusing on what really matters. Like coyotes. And mangy foxes.
FOXHUNTING
On full alert, this fox crossed the road between Welbourne and Crednal when Piedmont
(l-r) Warrenton Huntsman Matt van der Woude and Loudoun Fairfax Huntsman Jeff Woodall conferred on their plans before moving off with hounds for a joint meet on December 15, 2024, from Clovelly in Warrenton Hunt’s territory.
Douglas Lees photo
Fox Hounds hunted from White Oak on Saturday, December 14, 2024.
Douglas Lees photo
Belle Meade Hunt’s Trail Maintenance Program Rises to the Hurricane Challenge
Photos Courtesy Belle Meade Hunt
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region as a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph. It quickly passed over the thin strip of land along Florida’s Gulf Coast and drew a bead on central Georgia. Although its strength steadily diminished, Helene was still a force to be reckoned with when it unexpectedly hit Thomson, Georgia, the home of Belle Meade Hunt. We sat down with Epp Wilson, Belle Meade’s senior master and huntsman, to discuss the impact of the storm and how the BMH Trail Maintenance Program kicked in to accelerate the recovery. (As he observes his 40th season as MFH and Honorary Huntsman this year—more than 50 years wearing the scarlet—the “senior” title is well-deserved.)
In & Around Horse County: Thomson, Georgia, Belle Meade Hunt’s home turf, sits about 200 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and 300 miles north of the Gulf Coast. So your area isn’t thought of as being hurricane prone. But, this past September, y’all had a surprise in the form of Hurricane Helene.
Epp Wilson: Yes, we now have a whole new perspective on hurricanes here at Belle Meade. We’d always thought we were safe from them. Sure, we’ve gotten remnants, whether they make landfall on the Atlantic Coast or the Gulf Coast. But they’re usually just rain events with a normal storm amount of wind by the time they get to us. When Helene reached our area, she’d been downgraded to a tropical storm, but she still packed a big punch. Never in my lifetime—never in recorded history actually—have we had a storm do so much damage over such a wide swath.
IAHC: How bad was it?
Epp: As you know, the folks in western North Carolina got hit much harder than we did. So it could have been a lot worse, and we feel blessed for that. Fortunately, we did not lose any people, horses, hounds, houses, barns, or other major structures in Belle Meade Hunt country. Many houses had trees fall on three sides of them and none of them hit the houses. Just east of us, though, in areas of Greater Augusta, house after house had big trees on them or through them. Many houses were a total loss. Sadly, several lives were lost due to falling trees. So while our area was severely damaged, we were also extremely fortunate.
IAHC: It must have been scary when the storm hit.
Epp: It sure was! When we went to bed, the forecast was for Helene to go 100 miles west of us. All we expected was a little rain and wind. Wrong! Around five o’clock am, the eye of Helene went right over us. The sustained winds were frightening. Power was already out. Judith and I hurried downstairs to our basement. We thought it was a tornado. We dreaded what we would see when the sun came up. No internet. Almost zero cell service. No way to check on family or friends. Before first light we walked down to our barns and locked all the horses up in the paddocks. We figured the pasture fences were trashed.
IAHC: What did you find when the sun came up?
Epp: We spent the first two hours of the morning cutting about 20 trees off our driveways so we could make it out to the public road. Even with skid steers and grapples, it took a long time. The next two hours we spent cutting trees on the public road with most of our neighbors. Probably fifty trees across the first two miles of Wrightsboro Road. Power and phone lines were down everywhere. Power poles snapped like toothpicks. Luckily, we have generators. Even so, it took a while to get the well generator hooked up. Horses have to have water. All area gas stations were without power. We had to drive an hour to Athens to get gas for the generators. We were without power for eight days. But, again, we were among the lucky ones. Many were without power for three weeks or longer.
IAHC: And then you had to deal with assessing the damage to your hunting territory. What did you find there?
Epp: In short, every trail was blocked. My estimate was that about five percent of the trees in our country had been lost to the storm, more in some areas, less in others. Now, five percent may not sound like a lot, but let’s put it in perspective. The Belle Meade territory is around 35,000 contiguous acres, one of the largest east of the Mississippi River. About eighty percent of that is in woods. Eighty percent of 35,000 is 28,000 acres. About eighty percent of that is in planted pines large enough to be devastated by this storm. That’s about 22,000 acres. Pines are planted at a rate of 800 trees per acre. That’s 17,600,000 trees. Five percent of that is 880,000 trees down or broken and ruined.
IAHC: Those are amazing numbers! A tragic loss. Still, though, many of them must have been deep in the woods, not blocking the hunt trails.
Epp: That’s true. But, again, looking at the perspective, we have about 350 miles of trails in our territory. And every trail was damaged, many of them blocked at least once per 100 yards. “ Blocked” as in trees down such that you couldn’t get around them in a reasonable amount of time if you were running a coyote. In some places, you could bushwhack your way around one big tree, only to go 100 yards and get to one you couldn’t get around due to the thickness of the woods or something else. Some trees fell across the trail such that we could cut a section out, push it with a front end loader, skid steer and grapple, or bulldozer. Many others were tangles of large trees, the domino effect having brought several down, or partially down, together. Those that were partially down were the bigger challenge—they can be dangerous. Many were twisted and binding and had other broken trees resting on them. That creates a risk of someone getting hurt when the blockage is cut or pushed the wrong way. Many were too high to reach from the trail with our equipment. We had to cut multiple trees carefully or in some places use logging chains or whatever the hell it took to get the job done.
IAHC: The storm hit in late September. So it was an obvious interference with informal hunting. But another date was looming that created an additional sense of urgency to get your country reopened. How did you deal with that?
For Ed Maxwell, joint-MFH, happiness is a powerful chain saw (even it rips your trousers).
Some of the repair work required special equipment for heavy lifting….
…and some finishing touches needed to be done by hand. (l-r) Dr. Heather Currier, Saundra Maxwell, and Louisa Fisher.
Everyone at Belle Meade Hunt, young and not-so-young, pitched in to help repair the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. (l-r) Carson McElheney, Jim Ronning, and Wyatt Smith (Epp Wilson’s grandson).
Epp: Right! Opening Meet was coming up on November 2—ready or not—about five weeks after the storm hit. We masters discussed our options. It was obvious that there was no way to get all the hunt country back ready for hunting by then. So we decided to concentrate on the “Old Country,” the center of our territory— about 5,000 acres. We’d be doing well to get that much into minimal shape for hunting. And we’d be heavily reliant on road whips as coyotes are likely to run out of the huntable areas. But to get even that much done, the longstanding Belle Meade trail maintenance program had to kick into high gear.
IAHC: Tell us about this program.
Epp: My father, James Wilson, served as MFH for 36 years. As a founding MFH, he led the charge on cutting trails and building jumps. He established a culture of work. At BMH, every member is expected to work. That may be trails, kennels, hunt stable, landscaping, or most anything else that the Hunt needs done. Every hunting member of every family is required to work at a minimum of five work days a year. There’s a $100 fine per missed work day. We use that income to hire helpers on occasion and to pay shop bills and maintenance costs on the Hunt tractors.
An interesting side note on the “Culture of Work.” Some years ago, we had a nice couple stop by for a visit. They were looking to retire at a southern hunt. From the North East, they were sick of snow and ice interfering with their hunt season. They were interviewing hunts. The lady said, “I hear Belle Meade Hunt is pretty cliquish. What do you have to do to be in the clique?” Without even thinking about it I said, “Walk down to the kennel and pick up a shovel and you are in the clique.” The look on her face was priceless. They settled at another hunt. We did not pass their “test.” You know what? They didn’t pass ours either if they were not willing to work and get their hands dirty.
IAHC: How are the work days scheduled?
Epp: They’re every other Saturday during the entire off season, April 1 to October 31. We also schedule extra work days as needed. The work session starts at eight am and goes until one pm. Then we have lunch at Boots Hall, our club house. Sunday work days start after lunch. We don’t want Hunt activities to interfere with those of us who go to church—which is most of us.
IAHC: With 35,000 contiguous acres of territory, that’s a lot of country to maintain. How do you manage that?
Epp: Yes, it’s a lot of territory to keep up. So we divide it into sectors and assign crew leaders to each sector. Crew leaders are usually whippers-in—we have a lot them. All our staff is honorary. Part of each whip’s responsibility is to organize and lead the trail crew on “their flank” of Hunt Country. We hunt with whips on compass points. Two north. Two south. Two east. Two west. And two in the middle riding like a typical first whipper-in to knock the puppies off trash or deal with other immediate issues. The whips on each flank organize their own crews and work on “their flank.” They contact their crew ahead of time. They organize the chain saws, tractors, side by sides, etc. they need—so they hit the ground running and are very productive. Members bring their personal equipment. Tracked skid steers, D-3 bulldozer, tractors and bush hogs and front-end loaders. You name it. We are a force to be reckoned with. Together we have an arsenal of equipment. If a work day is not organized and productive, the members don’t get that wonderful sense of accomplishment and they are less likely to come to the next work day. Team spirit grows with the team. The more they accomplish, the more they come back. It is validating and satisfying to get a lot done. We have the Lu Crew, Clown Car Crew, and many others.
IAHC: In our experience, while most hunts have trail maintenance days where members are encouraged to help, it’s typically on a voluntary basis—no minimum number of days required and no monetary fines for not showing up. But it sounds like the BMH members embrace this program.
Epp: They certainly do! The membership understands that we have a culture of work. Besides, working with our friends is fun. For everyone, it’s a chance to learn the trails better. It’s also a chance to get to know other hunt members better. For example, since I carry the horn, I don’t ride next to new members in any of our four fields. But I’ve become chain saw buddies with several folks due to the trail work. I have an even deeper respect for them—and perhaps they’ve become more comfortable with me. Some folks don’t know how to interact with me, since I’ve worn scarlet over 50 years. That might put me on a pedestal I don’t
Fortunately, no animal or human lives were lost in Belle Meade’s country. But, in addition to extensive damage to the hunting trails, many properties suffered from toppled trees.
deserve. But sweating side by side, dragging limbs off trails, chain sawing branches—all that grunt work—helps us get to know each other at a different level.
IAHC: Some of your members live a good distance from the hunt territory, which means a long drive to get to a work session.
Epp: That’s true. Many of those who live far away have made generous donations to the Belle Meade Hunt Foundation to help with the extra expenses of clearing the trails. Others plan ahead and make the drive and sometimes work Saturday and Sunday to get in two work days. Many locals do both—generous donations and lots of in-person work days. We are blessed in so many ways. We find that folks like to have a part of the success of the day. After a great hunt with a fine long run, we often hear comments like, “Remember cutting that trail last month?” And, “That was cool to chase that coyote across the bridge we helped build last summer. So cool!” Parents take pictures of their kids riding over the bridges they and their children helped build. Those picture are often on Facebook before dark.
IAHC: It sounds like the merits of this program have really paid off in recovering from the Helene damage. But, given the extent of damage, was some additional effort required to be ready in time for Opening Meet?
Epp: We did have to schedule extra work days every Saturday and most Sundays plus some other days to have enough territory to make Opening Meet happen. We’d managed to clear about 45 miles of our 350 miles of trails by then. It was like hunting in a shoebox to us, but we were hunting. Even after Opening Meet, we spent more time clearing trails than hunting. We also scheduled some work days on what would normally have been hunt days. When it is above 70 degrees, those hot days are better for working than for hunting.
IAHC: With the Opening Meet challenge accomplished, other important events still loomed ahead, right?
Epp: Absolutely! We had to get all of the main trails in shape for our Annual Performance Trials in January and Hunt Week in February. I’m happy to say we got the lion’s share of it done! There’s still work to do on minor trails, and that will be the focus of our summer trail work schedule. Happily, working on our own trails is part of what makes Belle Meade Hunt so special!
Editor’s Note: Every hunt has its own unique culture. For some, the voluntary trail maintenance approach works fine. Others may have the benefit of professional staff to handle most, if not all, heavy duty chores. The make-up of the territory may also be a factor. Is it thickly wooded or mostly open? Heavily paneled or has few, if any, jumps? And, of course, there’s a wide range of variations between those extremes. The Belle Meade Hunt’s trail maintenance program may not be an applicable model for every hunt. But perhaps it can provide some workable thoughts for a hunt in need of beefing up its volunteer efforts. Not every hunt is at risk of extensive damage from a hurricane (BMH didn’t think they were!). But Mother Nature has her way of presenting us with challenges, from routine maintenance to major recovery operations. Perhaps we can all take a tip or two from the industrious folks at Belle Meade Hunt.
JUNIORS
Juniors A-Plenty in Several Hunt Fields
Mark Jump Photos
Juniors have been out in force at many hunts this season, an encouraging sign that the future of foxhunting looks bright. Kudos to the parents and hunt leaders who recognize the importance of involving young people in mounted sport from an early age. And many thanks to photographer Mark Jump for capturing these images.
Long Run Woodford Hounds Versailles, KY, Opening Meet, November 30, 2024.
Road Foxhounds, Aiken, SC, Opening Meet, November 10, 2024.
Belle Meade Hunt, Thomson, GA, Christmas Day, December 25, 2024.
Moore County Hounds, Southern Pines, NC, Opening Meet, November 28, 2024.
Virginia’s 2025 Racing Calendar Takes Shape Horse racing dates and events for the 2025 calendar year in Virginia are set and include a healthy combination of Thoroughbred, Standardbred and steeplechase competitions that will be held at venues across the Commonwealth.
The season kicks off March 1 with the Rappahannock Hunt Point-toPoint (PTP) meet at The Hill in Boston, Virginia, and concludes November 1 with the Montpelier Hunt Races at James Madison’s homestead in Montpelier Station. More details on these and other jump events appear in the Steeplechase Preview in this issue. (See page 8.)
A total of 44 pari-mutuel Thoroughbred race days will be run at Colonial Downs in New Kent and include two separate meets for the first time ever. A new three-day spring meet will debut March 13 -15 and feature dirt racing only, including the $500,000 Virginia Derby, to be followed by a 41-day summer stand from July 9 - September 13.
The Virginia Derby, now a points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will transition to the dirt after 21 years on turf and highlight the spring session on March 15. Another feature at the spring meet is the $250,000 Virginia Oaks, which is now a Kentucky Oaks points race. Post time will be 12:30 PM on Thursday and Friday and 12 Noon Saturday for the Virginia Derby card.
The expanded summer Thoroughbred schedule will feature racing four days per week, Wednesday through Saturday, with a post time of 12:30 PM except Fridays when twilight cards start at 4 PM.
Colonial’s “Festival of Racing” and its three graded stakes—the G1 Arlington Million, G2 Beverly D, and G2 Secretariat—is slated for Saturday, August 9 and will have a special 12 Noon post time. Steeplechase races will also be mixed in throughout the campaign as well.
A pair of seven-week pari-mutuel Standardbred meets totaling 28 race days will be held at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock, pending VRC approval. The spring campaign will extend from April 26 - June 8 while the tenth annual fall season will run from September 13 - October 26.
First post is scheduled for 1:05 PM every Saturday and Sunday at the historic Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, which has hosted pacers and trotters on its half mile oval for 105 years.
Information on Virginia’s overall horse racing and breeding industry can be found at virginiahorseracing.com.
Virginia Horse Owner Adam Ainspan’s Pair of $500,000 Stakes Wins Came with a Thoroughbred and a Standardbred 64-year-old Clifton, Virginia-based small animal veterinarian Adam Ainspan didn’t purchase his first racehorse until the age of 42, and after finding initial success, grew his operation over the next two decades. It was in years number 21 and 22 though— the last two—that he experienced his biggest thrills.
On August 31, 2023, Ainspan’s Thoroughbred horse Harlan Estate captured the $500,000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs after being sent off at odds of 37-1. Fourteen months later on October 26, 2024, his Standardbred horse Call Me Goo—certified in Virginia—won the $496,000 Breeder’s Crown Open Mare Trot Championship at The Meadowlands on harness racing’s grandest stage.
Two wins, each with a half million purse, within nearly a year of each other and, interestingly, with different breeds. Not an everyday occurrence. But, to Ainspan, who races under the Graham Grace Stable moniker, named after his children’s middle names, it wasn’t a complete surprise.
“I was shocked a bit, but not totally surprised,” he said. “My passion early on in life was horses and always thought if I owned a horse someday, I would do well no matter what the breed was.”
Ainspan grew up in Albany, just south of Saratoga, where he said everybody was into horses. “I had friends who owned Standardbreds and always knew it was something I wanted to do.”
Ainspan had immediate success with a $26,000 Standardbred purchase in 2002, his very first. The horse, No Wishes, continued racing until 2010 and when his career was over, had amassed $373,000 in earnings. His life mark came at Colonial Downs in 2004. “His success allowed us to buy a similar horse, which was followed by our third, Great George Two.”
Great George Two competed four years, from 2004 to 2007, and among his 12 wins was a victory in the Virginia Breeder’s 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot Championship at Colonial in 2004. He was a $25,000 purchase and went on to win $436,864.
“He is the background for what we have going today,” said Ainspan. “Great George Two is the father to Call Me Goo’s mom and he has had some good ones in between, which has kept the cash flowing well. If the first horse wasn’t so successful, I’m not sure we’d be where we are today.” Call Me Goo has won 23 of 37 races with earnings of $945,898.
Ainspan’s interest in the Thoroughbred horse world began fifteen years ago when he owned a minor percentage in a broodmare partnership at the invitation of a friend. That eventually led to the purchase of his Tapit Stakes winner, Harlan Estate, a $150,000 buy at the 2022 Keeneland Horses of Racing Age sale. The now 6-year-old Kantharos gelding took fourth in a Colonial Downs allowance just before his Tapit Stakes win.
“That stakes win at Kentucky Downs was a great experience,” he added. “He didn’t get much respect from the betting public. He is a smart horse and a great athlete. If he thinks he can win, he’ll really try, but if he doesn’t think he can win, he won’t try. It was also my trainer’s first stakes win ever. It was nice to see things come together for a trainer who was just starting his career and with people that you actually like from a team you built.”
Two recent Thoroughbred wins came with C’Est Cheese, who captured a maiden special weight October 4 at Keeneland and with Agoo, who crossed first in a $80,000 claimer September 14 at Churchill Downs.
After achieving success with both breeds, Ainspan was asked which he prefers at this point. “I can’t say I like one over the other but I’ve had more success with Standardbreds. The breeds are very, very similar, but different at the same time. I can’t say that the Kentucky Downs win was any less thrilling than the Breeder’s Crown win. And I get the same feeling from wins I’ve had in Canada with Call Me Goo.”
Colonial Downs will card dirt races only during its first ever 3-day spring meet this March. EA photo
Virginia owner Adam Ainspan with his Tapit Stakes winner Harlan Estate. VEA photo
Spring and fall pari-mutuel harness race meets take place at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock. Quenton Egan photo
Moira (outside) edged Fev Rover in the 2024 Beverly D Stakes at Colonial Downs. Coady Media photo
REMEMBRANCES
Rodney Jenkins
July 3, 1944 – December 5, 2024
Halliday “Hally” Woodbury
June 23, 1944 – January 12, 2025
Born in horse-centric Middleburg, Virginia, Rodney Jenkins was destined for show jumping greatness from an early age. He began riding professionally in 1961, competing up and down the East Coast show circuit. His achievements included winning the American Gold Cup five times (four in a row in the early ’70s). He was a three-time winner of both the Presidents Cup and the National Horse Show Grand Prix, and contributed to ten Nations Cup victories for U.S. equestrian teams. Many of those accomplishments came while riding Idle Dice, the first horse inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame (1987). Jenkins joined Idle Dice among that illustrious group in 1999. He was also honored with a place in the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. When his show jumping career ended, he made a successful transition to training racehorses from his base in Maryland. Douglas Lees photo
Paul
Cronin
May 26, 1936 – December 29, 2024
A native of Dover, Massachusetts, Paul Cronin was an avid horseman, highly respected riding instructor, and accomplished author. A 30 year student of Vladimir Littauer, Cronin focused on the forward seat riding system and expanded on Littauer’s work, Commonsense Horsemanship, in his Schooling and Riding the Sport Horse (2004). Paul enjoyed a 34 year stint as Head Instructor and Director of Riding at Virginia’s Sweet Briar College where he coached a record number of winning intercollegiate teams. He was twice cited in Sports Illustrated for these accomplishments and was named Professor Emeritus at Sweet Briar in 2001. He was named “Educator of the Year” by the Virginia Horse Council in 1997, received the USHJA “Professional Service Award” in 2007, the USEF “Pegasus Award” in 2009, and was inducted into the Virginia Horse Show Association’s Hall of Fame in 2020. In between his busy schedule as instructor and mentor to many, Paul found time to enjoy foxhunting with the Orange Country Hounds. Douglas Lees photo
For 40 seasons, Hally served as whipper-in to the Casanova Hunt, embodying skill, horsemanship, and unwavering commitment to the sport. A fixture in the hunt field, she was also a cherished model for Horse Country for the past 20 years, bringing elegance and authenticity to our brand.
In recognition of her contributions, the Warrenton Hunt will dedicate the 2025 Warrenton Point-to-Point in her honor—a fitting tribute to a life devoted to the hunt, hounds, and the traditions we hold dear. Photo Courtesy Horse Country Saddlery
Rose Marie Bogley
November 8, 1928 – January 17, 2025
Rose Marie Bogley was a prominent figure in the Middleburg and Upperville communities of Virginia, renowned for her extensive contributions to equestrian pursuits, animal welfare, and local philanthropy. She owned and placed in easement Peace and Plenty Farm at Bollingbrook, a historic estate in Upperville dating back to 1809, where she hosted numerous charitable events, hunt breakfasts, and social gatherings. In recognition of her multifaceted contributions, friends and community members have lauded her elegance, generosity, and leadership. Lauren Giannini photo
Horse Country is proud to celebrate the incredible legacy of Hally Woodbury, a true horsewoman whose dedication to the sport of foxhunting has left an indelible mark on our community.
Potter, hunting with Orange County Hounds from Cromwell’s Run, December 27, 2024. Douglas Lees photo
Sue Bopp, MFH, leading the field as the day’s action moves off from Clovelly where Warrenton Hunt hosted a joint meet with Loudoun Fairfax hunt on December 15, 2025. Douglas Lees photo
Andrews Bridge Foxhounds Huntsman Adam Townsend and Whipper-in Becky Harris were undaunted by the snow when hounds hunted from the kennels, January 11, 2025. Karen Kandra photo
Trevor
(l-r) Julie Gomena and Sam Cockburn, Orange County Hounds, Old Welbourne, December 22, 2024. Douglas Lees photo
Emily Hannum hunting from the Tannery with Orange County Hounds, January 2, 2025. Douglas Lees photo
