MYOPIA
myopia hunt club
The Hounds of the Hunt
Myopia Hunt is a blend of athleticism and tradition. / by Brion O’Connor
for all its pageantry and majestic steeds, the rollicking gathering that is the Myopia Hunt is often heard before it’s seen, thanks to the joyful howls of more than 30 rambunctious foxhounds leading the charge. “When the hounds find the line, they’ll take off at full cry, which you can hear from a mile away,” says Phillip Headdon, Myopia’s Huntsman. “That’s the thrill of the chase, with the hounds running and you on your horse keeping up with them through every twist and turn and jump.” And when every rider and all the animals are working together, a special alchemy occurs. 26 myopia polo 2020
“It’s very rewarding to be a part of a hunt,” says Nicholas White, joint master of the Hunt since 2014. “It’s the culmination of hard work and dedication. It’s the coming together of all three components that make up a hunt—horsemanship, training of hounds and setting a route through our countryside. “We hunt through approximately 225 different properties,” White says. “Our horses and riders have put in countless hours working together. The hounds are fit and healthy. Riding in the countryside following a pack of hounds is much different, much better, than doing circles in a riding ring.”
It’s an experience that members of the Myopia Hunt want to share. The Myopia stable has been public for many years, and visiting riders from other hunts and other stables have always been welcomed. “Each year, the Hunt hosts several events which draw participants from outside our area,” says Wendy Wood, joint master of the Hunt along with White. “Our own homes and stables often house the overflow.” Just as important, Wood says, is that the Hunt is open to the general public. Despite a popular misconception, riders don’t need to belong to Myopia to participate. “We are always ready to greet a new member or follower,” she says. “The history of our area is rich with fox-hunting tradition, and it’s very photograph by shawn tinkham
