TECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD • CONSERVATION AWARD • A HUNT REVITALIZED
THE MAGAZINE OF MOUNTED FOXHUNTING
SPRING 2020 • $5.00
Page 24
Genesee Valley Maple at work.
SPRING 2020 • VOLUME 11, NUMBER 1
Features 12
AGAINST ALL ODDS BY EMILY DAILY
Tanheath Hunt Club members persist in saving the hunt they love.
16
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE BY EMILY DAILY
Satellite and app technology expand land use and connect hunting grounds.
20
JUNIOR HANDLER CLASSES CROSS THE POND BY DEIRDRE HANNA
Classes for junior handlers gain popularity in England.
24
A HUNTING JOURNEY BY SEAN CULLY, MFH
A foot hunter’s transition breeds a great pack and lasting friendships.
2 4 6
FROM THE PUBLISHER Technology MFHA NEWS Annual meeting wrap up GIVE VOICE When foxhunting tales become legend
8
10
ASK THE MASTER John McFadden celebrates 20 years as Master.
28
THE FIELD HUNTER A black pearl Friesian proves her might.
32
CONSERVATION Where the river runs and the quail thrive
ON OUR COVER: A happy Iroquois Hunt hound bounds through the field.
LAST RUN Leave your boots at the door.
PHOTO: Dave Traxler
SPRING 2020 | 1
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The 21st Century
T
ECHNOLOGY: It’s pervasive in our lives, from texting to telling Alexa to play a favorite song or look up a recipe. In our traditional sport, there have always been mixed feelings about it — is it a good thing that many hounds wear GPS collars? Does it take the “thrill” out of the hunt if we know exactly where our hounds are going? What do we do with all that data, anyway? Is it really helpful? I carry my phone when I ride and routinely check how many “steps” I’ve gone (17,960 for a recent two-hour ride), but I have mixed feelings. I want to unplug on Saturdays. Technology has come to the hunt field, in the form of tracking apps: They track your horse’s
fitness, your own fitness, your track, where you’ve been and how far you’ve gone. In this issue of Covertside, we explore how one hunt used technology to open territory, and the value of GIS mapping. We also celebrate the tremendous up-and-down path of the Tanheath — a rising-from-the-ashes story about a hunt that suffered seemingly endless misfortune and nearly died. Today, Tanheath is a healthy hunt with strong, supportive membership. It’s a great story of the dedication of friends to the sport and to each other. Speaking of dedication, it takes a lot to maintain land, and in this issue, we profile Wicomico’s efforts to do that.
The hunt club is this year’s winner of the MFHA’s Hunting Habitat Conservation award. Check out the story of how this hunt gathered land and restored it. We welcome your contributions to Covertside. Whether stories or poems, photos or illustrations, send us your hunting-related adventures. It’s your magazine! Happy Hunting!
Emily Esterson Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
SPRING 2020 MASTERS OF FOXHOUNDS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA www.mfha.com OFFICERS Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • President Leslie Crosby, MFH • First Vice President Penny Denegre, MFH • Second Vice President Bill Haggard, MFH • Secretary-Treasurer MFHA FOUNDATION Patrick A. Leahy, MFH • President PO Box 207, Mddileburg, VA 20118 (540) 883-0883 HUNT STAFF BENEFIT FOUNDATION Nancy Stahl, MFH • President PO Box 207, Middleburg, VA 20118 (540) 883-0883 COVERTSIDE EDITORIAL BOARD Leslie Crosby, MFH Penny Denegre, MFH Emily Esterson, Editor-in-Chief Patrick A. Leahy, MFH
2 | COVERTSIDE
DIRECTORS Canada • Dr. Charlotte McDonald, MFH Carolinas • Fred Berry, MFH Central • Arlene Taylor, MFH Great Plains • Dr. Luke Matranga, MFH Maryland-Delaware • John McFadden, MFH Midsouth • Lilla Mason, MFH New England • Suzanne Levy, MFH New York-New Jersey • David Feureisen, MFH Northern Virginia-West Virginia • Anne McIntosh, MFH Pacific • Angela Murray, MFH Pennsylvania • Sean Cully, MFH Rocky Mountain • Adren Nance, MFH Southern •Mason Hardaway Lampton, MFH Virginia • Ginny Perrin, MFH Western • Susan Denny Gentry, MFH At Large • Dr. G. Marvin Beeman, MFH At Large • Ed Kelly, MFH At Large • Mason H. Lampton, MFH At Large • Dr. Jack van Nagell, MFH At Large • Daphne Wood, MFH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ PUBLISHER EMILY ESTERSON publisher@covertside.net 505-553-2671 ART DIRECTOR GLENNA STOCKS production@covertside.net MANAGING EDITOR SARAH K. WILLIAMS sarah@e-squarededit.com STAFF WRITER EMILY DAILY edaily@covertside.net ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
SALES KATHY DRESS kdress@ptd.net TOM KIRLIN tkirlin@covertside.net
Covertside is the official publication of the Masters of Foxhounds Association Published by E-Squared Editorial Services LLC 2329 Lakeview Rd. SW Albuquerque, NM 87105 Telephone: 505-553-2671 Web Address: www.ecovertside.net www.mfha.com COVERTSIDE (ISSN 1547-4216) is published quarterly (February, May, August, and November) by the Masters of Foxhounds Association, PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646. Periodical Postage paid at Winchester, VA 22601 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MFHA, PO Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646. COVERTSIDE READERS: Direct all correspondence to the same address. (540) 883-0883. Website: www.mfha.com
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@HOULIHANRE
@H O U L I H A N L AW R EN CE
H O U L I H A N L AW R EN CE.CO M
MFHA NEWS
GONE AWAY
4 THE MFHA BOARD OF
Smithtown Hunt (NY/NJ);
DIRECTORS hosted the annual meeting in New York on
Gerald Robeson, Mells Fox
January 31. Guest speakers
Bull Run Hunt (VA).
Irvin L. Crawford II, MFH,
Hounds (MS); Adriana Waddy, Four district directors passed
PHYLLIS FRASER HECK, MFH, MIAMI VALLEY HUNT
TADDY CORK,
EX-MFH, TORONTO AND NORTH YORK HUNT, ONTARIO, CANADA
Potomac Hunt, and Joseph
the mantle. Mary Ewing, district
G. Davies, MFH, Elkridge-
director for Rocky Mountain,
Harford Hunt, discussed
will be replaced by Adren
PHYLLIS FRASER HECK, age
Toronto and North York
the historic connection
Nance, MFH, Juan Tomas.
93, passed away on October
Hunt’s longest active hunting
between foxhunting and
Mercer Fearington in the
14, 2019, after living a rich and
member, past Master and
steeplechasing. Despite
Southern district recommended
engaging life with a wide swath
Board member, TADDY
thinning ties in recent year,
Mason Hardaway Lampton
of good friends and family. Well
CORK, passed away on
the Crawfords and Davies
of Midland Hunt. Terrel Paine,
known for her varied interests,
December 7, 2019, despite
provided insight on how the
MFH, Santa Fe West Hills Hunt,
if she wasn’t skillfully riding a
her determination, grit, and
two sports are reconnecting
with the Pacific district will be
horse, she was discussing their
bravery to keep cancer at bay.
through steeplechase
replaced by Angela Murray
welfare, judging horse shows
Taddy was awarded her colors
champion Senior Senator.
from Red Rock Hounds in
and diligently doing the duties
in 1960 and was Master of the
Reno, Nevada. Eleanor Menefee
as a founding member of the
Toronto and North York Hunt
4 AT THE BOARD OF
Parkes, MFH, Hillsboro Hounds,
Miami Valley Hunt. Her beloved
from 1990 to 1996. She was a
DIRECTORS MEETING, the following were elected to
district director of the Midsouth
canines were often by her side.
beautiful and accomplished
region, handed the reins to
Phyllis is remembered as
membership: Ward Black,
Lilla Mason, MFH, Iroquois.
the social columnist in both
Hamilton Hunt (CA); Wendy
MFHA Foundation Director Paul
the Dayton Journal Herald and
foxhunting, and participated in
Brett, Eglinton & Caledon (CA);
Delaney (Grand Canyon) will be
the Dayton Daily News. She
every meet possible, in every
Barbara Clarke, Smithtown
replaced by Eleanor Menefee
anonymously continued that
kind of weather, served on the
Hunt (NY/NJ); Robin Gibbs,
Parkes.
role for 22 years with the Oak-
TNYH Board for a number of
wood Register’s “Round Town”
terms, and worked tirelessly in
column. Many vivid insights on
support of the hunt.
friends, family, culture, world
BILLIE-JO PEARL
was given to Harry Sears and the Wicomico Hunt Club (see story page 27). Left to right: Marian Fry, Daphne Wood, MFH, Ed Fry, MFH, Tony Leahy, MFH, Melissa Wade, MFH, Allen Hungerford, Jane Rhoades, MFH, Donna Stutzman, Garon Stutzman.
There wasn’t an animal born that Taddy wouldn’t help,
her the title “The Grande Dame
adopt, find a home, or nurse
of Doings.”
back to health. She expected her horses to be straight
Jack Heck. They shared a family
shooters and earn their keep
and were both ardent lovers of
by giving her a good day’s
animals, bridge, adventurous
hunting, and invariably they
global travel, history, acting,
did. Taddy won numerous
and their ability to consistently
events in the foxhunting com-
pull pranks made them favorite
munity, visited many other
hosts of social events.
hunts, and her horses earned
Born in Seattle, she moved to Dayton with her parents, Ken and Helen Fraser, in second
“Horse of the Year” numerous times at TNYH. Praise for Taddy’s sporting
grade and graduated from Ran-
good nature comes from all
dolph Macon Women’s College
quarters of the hunt world.
with a degree in Classic Civiliza-
Olympic gold medal winner
tion and Classic Greek. She is
Jim Elder and Taddy’s long-
survived by one son, Henry Hull,
time companion says, “No one
and three stepchildren, Howard
does it better than Taddy.”
Heck, Nancy Gibson Sternal, and John Heck along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
4 | COVERTSIDE
Beloved by all, she adored
travel, and local issues earned
In 1967, she met and married
4 THE 2020 HUNTING HABITAT CONSERVATION AWARD
rider.
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR 40 YEARS Complete design services and fine craftsmanship Custom barns, arenas, garages, and living quarters
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SPRING 2020 | 5
GIVE VOICE
MARK JUMP
From left, Victoria Fowler, Huntsman David Raley and Anne Shue of the Green Creek Hounds head home after a day hunting.
When Foxhunting Tales Become Legend
Our hunt field adventures will turn into lore to be told and re-told. BY KEITH GRAY, MFH, MILL CREEK HUNT
T
HE STORIES THAT SURFACE OF PEOPLE AND DEEDS
or fuzzy, and sometimes there are new and exciting aspects to the
LONG PAST are part of what makes foxhunting fun.
story. As long as the storyteller and listeners are enjoying them-
In the course of a day, the hunt field might pass a particular
area where something unusual or funny occurred (this is where the deer darted and ran underneath so-and-so’s horse who didn’t miss a step. …). Or, the weather will prompt comparison to another time
selves, I sit quietly, enjoy the moment,
WHY WE HUNT
A continuing series on the spiritual, emotional, and practical reasons behind our captivating sport
(remember when the ice storm covered so-and-so’s glasses to the point where he
and watch how legends are created. I’m fortunate to whip-in at our hunt. Recently, I was on a horse new to hunting, and in a rare moment of wisdom, I spied a newer member (Jess) on a quiet, reliable horse and asked if she’d like to ride with me. This served two purposes: one, to expose a member to another as-
couldn’t see where he was going? …). It’s fun to hear the rendi-
pect of hunting; the other, to have a lead should my horse decide
tion re-told time and again. The details sometimes get mixed up
she’s not cut out to be a staff horse.
6 | COVERTSIDE
The hunting gods were smiling on us as hounds hit early, and we raced around, keeping them from danger while trying to sneak a view of the game. Our weather has been much colder than usual with a lot of rain, and the footing was soggy. Through all the commotion, we eventually encountered several first-field riders who had become separated from the group, and I asked that they join us. Beaver Dam crossing is named for the continual beaver activity, ensuring water depth in the creek. The recent heavy rains made it even more exciting. I had a willing leader in Jess to test the crossing, who suggested that I follow. Jess’ horse walked right up to the edge and decided the velocity of the water surface was a sufficient sign to
Equestrian & Sporting Life Jewelry
find another way around. Since we were falling behind the hounds, I
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threw caution to the wind and asked (demanded) that my mare lead the way, which she did. En route, she stepped into a huge subsurface hole, nearly dumping me. Jess’ horse must have watched my mare’s path and crossed without incident. We got to the other side, and I asked Jess if we should race to catch up with the action or stay and watch what was bound to be entertaining as the field members joining us crossed. Jess smiled and suggested we wait. Geralyn, who was leading the group, is a great rider and long-time member. She signaled her horse to step down the stream bank and encountered the unseen hole. Horse and rider went utterly under. The horse, understandably panicked, did all it could to vacate the unpleasant situation by racing back and forth in chest-deep water, trying to find a suitable exit point. Geralyn, also understandably panicked, instinctively hung onto the reins, which were functioning as a waterski tow rope. Imagine a wakeboarder, and you’ll get an idea of what we were witnessing. Eventually Geralyn let go, the horse found its way out, was caught, and, aside from a frigid ride home for Geralyn, nobody was any worse for the incident. It’ll be fun to watch and listen to how this story is told and re-told over the coming years, and how the characters will take on legend status. What’s scary is that, whether we know it or not, we are becoming “those people” we’ve been telling stories about. Have fun hunting, and give future generations something to talk
RIDING VACATIONS in the beautiful
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
and laugh about. Keith Gray is Master of the Mill Creek Hunt in Illinois. He is a regular contributor to Covertside.
971-241-2684 • WillametteCoastRide.com
Follow Us! SPRING 2020 | 7
ASK THE MASTER John McFadden recently celebrated his 20th anniversary as a Master with De La Brooke Foxhounds W.
COURTESY OF DE LA BROOKE FOXHOUNDS W
Covertside: How did you get started foxhunting?
Twent y Years at the Helm
John McFadden loves PMDs.
F
OR DECADES, JOHN MCFADDEN HAS BEEN A FAMILIAR FACE to the members of De La Brooke Foxhounds W. After first joining the club in the early 1970s, he enjoyed hunting with his family throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. When he retired from his professional life 20 years ago, he stepped into a new role as a Master, and he’s been leading the field ever since. For McFadden, sharing his love of the sport, the importance of land conservation, and the appreciation of the hunt’s PennMarydel hounds have been his fondest contributions in the last two decades.
8 | COVERTSIDE
McFadden: My father-in-law had horses in Tennessee, and I ended up buying a farm because he gave my children a pony. I began riding Western, but then a good friend got me involved in hilltopping in 1971. I wound up getting a pair of riding boots for Christmas and started riding English. Then I got hooked on foxhunting, and I’ve been riding since 1972 or so with the current hunt. It’s been magnificent. And the beauty is that my children were riding and they, my wife, now deceased, and I rode together as a family. Still to this day, my sons come back home and foxhunt once or twice a year with me. Covertside: How did you become Master? McFadden: Over the years, we had Masters who were here for a while, and then they’d leave, as is often the case with most hunts. As I retired from my profession in 2000, I became a Joint Master for a year and then I was a single Master for seven years. I’ve had three other Masters
with me, and I’m so delighted for every one I’ve had. I had a passion for PennMarydel hounds for our country and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say that my mentor was Doc Addis. He lit a fire under me many years ago! I was such a novice, and I ultimately learned after making a lot of mistakes along the way. It just evolved from one day to the next. It’s certainly been a fantastic experience.
Covertside: What are some of your favorite parts about being a Master? McFadden: I’m one of those people who rides to hunt. I believe the best contribution I’ve made is introducing people to hunting, encouraging and educating people in the sport of foxhunting, and knowing how wonderful hounds can be and how special it is to be out in the country in our part of this area. So, the number one part of my job is to help people see that this sport is about hounds. We can run and jump, but it really comes down to the hounds. And secondarily, it’s about having fun and enjoying the countryside.
Covertside: What are some of the challenges? McFadden: There are a lot of challenges, of course. We wouldn’t hunt without land. In our territory, we hunt over some really old manor properties and I can’t believe how fortunate we are and how gracious our landowners are. Some of them are members and some are not. The first challenge is preserving that land. The second challenge is acquiring more land. And so, I need to balance the needs of the hunt with the members’ desires and synergize with the Board of Directors to have the sport we have in its true traditions. I’m very much a traditionalist — we hunt formal all the time. We also try to sustain the sport within the financial resources we have.
And that’s probably true for most every hunt. I think that trying to keep all that together and, at the same time, making sure people understand what a great sport this is present the biggest challenges.
Covertside: How do the PennMarydel hounds suit the terrain? McFadden: In Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, we are in tidal country. We don’t have a lot of jumps or cattle, but we do have a lot of swamps and tidal waters. The fox and our hounds can carry. So, our huntsman, number one, really has to have a longspeed horse, and I also feel that to get there to be with the hounds, the rest of us have to have something that’s reasonably fast, too.
Fox Hunters for Sale Cathy Carr Taber
(229) 403-4554
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THE FIELD HUNTER
Sarah Isherwood’s powerful Friesian
SUDDENLY STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
mare Daatje.
The Black Pearl
Sarah Isherwood’s Friesian mare chases foxes instead of dragons.
P
EOPLE NOTICE WHEN SARAH ISHERWOOD arrives at a meet with her coal-black mare Daatje. The purebred Friesian radiates presence and looks as if she could carry an armored knight into battle. As a bodybuilder, Isherwood complements the presence of her horse. The pair could trot straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster with drums thundering behind them. But instead of chasing dragons, Isherwood and
10 | COVERTSIDE
Daatje spent much of the past decade chasing foxes behind the hounds of Wentworth Hunt through New England’s rolling countryside. Their story began 18 years ago when Isherwood, fresh out of college, worked as a trainer and barn manager for a Friesian import stable in Chester, New Hampshire. Daatje’s dam was Isherwood’s favorite. A month after Daatje’s birth, the dam passed away from complications during colic surgery.
“Seeing that little black filly all alone and calling for her mother broke my heart,” recalls Isherwood. So, Isherwood nurtured the filly. “She took to the bottle quite well and was paired up with Scruffy, a miniature donkey, as a companion.” Though Daatje had been sold in-utero, the buyers backed out. Isherwood serendipitously became the orphan’s owner and guardian. She began training Daatje under saddle at four years old.
BY EMILY DAILY
When Daatje was six, they competed regularly in USDF dressage shows at First Level. “I love dressage, don’t get me wrong. It’s incredibly useful to teach a horse balance and rideability,” says Isherwood. “But my heart is over fences, particularly galloping across the country over fences.” After she taught Daatje to jump, they ventured to cross-country clinics with event rider Tom Davis. Daatje obliged but wasn’t so sure about the practice. Instead,
By Fall 2017, Daatje could comfortably carry Isherwood in the tack again, and, little by little, with a hunter pace here, and capping there, the knight and her steed returned for Act III. “We capped a few times again in 2018 and jumped back in the game in 2019,” Isherwood says. “She’s had a great season this year. We don’t jump as much as we used to; at 18, she’s a little less spry. But we hunted in hilltop, second, and a bit of first field, moving between fields to suit her fancy. She missed the hounds and was very pleased to be back.”
Wentworth honored Daatje with Field Hunter certificates for attending the required number of hunts in a given season. One year, she earned a perpetual trophy at the hunt ball for exemplary behavior in the hunt field. “It’s such a pleasure to ride her in the hunt field,” says Isherwood. “It’s like being on auto-pilot. Her gaits are so comfortable, lofty, and smooth. She loves the hounds and takes a great interest in watching them work. Even now, in her older years, when the hounds strike and give voice, she becomes electric — anticipating the chase.”
While Daatje’s had her ups and downs over the years, Isherwood wouldn’t trade her for anything. “There’s just something special about hunting a Friesian. They are so fancy in the way they carry themselves. They have such brilliant movement,” she says. “Daatje garners attention wherever she goes. Most people are in awe and admiration seeing a Black Pearl of Friesland out hunting!” Emily Daily writes for Covertside and manages the e-Covertside newsletter. She grew up hunting in Virginia and is now based in Charleston, South Carolina.
SUDDENLY STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Davis planted the foxhunting bug in her ear. “I had never hunted before,” Isherwood admits. “Daatje, at 8 years old, was a bit of a chicken over cross-country fences, so Tom suggested I take her foxhunting to ‘make her more worldly.’” Isherwood discovered Wentworth Hunt Club at the beginning of the 2009 season. Daatje took to it like a true steed of the roundtable. They hilltopped that year to acclimate themselves to the sport. By the next season, they galloped first flight, often directly following the field master’s hoof prints and jumping everything in their path. “So, it turns out Tom Davis was right,” Isherwood says. “The 2013 season was Daatje’s best,” says Isherwood. “The pinnacle moment was sailing over the 4-foothigh Harlow’s Hedge like it wasn’t even there!” By then, Isherwood was hooked. She found herself bubbling with anticipation every year as soon as the temperatures dropped and the leaves turned. Then, when the 2015 season closed, Daatje came up severely lame after the final hunt. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease. “At 15 years of age, I thought I was going to have to retire her,” says Isherwood. “I gave her 2016 off to let her rest and see what the future would bring.” Isherwood treated Daatje until she trotted sound in the paddock. She eased the mare back into work by putting her in a harness and driving her.
“Daatje garners attention wherever she goes,” says Isherwood.
SPRING 2020 | 11
JUDITH M. BOSCO
AGAINST
Huntsman Sherri Colby leads the way.
12 | COVERTSIDE
ALL ODDS Tanheath Hunt Club members persist to save the hunt they love.
F
OR THE PASSIONATE AMONG US, CHANGE BREEDS COURAGE AND CREATIVITY, especially when it’s unexpected. When Tanheath Hunt Club’s previous Master resigned abruptly, the hounds went with her. Hope and the very existence of the club could have followed just as easily. But that’s not how Cathy Leinert operates. With support from the club’s core membership, the MFHA, and the greater foxhunting community in the New England region, Tanheath rose from near ashes to become an innovative beacon respecting its history and finding comfort in breaking tradition in the name of comradery and safety. NEW BLOOD
When the club’s Master resigned in 2014, the hunt fell into reorganization status. Its membership dwindled to eight. At some meets, only staff showed. Live hunting in inhospitable weather yielded more standing around than chasing at most outings. “The hunt was slowly dying,” Leinert says. “It needed an infusion of fresh blood. STAT.” Leinert whipped-in for Tanheath and was the club’s president. The night she united the eight core members to determine the club’s future would ultimately define what the club has become today. Leinert was elected Master and would serve alongside longtime member and Joint Master Bill Wentworth. Their first order of business: shifting to a drag hunt.
BY EMILY DAILY
They also needed a huntsman with access to land, knowledge, the right horse, and enough time for the job. “Sherri Colby and I had been whips together,” says Leinert. “I knew she had managed a sled dog team when she lived in Alaska and had lots of dog and horse knowledge. She was also a riding instructor, and her 30-acre property was central to all of our fixtures. It was a no-brainer to elect Sherri when she volunteered to be huntsman.” Huntsman, check. What about the hounds? That would take more time. But before that fateful convening of members ended, they had defined a simple mission to revitalize and make Tanheath better than ever. The mission boiled down to two questions: Is it safe? Is it fun? That philosophy guided every decision the group made in their journey to revitalize the hunt. THE HOUNDS
Obtaining a new pack of hounds became the most challenging journey of all. “No sooner would we make arrangements and draft in a hound or two, then tragedy would strike, and we would lose a hound. Then we would lose another. Our hounds had the cleanest facility, best food, and members who were vets treating them. It was just a run of bad luck,” says Leinert. Drafting hounds is challenging enough.
The pack needs predictability and stability to thrive. Like any working staff, constant turnaround caused an unpredictable dynamic. Year after year, just as Leinert and crew thought they’d reached the summit of the challenge, they found themselves staring up the face of another mountain. Colby and her husband, Bob Colby, built a new barn addition specifically for the hounds — for free. For four years, they worked with the hounds in sickness and in health. Colby and Leinert attended as many MFHA seminars they could to absorb the secrets of building the right pack for their hunt. Through those years, they all overcame more than their fair share of misfortune. Leinert’s house burned to the ground in 2017. Joint Master Bill underwent major surgery two years later. When a hip replacement prevented Colby from caring for the hounds, Leinert carried on with a new member named John Ryan, who stepped up to serve as huntsman while Colby recovered. “[John] had taken a keen interest in the hounds and had been a hound walker. It helped that he had just retired,” Leinert says. He kept the program running through a period of unrelenting challenges. The misfortune continued: Colby’s husband, Bob, died in October 2019. John and the staff worked all through the summer and continued through that fall. “John was bravely carrying the horn and doing a most admirable job. The hounds loved him,” Leinert says. SPRING 2020 | 13
THE TERRITORY
Tanheath’s new pack evolved from the Penn-Marydel hound of the club’s past to more Crossbreds suited to their new style of drag hunting to suit the territory and climate. “Tanheath may be a small club, and we don’t have a lot of land, but we make up for it in enthusiasm and hard work,” Leinert says. Ayer Mountain Farm, 400-acre property and part of the Ayer family for more than 300 years, is one of Tanheath’s primary fixtures. That land adjoins a 625-acre conservation tract. 14 | COVERTSIDE
Colby lives down the road from both properties and is an active member with the Friends of the Shetucket River Valley, a group that helps preserve the land. Tanheath Hunt now helps raise money for FOSRV through hunter paces. “The dwindling of open space is a concern for all of us. No land, no hounds, no horses, no hunts,” Leinert says. “Sherri knew, as a close landowner, that the possibility was there for all parcels to someday connect.” In the meantime, Tanheath uses 200 to 1,200 acres for each of its fixtures. “Our territory is largely wooded,”
Leinert says. “This means that our trails can be narrow, with a lot of rocks and roots. You have to keep single file, which means that it’s hard for the field to see the hounds. We don’t have a lot of open land where we can gallop.” Hence, the advantage of drag hunting over live. “One of our favorite fixtures is through a pine forest where we have soft pine needle footing,” says Leinert. “Our ‘home fixture,’ where we hold most of our events and our Masters’ Dinner, is at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut, which is typical of our fixtures — mostly wooded trails and hilly with some open fields.”
Tanheath member
MFH Bill Wentworth
Tina Credit leads
at the head of the
hounds back to the
“Tally Slo” field.
trailers after a hunt.
JUDITH M. BOSCO
JUDITH M. BOSCO
THE PHILOSOPHY
Even with great hounds, the right approach, and protected accessible land, a hunt isn’t a club without its members. “Our members make our hunt,” Leinert says. “I think because our hunt culture is a bit more relaxed and laid back, we can encourage fun over rigidity and tradition.” Tanheath’s mission is safety and fun. Their vision is a hunt with so much joy, people willingly, and literally, go the distance to be a part of it. “Depending on the fixture, some members may have a 15 minute drive. Others will have up to two hours,” Leinert says.
As word spread, people gravitated toward the low-key and inclusive atmosphere. The priority was a welcoming atmosphere, no matter the tack or the attire. They wanted a fun, safe time and good friends in the hunt field, period. “Our most successful way of attracting new members has been the Intro to Foxhunting clinics we do every summer [and] sometimes in the spring, too,” Leinert says. “Currently, one of our members, Kara Waldron Murray, whose family owns a boarding and lesson barn, is working with her 4-H kids to get them active in foxhunting, too.” New members brought friends. Then those friends brought friends. New and established members alike offered encouragement and advice to anyone who wanted it. They checked competition and any trace of pretension at the trailer door. Tanheath was about good, safe, oldfashioned fun. “I think because our hunt culture is a bit more relaxed and laid back, we can encourage fun over rigidity and tradition,” Leinert says. “I wanted riders to feel safe, so if they wanted to wear a body protector and it happened to be purple and can’t fit under a hunt coat, then that’s fine. A square saddle pad is okay. Hairnets are preferred, but not required. Field boots are
fine for formal season. Start hunting with us in chaps or a Western saddle.” When the weather is as New England can be — below freezing — they waive formal attire and encourage fleece breeches. The only thing Leinert fusses over is turnout. No shavings in your horse’s tail, no mud on his body, and no messy manes. Clean, safe tack is always required. Bling is not welcome. Furthermore, “to combat the perpetual stereotype of foxhunters as crazy pell-mell riders galloping and jumping huge fences, I came up with the Tally Slo Field. Even the name is soothing,” says Leinert. “It was one of our greatest successes. It’s typically a walk-trot field for new riders, green horses, or those coming back from a fall. It goes as fast as the slowest rider can go. Talking is encouraged, as talking requires breathing. Breathing riders make relaxed riders.” In 2018, Tanheath regained its status as an active, healthy hunt, from reorganization status to thriving. It took four years, but the journey proved worth the uphill battle. Membership continues to grow. Members find the hunt fun, all while feeling safe, welcome, and included. Emily Daily writes for Covertside and manages the eCovertside newsletter. She is based in Charleston, South Carolina.
SPRING 2020 | 15
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE Satellite and app technology expand land use and connect hunting grounds. BY EMILY DAILY
Opening up the territory provided the hunt with seven CINDY WHITE
new water crossings, 14 miles of wooded trails, and 6,000 acres of prime territory.
I
T HAPPENS. OVER THE YEARS, Old Dominion Hounds lost focus on the never-ending job of trail maintenance. Without realizing it, they had allowed their huntable country to contract. Last spring, they reached a tipping point, and something had to change. The Masters of ODH decided to reopen thousands of acres of land in their current northern Virginia territory. Inclement weather caused some trails to fall into disrepair. Other trails hadn’t been hunted in more than a decade. Reopening these trails and country would take countless hours of hard work. The country is the lifeblood of hunting, so the Masters made a concerted effort to revitalize and mark the hunt country. Cynthia Brickley, one of the four new Masters of Old Dominion Hounds, assumed responsibility for the country and
landowners. Her goal was to open as much territory as possible for the upcoming season and rebuild landowner relations. “ODH had several miles of unused trails that had become overgrown,” explains Brickley. “In order to productively use the ODH equipment and the handful of volunteers we dubbed The Chainsaw Gang, we had to do advance scouting to find the trails and mark them with surveyor tape to create a track for the tractor and chainsaws to follow.” On multiple occasions, the group couldn’t find any property line markers. They didn’t know into whose land they might be crossing. “One of the volunteers, Jerry Dabrowski, pulled out his phone and brought up a Google Maps satellite image of the terrain we were traveling,” says Brickley. “Using those images, we were able to mark our exact location and, in some
instances, view images of overgrown trails which pointed us in the correct direction. Comparing the Google Maps images to satellite images on the Fauquier County Tax Parcel Viewer app, we were able to track our progress, identifying landowners along the way.” The county website also provided them with property boundaries and owner information. “Once we started the trail clearing, we compared photos from the website to our current location on Google Maps,” says Dabrowski. “This procedure enabled us to clear straight trails, avoid unnecessary clearing, and stay within our hunt boundaries.” The process is not foolproof. “While working in Fauquier County, poor cell service was a limiting factor. Also, Rappahannock County doesn’t have digital satellite tax maps,” says Dabrowski. SPRING 2020 | 17
Old Dominion Hounds used satellite technology when they re-opened thousands of acres
CINDY WHITE
of territory last year.
Brickley updated the hunt’s subscribers of The Chainsaw Gang’s progress via monthly newsletters. They loved watching their territory grow in virtual real-time. Since the opening of the 2019 season, they also get to analyze the hounds’ precise track across the terrain. “Opening the miles of trails has completely changed our ability to follow our hounds,” she says. “I’ve also posted on our Facebook group some of the tracks we’ve hunted along with satellite imagery showing our track. Using the Fauquier County system, you are able to mark the track of the hounds on any given run and measure, in miles, the track.” The use of the GIS county system has also improved landowner relations. Knowing the landowners is the first step in establishing communication. It also helps club leadership meet with owners of nearby land that could become future fixtures. 18 | COVERTSIDE
“I took the MFHA territory map and overlaid it onto the Fauquier County GIS system,” says Brickley. “From that, I was able to pull up all of the landowners in our territory. Using a split-screen, I’d pull up a parcel and transcribe that landowner’s name and mailing address. With that information, I built a comprehensive database of 100 percent of our landowners in Fauquier County. Using that database of addresses, we were able to send invitations to our Landowner Party to every landowner in our Fauquier County territory. In addition, we included a request for RSVP with electronic contact info. “Mailing information to our landowners is a critical first step, but the key to cost-effective, real-time communication is the email or phone number for each landowner,” she continues. “We’ve been able to generate a much wider path of
communication to our landowners by utilizing the county’s online interactive systems and cross-referencing them with our hunt territory.” For other clubs looking to use this type of technology, the first step is to see what online GIS systems are available within their hunt territory. “The ability to track your location and cross-reference it to ownership is critical in knowing exactly where you are and where you’ve traveled, but also in being able to mark off territory that you have been asked not to cross,” explains Brickley. “With the satellite imagery, you can note water crossings, change in terrain, and woods when trying to instruct staff where not to travel. Being able to print and provide an exact satellite image of land that you may not cross resolves confusion and builds a stronger relationship with landowners.”
GPS TECHNOLOGY IN THE HUNT FIELD Scouting property lines and scoping out prospective trails aren’t the only reasons hunt members are using satellite technology. Many riders use GPS watches, cell phone apps, or other types of equipment to track their rides, showcasing the routes during a hunt, along with different speeds and elevations, and sharing the information on social media or their hunt’s websites and newsletters. There are plenty of apps available for riders. Some of the most popular ones include Gaia, Equilab, or Map My Ride. Others prefer a Garmin watch, such as the Garmin Fenix 5X or the Garmin Forerunner, which can be pricey but won’t drain a phone’s battery during a long hunt like an app might. A somewhat new multifunctional creation that is popular with eventing and endurance riders is the Hylofit, which tracks a horse’s heart rate, speed, and distance traveled. It’s specifically produced for equine fitness and shares real-time heart rate information with the rider, a useful tool when conditioning a horse for the season, or checking during a hunt to see if he’s appropriately fit. Hylofit stores that data so you can also track your
After all critical trails opened, the crew also worked on building jumps in the new area. As of November 2019, the progress was remarkable. “In total, we completed 21 jumps, reopened approximately 14 miles of wooded trails, and combined nearly 6,000 acres of prime territory.” After an extensive reconnaissance mission, again using the GIS system, a backhoe was rented for a week to reopen or create seven water crossings, combining Rappahannock and Fauquier Counties. These projects also joined together an 8-mile circular run around one of their key fixtures. The project took months of hard labor and precision planning, and more clearing is planned for the future. But Brickley is thankful for the GPS technology that revolutionized the way she and her crew saw their territory and the potential it held. Meets that used to be hunted as islands are
horse’s progress over time. It also pairs with a Garmin or Apple Watch. Warning, though: Before posting data from your hunt’s rides, always check in with the Masters to make sure they’re comfortable with sharing the information publicly. If a rider were to accidentally wander onto a landowner’s property outside the hunt’s territory, as evidenced by the map of the ride, it could create trouble for the hunt and might even cost the club a fixture.
now hunted as part of contiguous territory. Contiguous, maintained land, after all, provides more than just good sport. It keeps horses, hounds, and riders together and safe. It limits uncertainty and maximizes room to run. Old Dominion leadership hopes the new land will yield new perspective and game opportunities to keep hounds and horses sharp. Without the revelation
of GPS technology, Brickley says, “I can’t begin to imagine how we could have located exact property and gained appropriate permission in all instances to proceed with reopening our territory.” Emily Daily writes for Covertside and manages the e-Covertside newsletter. She grew up hunting in Virginia and is now based in Charleston, South Carolina.
SPRING 2020 | 19
JUNIOR HANDLER CLASSES Cross the Pond
New classes for junior handlers gain popularity in England. BY DEIRDRE HANNA
T’S NOT OFTEN that something that started in America is adopted across the pond. Classes for junior handlers at hound shows broke the mold and set sail to England. By summer 2019, young people participated all over England. The classes were, geographically, held in the far north, the southwest, and the east of England, giving children opportunities to take part wherever they lived.
HISTORY HEADING EAST
While visiting the Virginia Hound Show in 2014, I met Major Tim Easby, director of the Masters of Foxhounds
20 | COVERTSIDE
Association in England. He saw the value — and the popularity — of the Junior Handler classes. Later, back in England, I met Richard Walton, director of the West of England Hound Show. “Having seen photographs in Hounds magazine and write-ups of Junior Handler classes in America,” Walton says, “I was inspired to consider if we could introduce a class in the English-style of showing hounds, off the lead.” Walton, Great Yorkshire Hound Show Director David Wallace, and Peterborough Hound Show Secretary Jeremy Staples became the architects of the junior classes in England. Wallace incorporated the first Young Handler classes at the West of England Show in 2016. He presented the
ROSE RODGERS
I
Adapted reprint from Hounds magazine
Winner: Sam Watkins (center) tipping his hat. Competitors pose after the Young Handlers’ Class at Peterborough.
SPRING 2020 | 21
TREVOR MEEKS
hound they were showing; how long they had helped in Ronnie Wallace Perpetual Challenge Cup at Honiton Hound kennels; the work they did in kennels; how far they lived Show and put on two Young Handlers classes at the Great from kennels; and how they envisaged their future careers. Yorkshire in 2019. The Peterborough Young Handlers class The Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate saw the first now features a presentation of the Perpetual Challenge Cup class of the year and generated enormous interest. The by Captain Ian Farquhar, who recently retired from the Beagle and Harrier Junior Mastership of the Duke of Handlers Class was won Beaufort’s Hunt. by Lucy Maddison, who The Ronnie Wallace and These classes have showcased the has been whipping-in, in Farquhar Cups, named for echelon of the young involved in full livery, since she was two hunting luminaries who fourteen. She performs any have been passionate about hunting today. We are reassured and duties required of her — encouraging the young to heartened that these children and one of which was worming get involved in hunting, are hounds, a skilled job for any prestigious awards established teenagers — and their all-important handler. for young handlers. mentors — are devoted to seeing The second class at Harrogate was the Foxhound A SUMMER hunting continues in England. Junior Handlers, won by OF JUNIOR CLASSES Ruby Wyld. She gets to the There were some criteria kennels on her bike and hunts with the West Percy in for all Young Handlers classes at the shows. The hound Northumberland — a mountainous and tough country shown by the child had to be from a pack competing the used by soldiers to train for battle and well known for the same day. Hounds were to be shown off the lead, without very worst of weather. Fifteen-year-old Ben Jennings also help from hunt staff. The competitor was asked about the
22 | COVERTSIDE
Winner Ruby Wyld (center) and competitors gather after the Foxhunter Junior Handlers’ Class at the Great Yorkshire Show.
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showed in the Foxhound class and received enormous applause from the crowd when asked what his career would be; he wishes to enter the hunt service to save hunting for his generation and for the generations that would follow him. These were inspiring words from a young lad already whipping-in and shoeing ponies. From the north of England, we traveled southeast to the Lycetts Festival of Hunting at Peterborough — the crème de la crème of English hound shows. Here, a strong class of fifteen juniors made judging enormously difficult. An extremely high standard of turnout led off, and some very skilled showing of hounds was noted. Class winner Sam Watkins works in the kennels on Sundays and has for the last three seasons, only missing two Sundays in all that time. Other handlers showed equal dedication with early mornings, long round trips, and challenging jobs. The last show of the year was the West of England Hound Show at Honiton in Devon. Here, we had an even stronger class of 18 juniors. Bailey Board won the class and was awarded a blue rosette, which was quite puzzling to the show crowd — red being the usual color for first prize in Britain. Personally, this led me to wonder if we were moving nearer to the American way of doing things. Perhaps it could be said (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery), that we were copying American tradition where the winning ribbon is blue. Rounding out at Peterborough, two young handlers were Masters of the Radley College Beagles at the ripe young ages of 15 and 16. Young Handlers Luke Kilsby MH and William Stubbs MH have taken on the life of Masters while still in the iron grip of vital exams. These classes have showcased the echelon of the young involved in hunting today. We are reassured and heartened that these children and teenagers — and their all-important mentors — are devoted to seeing hunting continues in England. Thank you, America, for showing us the way with the Young Handlers’ classes — and putting stronger hearts into us all.
Quick, easy access to I-85, Athens, & Atlanta. Enjoy nearby shopping & dining. Sha Shared access of trails and hunt with Shakerag Hounds. Build your own barn or board at adjacent establishment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: DBUFFENSTEIN@GMAIL.COM
Deirdre Hanna is based in the UK and has been a rural journalist for more than 10 years. A version of this story appeared in Hounds magazine in England.
SPRING 2020 | 23
Genesee Valley Maple ’11 keeps digging long after the others
MARYANN CULLY
have moved along.
A HUNTING JOURNEY
A foot hunter’s transition breeds a great pack and friendships. BY SEAN CULLY, MFH, ROSE TREE-BLUE MOUNTAIN HUNT
I
HAD BEEN STANDING IN THE SAME SPOT ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE FOR MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF HOURS, poised on the upper edge of
a 200-acre area. Cut and cleared a few years prior, the hillside was now a thick covert surrounded by forest, a mile or so from the nearest access road. A dozen of my Walker and July hounds had fallen silent after a solid four-hour chase that never left the covert. As I listened
24 | COVERTSIDE
to the hounds, I felt excitement above and beyond, making the hair on the back of my neck raise up. It was extraordinary. Eventually, the excitement was replaced by intensity — pure intensity — as a pack of hard-driving hounds pushed relentlessly and swiftly through the covert. The sounds reverberated as they closed in on their quarry. The moment intensified as the hounds went silent. On this day, the hounds ruled supreme.
FOOTING TO MOUNTED
FINDING THE PACK
ERIC SCHNEIDER
For ten years, I followed my hounds on foot, hunting for New to the world of mounted foxhunting, I didn’t know gray fox, red fox, and coyote. In 2009, I made the transimany people in the community. I did my homework and tion to mounted hunting. After 10 years, the miles were sought out packs and individuals with similar philosophies adding up and the days were long. A typical day’s foot hunt regarding the hounds to develop a pack with the same would be around eight hours, covering 15 miles or more. It intensity and drive as my old Walker and July lines. was a solitary sport and anyone that would join me usually The late Ben Hardaway’s book, “Never Outfoxed,” only lasted part of the day, never to return again. Switchprovided some insight on a type of hound similar to what I ing to a mounted hunt was looking for. After made going to work speaking with Ben, the next day a bit he pointed me to the Sean Cully, MFH and Master and Huntsman easier, and folks were Genesee Valley Hunt Marion Thorne of interested in joining in Geneseo, New York. Genesee Valley Hunt ride me, which made it GVH was the closest along a snowy road. more fun. hunt to my home for Most of the hounds I his type of Crossbred hunted were a strain of hound. Walker hounds tracing Marion Thorne, back to a line called Master and huntsman Meggs. Tough hounds for the GVH, could with endless energy, not have been more they would consistently helpful. After seeing and endlessly follow a the pack in action, I track but lacked the grit was ready for some to finish the job. Upon of their hounds. They catching up to a coyote, were biddable as can they would walk along be, yet hard-driving or come back. If a fox like my old hounds was put to ground, they and with plenty of would come back. I nose to do the job sought out some July right. Marion was blood, and when mixed incredibly generous with what I had been with drafts of puppies THE SPORT IS A WORLD OF ITS breeding, I found what and middle-aged I was looking for. Not hounds. One draft, in OWN, FILLED WITH MANY SMALLER only would they run particular, stands out a fox, but they would to me: a just-entered COMMUNITIES AND CLUBS THAT also mark the fox to bitch named GVH CREATE EVEN SMALLER CIRCLES ground until I arrived. Maple. She’s a bit shy, Coyotes would be held but an artist at the find OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY. at bay in the same and as honest as can manner. The timid be. Maple is hardWalkers learned from driving, always at the the July hounds and followed suit. They gave great sport, and front, and a wonderful marking hound. I really could not have asked for more — until I asked them To continue my search, a draft from Marion led me to to do mounted hunting. another source. Deep Run Carson was bred by Huntsman The Walker-July pack had too much hunt and would Richard Roberts and not fitting well into kennel life at control the direction of the chase rather than following my GVH. I was willing to give him a chance. After a few days lead. It quickly became apparent that the pack developed with me, Carson was the first to speak only 25 yards for hunting on foot would not be suitable for mounted from my horse. The pack honored him and chased for 40 hunting. Thus began my journey to establish a hound pack minutes on a very cold day, with light snow on the ground. with the intensity of my Walker and July hounds, but also It was a tremendous run for the hounds, never leaving a ideal as a mounted pack. few hundred acres. Ultimately, they accounted for a large SPRING 2020 | 25
coyote not far from where the hunt began. Impressed with Carson, I reached out to Deep Run. The Masters were very generous, as was Roberts. A few visits and some great days hunting together had me convinced that Deep Run also had the type of hound I liked. I was fortunate to come home from one Deep Run trip with four couple of puppies. Blue Mountain Bridle was in that lot — a genuinely great hound that has given me some of my best days. Ten years into my journey of mounted foxhunting, and I love it just as much as the day I started. Friendships forged over our hounds gave me a sense of community in the mounted foxhunting world. The sport is a world of its own, 26 | COVERTSIDE
filled with many smaller communities and clubs that create even smaller circles of friends and family. These friendships, for me, make the sport so enjoyable. I am privileged to share some great days in the field with huntsmen that I’ve grown to admire. These friendships are equally important when things get tough. While the sport of foxhunting has many different factions, beliefs, and preferences, when it comes to hounds, hunting, and horses — connecting to those with similar thoughts can prove to be unexpectedly rewarding. Sean Cully is Master and huntsman of Rose Tree-Blue Mountain Hunt in Pennsylvania.
COURTESY OF MIDDLEBURG HUNT
Sean Cully and Richard Roberts hunt with Middleburg Hunt in Virginia.
A I K E N, S O U T H C A R O L I N A HOMES | HORSES | HISTORY | HOSPITALITY www.CarolinaHorseProperties.com | 803.648.8660
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Equestrian facility ready for your horses! Custom built home and 16 stall barn on 21 plus acres. Custom built 4 bedroom home with master suite down. Living room opens to the custom kitchen centered by a large island. Dining area overlooks the views of the covered patio and fields beyond. Barn features 16 stalls, 2 wash/grooming bays, 2 tack rooms, feed room, and 2-bay garage/workshop. Apartment for guests or groom. Fenced fields with waterers, 7 run-in sheds, arena with lights!
Stratford Farm
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COURTNEY CONGER 803.645.3308 or RANDY WOLCOTT .$820,000
Spacious home offers over 4,000 square feet designed for comfort & entertainment. Formal dining room, formal living room with fireplace, game room, family room and large kitchen with breakfast area. There are 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths with the master suite and one other bedroom on the main level. All bedrooms have baths en suite. Landscaped lawn overlooks in ground pool with pool house. On over 16 acres with gated entrance.
Enjoy panoramic views from this hilltop home on 133 cleared acres in Aiken’s eastside horse country. Contemporary log home encompasses over 3300 square feet with stone floors, cathedral ceilings, open floor plan, great room with dining area, custom kitchen, spacious master bedroom with sitting area and bath ensuite. Covered pole barn for farm equipment, and 3 large pastures fenced in board-topped non-climb wire.
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Five miles from downtown Aiken lies this 64 acre hilltop farm. Privacy abounds with large mature trees surrounding the entire property. Fenced pastures, 4 paddocks, 6-stall shed row barn with hay storage/tractor shed, 6-stall center aisle barn and 2 acre pond and main residence with large entertaining areas, 2 bedroom suites downstairs and 3 bedrooms up. Attached 6-bay garage with apartment above. Large deck overlooks sparkling pool.
Private Horse Farm
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Equestrian lots now available in popular south side horse country — build a home for you and your horses! The 21 lots offered in Section One range from 5.34 acres to 13.83 acres. Community amenities include arena and miles of perimeter riding trails. Wooded lots offered at just $16,000 per acre, and cleared lots are offered at just $18,000 per acre.
The Oasis
Blackberry Farm
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Terrybrooke Farm
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Polo Vista Stables
at New Bridge Polo COURTNEY CONGER 803.645.3308 . $650,000
This beautifully constructed center aisle barn on 22.47 acres overlooking manicured polo field offers 18 large, matted stalls, wash stall, spacious tack room/lounge combo, two bunk rooms, laundry room and full bath. There is also an 1800 square foot, insulated equipment shed and 13 four-board fenced paddocks and pastures. New Bridge Polo & Country Club amenities include world-class polo, riding trails, clubhouse and pool.
Three Runs Plantation JACK ROTH 803.341.8787 . $849,000
All brick custom home has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, open floor plan, gourmet kitchen with 5-burner gas cooktop, high ceilings, hardwood & tile floors throughout. Main floor master suite has spa bath with shower, soaking tub, heated floor. Office with built-in desk, family room with fireplace, sunroom, library, sauna room, bonus. Includes 40x40 barn/workshop, saltwater pool on 5.8 acres. Amenities include jump rings, dressage arenas, clubhouse, fitness center, pool & cabana, and miles of groomed trails.
Foxchase
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Vale Estates
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CONSERVATION
WILL PARSON/CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM WITH AERIAL SUPPORT BY LIGHTHAWK
Chino Farms in Queen Anne’s County, Md.
Where the River Runs and the Quail Thrive
B
Harry Sears’ Chino Farms seamlessly weaves land restoration, conservation, agriculture, and hunting. BY ED FRY, MFH
EFORE DAWN, the mist lingers, shrouding the landscape of Chino Farms along the upper Eastern Shore of Maryland’s Queen Anne’s County. A bird’s eye view would reveal
28 | COVERTSIDE
a tapestry of wild spaces, restored grasslands, hardwood forests, fields of organic and conventional crops, meandering creeks, and Delmarva bays. The sounds of migratory and grassland birds are slowly breaking through
the mist, their voices reaching toward the rising sun. Winding along the Chester River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, Dr. Henry F. “Harry” Sears’ Chino Farms comprises 4,700 acres of diversified habitat and 2.5
miles of waterfront. An important fixture for the Wicomico Hunt Club and home to the Chino Chase, the property is an experiment blending land conservation and restoration, agriculture, education, and hunting.
L A I I NN E B 2020 SEMINAR HOSTED BY THE MFHA FOUNDATION & HILLSBORO HOUNDS
NASHVILLE TENNESSEE
JUNE
26 - 28
FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT MFHA.COM
CONSERVATION Wicomico Hunt and Elkridge-Harford Hunt participate in a joint meet
LOUISA EMERICK
on the land.
Sears’ enduring dedication to the farm and region’s conservation efforts have earned him the 2020 Hunting Habitat Conservation Award from the Masters of Foxhounds Association. RESTORATIVE EDUCATION
Sears says that he believes we must take care of things if we are to enjoy them. He’s helping to inspire and educate new generations of scientists, environmentalists, and stewards of the land with what has become a remarkable living classroom. “Harry loves that land,” says John Seidel, director of the Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College, in Chestertown, Md. Seidel oversees the research and programming for the River and Field Campus at Chino. “He wants to see it preserved in agriculture and wild spaces. And, he sees it as a laboratory 30 | COVERTSIDE
for testing ideas and for education.” The farm provides an invaluable wildlife habitat and research basin for countless organizations including the University of Maryland, University of Delaware, Washington College, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Stroud Water Research Center, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Wildlife Program, Ducks Unlimited, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Audubon Society, and the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. Douglas E. Gill, professor emeritus in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, first began ground-breaking conservation work with Sears at Chino Farms in 1998. Together, they created the Chester River
Field Research Station. The goal was to create large-scale wildlife habitats and reverse the declining populations of native species. “We had no idea if this goal was even possible on Eastern Shore land that had been subject to 300 years of intense human activity and presumed soil exhaustion,” says Gill. In April 1999, 228 acres of relatively unproductive sandy, acidic soils were placed under 15-year renewable contracts with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) with the State of Maryland. Twelve replicated fields of 23 acres were planted in eight species of native warm-season grasses and two cold-season grasses in five seed-mixture treatments. The effort was immediately successful, attracting grassland
bird species — horned larks, killdeer, and grasshopper sparrows — to the property. Within the first two years, other declining grassland birds, including the vesper sparrow, dickcissel, and northern bobwhite, also colonized the grasslands. The success of the grassland restoration at Chino led to a larger-scale regional restoration effort, the Natural Lands Project. Initially, the project aimed to reestablish the iconic bobwhite quail gamebird habitat. Washington College field ecologists identified the habitat needed for the birds to thrive and found those same elements reduced polluted runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. To say the project has been a success is an understatement. Chino now boasts the highest concentrations of bobwhite quail in Maryland. It is rapidly becoming one of the most significant wildlife restoration efforts on the Delmarva Peninsula, with $1.3 million dedicated to the project from grants and match funding. FARMING AND LEGACY
Amid this innovation in wildlife preservation and land conservation is the commercial farming operation that has remained at Chino,
CONSERVATION
Wicomico hunts
The conservation efforts
the land along the
at Chino Farms have
Chester River.
led to an increase in native bird populations, including osprey.
while identifying areas ripe for increasing crop yields. The operation uses sustainable farming practices with efforts in place to protect waterways, manage natural resources, and combat noxious non-native species. The efforts of Sears have profoundly affected the wildlife, culture, and long-term health of one of the country’s estuarine masterpieces, the Chesapeake Bay. He has inspired other landowners to emulate his efforts to find a working, sustainable balance between traditional land uses like agriculture and hunting with land conservation, species diversity, and a cleaner Chesapeake Bay. Editor’s note: This story is an edited version of Wicomico Hunt Club’s sumbission for the Hunting Habitat Conservation Award.
LOUISA EMERICK
LOUISA EMERICK
Blue Stem Farms, LLC., owned and operated by Evan Miles. The farm is the heart of Sears’ grand experiment in finding the viable coexistence of agriculture and the environment. Never once has Sears suggested that farming, hunting, and other traditional economic and cultural land uses should be usurped by or even subservient to conservation. Seeking a balance and a supportive co-existence is his goal. He says he loves to hear the iconic song of the bobwhite quail, thrills to know that their numbers are on the rebound, and equally rejoices in taking them on the wing. Likewise, the economic and cultural necessity of commercial farming is a critical element in the overall tapestry. Working with Sears, Miles uses precision farming to identify acreage best suited to wildlife or conservation,
Saturday, April 18, 2020 (8:30 a.m. - Gates open for registration)
Historical Trail Ride at Cedar Mountain 23042 Cedar Mountain Road, Rapidan, VA 22733 Bull Run Hunt Club offers the history of Cedar Mountain on horseback. This is a unique opportunity to ride on battlefields that are not open to the public to ride. ADULTS: $45 (includes lunch) YOUTH 18 & under: $35 (includes lunch) LUNCH ONLY: $20 Late fee after April 13, 2020: additional $15 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cathette Plumer, P.O. Box 92, Doswell, VA 23047 804-370-8631 (no text, phone calls only), Cathette@aol.com
Sponsored by: Bull Run Hunt Club, Virginia Horse Council, Virginia Horse Industry Board, Virginia Quarter Horse Association
SPRING 2020 | 31
LAST RUN OF THE DAY Helen Houghton
Leave Your Boots at the Door Photographer Helen Houghton captured the evocative nature of a post-hunt gathering. Muddy boots at the door can only mean good times.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a photo, story, or essay to share with Covertside? Send high-resolution, 300 dpi photographs or essays to editor@covertside.net, or snail mail to Covertside, 2329 Lakeview Rd. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105.
32 | COVERTSIDE
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