BACK Paul Mellon Had a Rye Sense of Humor

By Jimmy Hatcher

Jimmy Hatcher

Photo © by Vicky Moon

In the early 1970s, I was hunting with Piedmont, as was Paul Mellon, the hunt’s former Master of Foxhounds (MFH).

We’d had a joint meeting with Warrenton on a Friday on his property Oak Spring, but Mr. Mellon was not out. The next day, the met was held at Notre Dame (now Middleburg Academy), and as I drove my van onto the property, I noticed Mr. Mellon getting out of his car.

After I had unloaded my horse, I walked over to him and gloated about what a wonderful day we’d had yesterday at his place. As he finished putting on his spurs, leaning on the bumper of his A vintage piece of ephemera of Overholt Rye car, he said, “I’ve heard that from the Mellon family. all day. We’ll have an even better day today.”

Paul Mellon

Photo by Howard Allen Photography, LLC

How prophetic that turned out to be.

Albert Poe, the huntsman, was on Mrs. Randolph’s three time Steeplechase Champion (‘64, ‘65 and ’68)and Hall of Famer, Bon Nouvel and off we went in a flash, heading due west. The Piedmont Hounds were known for their speed, and with Albert on Bon Nouvel the pace was hot.

We went straight over to Catesby on Willisville Road and checked up there. Mr. Mellon then came up to me with a huge grin on his face and said, “See what I mean.”

Mrs. Randolph had always taken a dim view of riders carrying flasks on the saddle, but Mr. Mellon then reached into his hunting coat and pulled out a flask that had been hidden out of sight.

He told us his father and uncle had gone into the rye whiskey business some time before World War I. When prohibition came along, they were told they could either sell the booze to the government or keep it for private use. So they kept it. But in 1934, the bottles started to leak, and all had to be rebottled. That’s what he had in the flask… Overholt Rye, and after offering me a taste he said, “Let’s give Erskine (Bedford) a slug.”

With that done, hounds gave tongue and off we went on another brisk run, and then another after that until MFH Bedford called it a day.

As I was yakking with some friends before loading our horses on the vans, Mr. Mellon rode up. “Remember that rye whiskey?” he said. “Well, I didn’t quite get the top of my flask on tight and it leaked out on that whole last run. “

With that, he pulled open his hunting coat, revealing a wet circle all around the crotch of his pants. He was proudly showing it to everyone standing around when Jackie Eldridge rode up and said “What is Mrs. Mellon going to say when she sees that?”

Mr. Mellon shot right back, “Mrs. Mellon doesn’t look down there any more.”