Today was the BEST!! We galloped and jumped lots of fences and saw some awesome hound work. Today was fantastic, exactly what hunting in Virginia should be like. I have a humongous smile on my face that will not stop. I realized that this really is an adrenaline junkie sport. In the first twenty miutes at Keswick we were galloping so fast I was hard pressed to keep up and I was riding first flight, right behind Jennifer Nesbitt, our terrific fieldmaster. She and I met at the Field Hunter Championship this year and it was great to ride together again. She has a faster Thoroughbred than me and mine's fast! After the first wild gallop trying to keep up with Tony Gammell and Keswick's American pack, I asked Jennifer about worrying about holes. She said, " I was watching." Yeah, right, the tears were flying out of my eyes we were going so fast!. Slightly, well maybe more than slightly, out of control, this is what fast, hard hunting is really like. I think it compares to ocean surfing big waves, or skiing black diamonds or white water kayaking- out of control, exhilarating, mind-blowing sensation. Going downhill at a gallop is like skiing big mountains and you hope you don't fall in either. The jumps were great, fairly big coops but very inviting and the thrill of jumping at speed and it just being right is awesome. I had fun today. Weather was also perfect, the countryside is big pastures and ponds and lovely woods. I wish I lived here and could hunt this country all the time. I did not have time to take many photos today, just at opening and coming home!
Today was the BEST!! We galloped and jumped lots of fences and saw some awesome hound work. Today was fantastic, exactly what hunting in Virginia should be like. I have a humongous smile on my face that will not stop. I realized that this really is an adrenaline junkie sport. In the first twenty miutes at Keswick we were galloping so fast I was hard pressed to keep up and I was riding first flight, right behind Jennifer Nesbitt, our terrific fieldmaster. She and I met at the Field Hunter Championship this year and it was great to ride together again. She has a faster Thoroughbred than me and mine's fast! After the first wild gallop trying to keep up with Tony Gammell and Keswick's American pack, I asked Jennifer about worrying about holes. She said, " I was watching." Yeah, right, the tears were flying out of my eyes we were going so fast!. Slightly, well maybe more than slightly, out of control, this is what fast, hard hunting is really like. I think it compares to ocean surfing big waves, or skiing black diamonds or white water kayaking- out of control, exhilarating, mind-blowing sensation. Going downhill at a gallop is like skiing big mountains and you hope you don't fall in either. The jumps were great, fairly big coops but very inviting and the thrill of jumping at speed and it just being right is awesome. I had fun today. Weather was also perfect, the countryside is big pastures and ponds and lovely woods. I wish I lived here and could hunt this country all the time. I did not have time to take many photos today, just at opening and coming home!
No comments:
Post a Comment