Between ice storms we managed to get out on Wednesday. Almost a staff hunt, there were no more than 5 or 6 field members. Our huntsman, who also trains the occasional Maryland Hunt Cup horse, asked me to take one of the steeplechasers along with me as outside whip. No problem, my horse today was OK with company, so off we went, up the ridge path, keeping the hounds on our right. We were at Patuxent River Park today which really helped with footing as it had been frozen and muddy. In the woods it wasn't too bad so we were able to trot along on the left side of the ravine. Very muddy in some spots but we were all glad to be able to get out at all. The hounds were a little far to my right so I had to keep stopping to listen but I generally knew the huntsman's pace so just kept trotting parallel. We passed Dead Man's Pond and moved across the field heading to the horse farm crossing. I could hear the horn faintly and kept going towards Knox's. We have had good luck here recently in an area that logged this summer. It is a mess of timbered debris but there are fox! Sure enough the whip behind me Tally-Ho'ed a red fox moving west towards the creek with hounds starting to speak. I told Caroline ( the girl on the steeplechaser) that we were moving up the hillside to the west hoping to keep the fox in country if he ran towards us. The hound music was fading so I knew the fox was circling to the south and waited, knowing he might just make the circle complete. We moved back down and and wouldn't you know it, the fox circled and then hung a right crossing the hill where we had been standing. The huntsman asked if I was still up there and I had to tell him I had moved down and was going to stay quiet hoping to not turn him out of country. Good move! We waited watching hounds on the hill to our left and then, out popped Charles James, right in front of us, heading north. A beautiful big red with hounds about 50 feet behind him. One of our young entry from last year, Xman was right on the line, head down, showing the way. Thus began a run that turned out to be about 15 miles according to one whip. Perhaps a visiting dog fox, or one leading us away from a vixen, whichever, this guy put on some afterburners and took off. The hounds sounded magnificent, all on and running for glory. He circled briefly in the logged area and then our road whip, Mark, announced on the radio that he had just crossed Croom Airport Rd and was heading north.
The huntsman sent me to the west briefly, galloping along the road. As I approached Croom Acres Rd, another smaller dark red fox dashed across the road right in front of me. I briefly wondered where the heck this one was going as he was running right behind a pack of hounds! Who knows, maybe it was the vixen? I checked at Croom Acres RD, listening as I heard Mark say they had turned right towards the Nike base. Now, I don't believe there is a missile base in Croom, MD. We all use landmark names that have funny stories that go with them, unfortunately I do not remember why this is called the Nike base, I just know where it is! Doing a 180, I reversed and started a long gallop back down Croom Airport Rd. I could hear the hounds on my left and knew they were making much better time than we were so I kept up the gallop and headed straight east.
I knew Mark was on the left watching Mt. Calvert RD, the Patuxent River was straight ahead about 2 or 3 miles through the park. Jason, the huntsman, was still on my left so I knew to keep bending right. I also knew there was no way through the big ravine that extended past the Nike station except on the right paralleling Park Headquarters Rd. From years past I knew the quickest way to the river was around the station and find the long path on the right of the big ravine. Our huntsman was trying to stay with hounds as they chased through the woods. I knew he was going to get caught by the ravine, so I was flat out on the path keeping the sound of hounds to my left. Every once in a while I shouted to Caroline asking if all was Ok. She said yes and kept up. That Hunt Cup horse was going to get his workout today! Later she said she actually had to put leg on the 'chaser for the first time to keep up! I was proud of my guy and glad for all the muddy, mucky gallops we had been doing to stay fit. It would have been brutal without a fit horse. The huntsman and Mark kept telling me the hounds were heading to the river and just south of Mt. Calvert Rd. There are some small farms and houses at the river so I was trying to get there fast. We made it to the last gravel road along the river running north and south just as the hounds could be seen in some paddocks along the ravine by the River. Mark is trying to keep them from crossing Mt. Calvert Rd and I'm trying to get eyes on and see if I need to try to stop them. As I watch them crossing back and forth in a paddock to my left I see a man, assuming the landowner, running flat out from a barn towards his house, with the pack of hounds right behind! My heart is pounding and I am hoping he is not running scared of them. At this point I'm yelling, trying to call them. Jason, the huntsman is blowing and calling and Mark is saying they are behind chickenwire in an alpaca farm !! Sounded a little dicey but everything was OK. The hounds were slowly coming in to the horn. The fox had obviously completely thrown them off by going through the barn and paddocks. The land owner was apparently OK, said everything was fine. I am thinking maybe he was running to secure a farm dog or something. Just glad hounds were all on and excitement was positive. There were donkeys and minis and alpacas all wide-eyed but cool!
It had been an awesome run after one very fine fox that gave us one of the best hunts of the season. All hounds on and some young puppies had a great day learning what it was all about. We decided to hack back and people, horse and hounds were happy and tired. Now it is icy and snowy again and we are sidelined until a melt.
