Happiness is ... Back in the Saddle Again!!

It has been three months since the ankle injury and today I got back in the saddle! We went for a simple walk but it felt great! The new bigger mounting block helped with mounting and I was able to just dismount by slipping off onto the good right leg. Frank was a gentleman and was happy to just walk around the back fields. The ankle feels OK just does not bend right and I really can't put much weight in that stirrup but I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to ride. Three months has seemed forever!   The best Christmas present is one's health!
 

Riding...sorta!

On a physical therapy bike...working towards the real thing.  Ankle is getting stronger and I am chomping at the bit, tho it is the thought of mounting, using that ankle which stills makes me gulp! Hopefully by Chistmas I can ride.  Thankgiving was lovely but quiet this year as all the kids were travelling.  Always lots to be thankful for, our health, kids and grandchildren, and orthopedic surgeons !!! Hope everyone has a great holiday season.
 

Hand walking ....

 I was fit enough to watch the grandkids for the weekend! These two little ones are a joy to have around and if I can't ride, then I'll happily be Grandma. Handwalking is going well. This is two months post injury and the ankle break seems stable enough to take steps even without the cane.  The doc says no boot by  December so I ordered a "big" mounting block. Shipper said they are having supply chain problems so ... fingers crossed, soon to be back in the saddle. Friends are keeping the horses fit and I, meanwhile, discovered Tik Tok!  There are some really hilarious, stupid ways to waste time on the internet and I found some very exotic horse breeds.

Stall rest....

I'm on stall rest. I have so much more empathy for my horses when they suffer an injury and need to heal. Pain sucks, it wears away at you. Resting is boring. I understand stall walking and cribbing, both take the mind off the tingling nerve pain. But I also acknowledge the wonder of modern medicine. The first picture is my leg at six weeks post -op. The compound fracture wound is healed and I can almost see both sides of my ankle bones. Amazing! Everything was broken and now it is put back together and I am so grateful to my ortho surgeon. It is really stiff and the pins and needles of nerve "regrowth" is pretty bad at night. I can get around on the crutches some, tho its tiring . I can start to use a cane in a couple weeks and hopefully by mid December be walking "normally".  I am hoping to ride mid January! I guess that will depend on weather.  I asked Mike to build me a bigger mounting platform because the idea of mounting and  dismounting is a little daunting. Though for inspiration I have a good friend who recovered from a similar injury to both legs and who is now riding and showing successfully! So I got this and I'm trying to appreciate that I can get away with basically doing nothing for a bit longer . Meanwhile Danny is enjoying hunting for me!

                                                                                                                   

 

Contemplation....

This is the view I am missing. Missing it in my bones, in my breath, in my soul. I know everyone who has ever been hurt feels the same hole. It is the tough part of healing. I can take pain pills, I can read, watch TV, ask Alexa to find music, but nothing really fills the empty space where my wild child played. 

I am lucky that I can watch my horses a little bit in the fields near the house. With the screen door open I can even yell their name and say " I'm still here". The ears prick for a moment, they look up at the door, then go back to munching hay in the feeder. Maybe they heard me, maybe...  

To while away the time I give them human characters as I watch. My only mare, Polly, is Angelina Jolie. Beautiful, difficult, finnicky, kinda likes to be alone but really wants to be appreciated. Don't push her too hard!  There are two geldings in the side field.  Bull, my daughter's horse, who is the "perfect horse", I call him George Clooney. A gentleman, he would hold the door, pull out your chair, wait patiently for you to be ready. He's perfect. My daughter loves him. His pasture mate, Beau, is young and eager. He reminds me of Kevin Hart, fast-talking, kinda loud and aggressive in a nice way. He wants to please but can't contain his enthusiasm sometimes. He bites everyone like a puppy except Bull, so they live together.  I have three OTTB geldings that are my main foxhunters. One, who I have earlier referred to as Brad Pitt, has gone to be a huntsman's horse in Virginia. He is doing great they say. The other two boys keep each other company close by. Frank is a plain brown package and I call him John Krasinzki. He is rugged handsome, strong and take care of business ( think Jack Ryan). I feel safe with him ( the horse), he never spooks or tries to be difficult. He enjoys his job. Then there is Punch, my tall, gangly goofball. He reminds me of Ryan Gosling, ( mainly in Remember the Titans). I worry he will tangle up his legs sometimes so I don't ask him to jump big fences.  He is honest and willing,  just a little off-balance.

Then there are two retirees in the back field who live with my husband's Quarter horse, Raider. Raider is like Dave Bautista. Big, solid, a guy of few words, a few tattoos and needs to be give directions. You want him on your side. Bob, the old chestnut was my husband's first horse, he is now almost 30, which is very old for a Quarter horse. And he seems alright. A Robert Duvall, been there, done that, a wise man. He is very cool. Last but not least is my retired foxhunter, Red.  I asked my vet if horses get dementia because Red seemed to lose his mind about two years ago. Trembling and spooking at ghosts, he seemed to forget how to be ridden. After being bucked off him when he spooked at a stick I decided he had earned a life of leisure with Bob. I would call him Mel Gibson! Very handsome but he lost his mind and got dangerous. I leave him alone now and am always careful around him!  

These are the things that take up the hours while the leg heals. Let me know who comes to mind when you  give your horse a character!  Watch the Maryland 5-star this weekend on MPT tv - should be awesome.
 

Danny Boy has a new job

I gave my lovely Thoroughbred, Danny Boy, to Tim at Bull Run to use as a huntsman's horse while I am recuperating. He is young and did not need to just sit around for months. He seems to enjoy his new job and I hope he takes care of Tim as he did me. ( not the one I came off). He had a good race career and has become a great hunter, with a powerful, nice jump. Likes to be in front which is why I let Tim use him this fall. I love him and call him, my "Brad Pitt" horse. The kind of chestnut every one wants. Thank you Laura Roadcap!

Apparently he does not like the hound trailer- probably says it smells like hounds! But he looks good and I know he will have fun in Virginia.

Tomorrow the TAR Field Hunter Championship starts, at Bull Run. I was going to be there on another TB, Frank, who is better in the field. Hard to ask whip horses to go in field but he was the easiest of mine to do that transition. Oh Well! Not this year. Good luck to everyone. It is the most fun and I am sorry to miss. I will be eagerly looking forward to the photos!  

The leg feels better elevated, so I am trying be a good patient. Rather be riding but watching football will work today. I have been enjoying listening to music ( Thank you Alexa), old songs I remember but never hear on the current kind of radio stations. I am fortunate to have a friend to keep riding all the other horses. Even Michael's Quarter horse will get to go occasionally. I watch as she goes by the window and it is fun to see what my horses look like! I actually never see them that way. And she keeps me up to date on all the news and stories. I love that my MD huntsman gives me a little comment about the day's hunting afterwards, so I can still feel connected. It all helps. Thanks guys!
 

 

Princess Blue Sparkles

 

This is my new "Princess  Blue Sparkle" cast! I thought my granddaughter would appreciate, hopefully she can sign it. So ten days after accident, they removed one cast to check out repair. If you don't like gruesome pictures don't look at next two. The one shows where the bone went thru skin, the nest shows the repair site. 15 screws and three plates! I'm officially bionic I think. The surgeon was great, said he was pleased and he recommended the Princess Blue color. Love it. This one stays on for 3 weeks then maybe a boot-type!  Yay. Still no weight-bearing, wants me to keep it elevated and just stay quiet.  The former Marine nurse who put on the cast was so funny. Tattooed arms, military haircut, gently forming the cast with blue bandages, he stood and said  'Oh, the sparkles", ran out, returned with a little bottle of sparkles to sprinkle. At this point I felt foolish, said that's OK, but he proceeded to gently sprinkle fairy dust on my cast and with a flourish swept back his hair - leaving a line of Princess Blue Sparkles along his head! He looked great. 

I am now set up with physical therapy appointments in a month  and was told to perhaps renew hydrocodone RX then! Yikes. Trying just Motrin now So I'm on the mend and grateful for visits and cards and food. Thanks so much. My horses seem happy and life goes on.                                                                                                                                                      

What you learn when life deals you a strange hand

Thanks for all the well-wishes and food. I have been hurt before and what I remember is that, after the first PISSED OFF emotions, you surrender.  Surrender to the fact you can not do what you did; you can't just fix the manure spreader, you have to tell your husband how to fix it, you can't just unhook the trailer , you have to tell your husband how to unhook. This is exhausting, the telling part. It requires logical mental steps that are so much easier to just jump over and do yourself. But you can't.

So I try to think about recuperation as a vacation! I don't have to cook 😀,  I don't have to vacuum or dust. I get to read books (good) and listen to stupid TV shows ad nauseaum (bad). My fingernails are clean and not broken, my callused fingers are not aching. Except that is about it. And I want to go see my horses now. 

The photo is the glass of wine I desperately wanted. It was great until The Washington Football Club sucked and lost badly. ( if the Redskins had to change their name why do the Buffalo Bill's not have to? Wild Bill Cody was a notorious Indian killer!) This is what creeps into my thoughts now.

Michael has been great. Even tho' we are not sleeping together ( I would kill him if he knocked my leg in the night), we are happy. He brought me flowers and even cleaned the outside of the windows! He has been telling the horses he did not kill me, that I will be back. He says they are kinda suspicious but will let him pick up feet to check shoes! He even bought a cribbage set so we could learn a new game. We both think it is too complicated! 

I am one week in and have a first doctor visit on Wednesday. I hope they rewrap my leg as the bandage is looking a little rough. Off the hydrocodone mostly and thinking maybe I'll finally finish my Mongolia book.
 

 Unexpected Dismounts

Michael told me this morning that this was the third in as many years. All unexpected, all necessitating a complete stop to hunting 😒 and all a complete bummer. And always "could have been worse"! So I am camped on the first floor ( in front of liquor cabinet 😀) and 6 days into recovery and off the narcotics, so I can drink soon!

Not that I drink much. I was worried I would die of an overdose as the EMT's kept spraying Fentanyl up my nose in the ambulance . Definitely helped with the pain but as a lightweight I was groggily afraid it would be too much. It wasn't. Last Sunday, on a beautiful morning at a nearby foxhunting fixture, my horse scrambled to save himself in an unstable crossing. New trail, below an old drainage pond, it looked fine, but in a blink of an eye it went from OK to disaster.  As I watched his shoulders get above my helmet and I was now behind the saddle, I opted to bail off as he continued to struggle up the bank. Felt my left ankle go 90 degrees to the left and knew it was bad. I don't know if I landed badly or maybe he kicked my ankle as he made it finally up the bank. Horse took off and I howled.  Afraid he would come back immediately, and run over me sprawled in the trickling stream, I thought maybe I should start crawling out! Luckily, a young apprentice whip was with me this day and he radioed for help and rescue began. My wonderful husband arrived on scene to literally carry me out of the stream and the gracious landowner friend arrived with the 4-wheeler to get me up to the ambulance. Several friends were very helpful with all of this and I am deeply grateful to all. My horse was found and all arrived home to barn. I went to ER.

As I had noticed blood dripping out of my left riding boot, I suspected it was a bad break. I told the very young, very nice EMT's to NOT take off my boot as it was holding my leg together. They looked undecided, saying they should stop the bleeding, while I said DO NOT TOUCH MY BOOT.  I have learned from others injuries and knew that I needed the boot to stay until we were in the ER and ready to stabilize leg.  This was the point the Fentanyl started helping.  I realize that one never remembers the ambulance drive. I asked Mike if we had lights on and went past cars. He laughed and said yes.

Had surgery Sunday night, screws and plates etc. Hard cast. Non-weight bearing. Saw the nice ( I think) surgeon briefly who said no walking, no weight-bearing for 6 weeks then reevaluate.  Maybe a shoe by January. At least this is what I remember. Pain drugs tend to make me foggy. This brings me to the picture in front of liquor cabinet because I really want a glass of wine! So trying hard to get by on Tylenol, I hope to have a glass tonight! I have driven my wonderful husband crazy by doing logistics, which is what I do when stressed. Made him clean the windows, dust the furniture, polish the table ( because people will see my house). I miss feeding my horses, I miss feeling their breath on my cheek, I miss riding, I even miss mucking stalls!  Thank you to all who helped. Thank you for all the cards and food and well-wishes. It takes friends for sure !!

A fun February hunt, in between ice storms!

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.

 

Summertime and the feelin' is easy...

 The two new boys, Frank and Danny, have been wonderful. They have been the easiest Thoroughbreds I have ever transitioned from the track. Both are leading trail rides, jumping 2'6" coops, going thru ditches, water....amazing. Sometimes they need a lead but I am so happy with both of them. They are best friends and seem happy with life on the farm. I keep the routine the same, going out for 20 minutes after morning feed. Sometimes just a walk-about, sometimes a gallop around the back corn field, which is now shoulder high! I am really happy they have been easy because the grandkids keep me busy a couple days a week. I love them and I love looking at the world thru their eyes.

ditches conquered...on to bigger jumps

My friend and fellow whipper-in loved Preacher and was looking to have her first Thoroughbred. He fit the bill perfectly and as I had two more youngsters to work with, Preacher went to a new home. They are both happy I am told!! He was as uncomplicated as a Thoroughbred comes, I may miss him!
Danny, the pretty chestnut, conquered his fear of a ditch and we have crossed many muddy ones at this point. He is a little bit lazy which is not a bad thing in a young Thoroughbred. I have ridden out with the mare and my daughter's horse. He is happy as long as they are in sight, only hurrying a little to catch up when they disappear. Only Thoroughbred I have ever had that actually has a Western pleasure "lope". He will make a show horse if not a foxhunter.
Frank, the old soul is wonderful. Does whatever you ask with absolutely no drama, he is priceless. I could not be happier with these guys and am having fun. I might go take a few lessons!!

it's the ditch, not the puddle.....

My three newbies have been doing really well. Preacher looks like a new horse, starting to dapple. I love a true mahogany bay that dapples, they just look rich, like fine wood. He is always calm and has no drama. Likes to jump and he is a pleasure. It is a good thing that I really don't have much to say about him, he has done everything right . A friend really wants him so I may not have three newbies after all. Frank, the big plain dark brown, is an old soul. I know he is five but truly, he acts like an old horse. As calm as Preacher, he has done everything that Preacher has. Jumped the same 2'3" bales and logs, goes through the water and ditches, doesn't spook when the deer bounce out. He has a very long stride which is a pleasure to ride. I think he will be a lovely whip horse. Just have to get them all past cows, which I do not have on the farm!
Danny Boy, the pretty chestnut 4 year old that was gelded three weeks ago is doing well. He is definitely a year younger than the other two, still hollers for his friends when he can't see them. Actually he hollers when he can see them, he is just young and enthusiastic. Nobody hollers back. But Bob, his "girlfriend", will nicker occasionally in reassurance. Love the old guy. Danny Boy has gone out alone around the big fields, he even followed my mare, who stayed well in front, but he behaved just fine. However he doesn't like ditches! He's ok in the mud and puddles, which I have plenty of, has crossed the wooden bridge, has jumped the logs. He even is happy
to just plow through the woods like a whip horse. But ditches are a no go. I think he can't understand the up and down of it.   He refused to follow me when I dismounted and tried to lead him through ( this is a a small ditch with a tiny stream of water in it), he refused to follow his buddies through. He was not unruly, just immovable. We had to go through the swamp to catch up and he was fine with that! So yesterday I cleared a path through the woods to a flat tiny stream crossing, probably muddy after yesterday's rain, which puts us on the far side of a ditch that goes back to the barn, which is visible. I am hoping this works. I may get hubby to lead Bob, old faithful, and I may just lead Danny with a chain on his nose. This is pretty standard racetrack persuasion.   I will let you know if it works. Wish me luck.

3 fence rails later....

Remember what I said about horses going through the fence ...! Here is horse number 3, the Brad Pitt of the bunch. 4 years old and stunning, his name is Danny Boy ( Jockey Club name was Lettersfromdublin) so we made it Irish somewhat. He lost his manhood a week ago, but he does not realize this yet. So we have let him live in small paddock with Michael's old retired foxhunter, Bob. Bob is the best babysitter, long suffering and kind, mostly. He looked at the new studly fellow and then back at me, as if to say, Really!!! But all was well until I had the bright idea to let the other 2 new geldings as close as a fence rail apart. There had been a small aisle between, but I thought Danny might remember his stablemate and be OK. Well, in the space of one day with Bob he had made him his b***h and was not going to let any one else come near. It took about 30 secs for a body slam along the fence and the 3 rails went flying , splintered in 6 pieces. Old Bob thought this was his jailbreak and took off with the other 2 geldings, Frank and Preacher, who were justifiably terrified. Bob said "follow me" and took off across the pasture. Danny Boy didn't really understand what he had done and did not immediately plunge through the gap in the fence, because there were broken rails. He just screamed and ran around like stallions do who have just had someone steal their babe! My daughter and I looked on in horror. I yelled at her to put her horse away and I would fix fence hopefully before the colt found the gap. I managed one rail from another section to put across and then grabbed Danny Boy to put in stall. Sarh was having a problem with her horse who did not want to go in stall and thereby miss all the excitement, so she was yelling at me or him, not sure. I grabbed a leadrope and went to get Bob, who was blissfully eating with the other 2 new QUIET boys. He reluctantly returned with me to keep Danny Boy happy.
So I am now rethinking both the time and the way to introduce a recently gelded boy to the other 2.    I want to keep them all together because it is easier to bring three in and ride them all. By the way I have ridden them all and they all have been great. More on that next time.

Happiness is 3 new horses and a new truck!

My husband tells me he misses my blog writing. I miss Cookie McClung's funny stories in the Chronicle of the Horse. She was irreplaceable but there are funny stories everywhere with horses, so I am going to "chronicle" taking three new Thoroughbreds off the track and turning them into foxhunters.
This idea sprung from the fact that my best,   gold-standard whip horse, Red, is turning 19 this season and I needed to start bringing a new one along. I was down to 6 horses, having retired from breeding TB horses for the racetrack (which meant I sold them as yearlings at the big auctions). No more foaling monitors! I actually slept from March to May. No more crazy yearlings! It was great but ... and this will resonant with horse crazy people... I had 9 stalls!
I told a few people I was looking for a horse off the track, because that's all I can afford. I love those ads that say " low five figures". Are they kidding! Who spends 10 grand on a horse that can run through a fence the first day, who always pulls shoes the day after farrier is here, and the vet knows by name. I think "high three figures" is too much, but realize the seller has bills too!

At the end of hunt season my friend Bart told me about a little gelding he had that would be perfect! I liked the gelding part but the "little" part is a suspicious word for horse people. But I went to look and was horrified. This poor guy had the worst skin disease I had ever seen, actually second worst, as the other horse he had was even more pitiful. I could tell there was a nice frame under that skin, he was five, and he really needed a new home. So, new horse number one, Preacher, came home that day. He was maybe 15.2 and in really poor condition. I needed my head examined. But he jumped... did a little course of fences, chipped in on one and did it in three strides the next go round. That was with me and I am not a show rider, so he aimed to please. I liked that.

Word gets around when you say you are looking for a horse, even a cheap one, especially on the racetrack. Horse number two turned out to be tall, dark and handsome, but his name was Frankenstein. That's him in photo. Just didn't want to be a racehorse anymore, he is five and I thought he was great. Calling him Frank! Horse number three was his stablemate and had an owner that had had enough. Same trainer called and said "Want another?" Only problem, he still had his "doodahs", as my farrier says. When I told them no-one would take a 4 year old stud colt to their farm, the owner agreed to cut him and now there were three!  Oh, the new truck is a beautiful 2014 Silverado 2500, same as old one just newer.  Wish I could do this with horses. the ad would read: " Wanted- same model as wonderful, seasoned old gelding but newer with fewer miles!"  So the adventure continues.

Wicomico's Hark Forward Performance Trial . The trial started in a whirlwind....

 Hark Forward Wicomico Performance Trial March 2-4, 2018

-By Barbara Smith

Zeus, Champion Hound , Thornton Hill Hunt

 The MFHA Hark Forward Hound Performance Trial hosted by Wicomico Hunt in Chestertown, Maryland started in a whirlwind. Literally, Winter Storm Riley brought wind gusts over 70 mph, which resulted in travel restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and overturned tractor trailers that closed I-95 to the north. Many participants were delayed more than a day with the high winds and traffic problems. Jan Sorrels MFH, Sedgefield Hunt, and Barbara Smith, Bull Run Hunt and Marlborough Hunt, two of the 5 judges, had decided to come a day early due to the wind warnings. We met up with fellow judge and host organizer, Alison Howard of Wicomico Hunt, on Thursday night for dinner and a lively discussion about hound trials. Head judge Fred Berry MFH, Sedgefield Hunt, and host Ed Fry of Wicomico were busy sorting out the storm delays.

Friday morning dawned with Winter Storm Riley’s full strength. The wind was ferocious, opening a stall door was almost impossible, and we began to hear of the problems other participants were having trying to arrive. Beth Opitz MFH of Thornton Hill Hunt had the roof blow off her puppy kennels, a fire started in a hayfield’s round bales from a sparking wire and a tree fell on a tenant’s moving truck! But she was still coming! David Twiggs, MFHA Executive Director, was stuck in traffic for over 9 hours due to bridge and highway closings. Fellow judge Mitzi Cabeen of Smith Mountain Hunt, and the huntsman from Mt. Carmel Hunt, both travelling with hounds and horses, finally gave up and spent the night on the Western shore or went home after trying for 11 hours to get here. One half of the participating hunts decided to wait until Saturday to avoid long delays at bridges. For the brave ones who crossed the Bay Bridge in scary winds and beat the traffic delays we dined on delicious prime rib, chicken marsala and Caesar salad at Garon and Donna Stutzman’s Muleskinner’s Lodge in Centreville, MD. We congratulated those who made it and shared stories and Moscow Mules in the lovely lodge. All looked forward to Saturday’s “hurricane hunt”, sure to test even Penn-Marydel hounds!

The winds had diminished slightly by morning. The sun came out and with an hour delay to help the Saturday arrivals we trailered 40 minutes, to Starkey Farms on the water near Galena, MD. Seven hunts had made the journey; Marlborough Hunt, De La Brooke Hunt, Carrolton Hounds, Mt. Carmel Hunt, Kimberton Hunt, Red Mountain Hunt, Thornton Hills Hunt. This was an all Penn-MaryDel hound trial and we were expecting to hear some great hound music. The five entry from each club were painted, some collared and the guest huntsman, Greg Thompson of Wicomico Hunt, simply put the pack together and we quickly moved off to the first covert. . Large open fields bordered by the Chesapeake Bay offered pine trees and thick brush along the shoreline. Hounds opened quickly on a red fox and, as Greg had hoped, the pack came together as one. This fox was turned back several times by the fields eager for a view, ran into Greg Thompson’s horse at one point and soon after that he slipped away in the thick brush. Hounds settled and we continued on, but the wind was still a factor.  Gusting 30 mph, we could see white caps on the water and Garry Riggs MFH, Red Mountain Hunt, told me at the breakfast, when waves are slapping on the shore the game “sits tight”.  The next fox ran tightly in the thickets and marsh, never breaking out into the open. Viewed briefly by one judge and the riders in Garon Stutzman’s mule-driven carriage, this fox ducked back into covert and eventually was put to ground by the raucous and excited pack. We were able to get some great Marking scores.  Greg Thompson said he could just see the fox, which the hounds were determined to get, but after much praise he remounted and called them away. But a few of the hounds would not leave the fox until Fred got off his horse and yelled at them. And as soon as the last hound was out of the hole, the fox bolted- to a chorus of delighted Tally-Ho’s from the field. The Gone –to- Ground was the highlight of the day.

We called the hunt after several more short runs and returned to the Starkey Farm buildings for a hearty, delicious tailgate and to tally scores. We were to meet at dinner for the Day One results and another fun evening at Muleskinner’s Lodge. The jokes and wisecracks abound between huntsman when they get together, but Fred Berry’s  “Smart Ass” award actually went to the Stutzman’s chef who was determined to hold his own with these foxhunters. We cheered and gave him a warm thank you for the food and fun! Thornton Hill Hunt’s Beth Optitz MFH, the sole woman huntsman, won the requisite horn- blowing contest and she was widely cheered by all in the room for her excellent Gone Away. Her closest competitor from Mt. Carmel Hounds graciously said he couldn’t come close and just bowed to her prowess. Doc Addis MFH, her dad, at the table with wife Happy and other daughter Anne, couldn’t have been prouder!

Thornton Hill Hunt took top honors on Day One. Red Mountain Hunt and Marlborough Hunt were second and third respectively. Every hunt had hounds represented in the Top Ten hounds in the categories, which are Hunting, Trailing, Full Cry, Marking and Endurance. These are combined to reach the Best Hound and Top Three Hunts. Red Mountain’s Remus was Best Hound on Day One and the favorite of the trial’s organizer, Fred Berry MFH, Sedgefield Hunt. Marlborough’s Vice Admiral also ribboned in several and the Thornton Hill hounds did Beth proud, with Zeus, Lentz and Utz receiving high marks. It had been a great day and tired foxhunters thanked our hosts again and left to get ready for Day Two.

Sunday was sunny and less windy, though gusts were still in the 30 mph range! We met at Chino Farms, the 5000 + acre farm of Dr. Henry Sears. Our gracious host welcomed us, wished us a good day and said to stay off the landing strip as his wife was coming home at 11! He has deeded a large parcel of the farm to Washington College in Chestertown, MD and every year Ed Fry hosts the Chino Chase, a foxhunt fundraiser for the College that draws hunts from near and far. It is a beautiful fixture and we immediately found a fox on the north eastern shore. Hounds came together quickly, just as the previous day and we continued to draw towards the east along the water. Today we were getting solid hunting and trailering scores, as we paralleled the landing strip eastward. Once we turned back into the tall grasses, hounds opened and judges raced for full cry scores. This fixture yielded lots of fox and the field was treated to many views. At one point the huntsmen group, shepherded by Garry Riggs MFH of Red Mountain Hunt, viewed 4 fox coming out of the same ravine. Grumbling that no judge was present, they were relieved that the scorers did arrive to get great scores as the hounds ended the day on another fast, all-on, full cry across the field back in the direction of home. As we were galloping toward a road and the clock was reaching noon, we called it a day when there was a simultaneous quick dismount and hound check.  With all hounds on, we roaded back to the meet to again tally scores, put tired horses away and return to the 4-H Park for breakfast.

Hosted by Wicomico members Leo and Liz Courtney, chili, fried chicken, ham and all the fixings as well as endless cakes, awaited grateful foxhunters who ate and drank as they waited for final scores. It was a long wait but well worth it for those who stayed. Thornton Hill Hunt was the top scorer overall, followed by Marlborough Hunt and Carrolton Hounds. Thornton Hill and Marlborough had three hounds each in the top ten hounds.  Thornton Hill’s Zeus and Lentz were champion and reserve champion respectively, with Utz also top ten. When asked about her hounds Beth Opitz said Zeus was by Bishop, her best THH hound, “ …(he) is heavy Kimberton/ Addis bloodlines.  Zeus and littermates are super hounds-in front when on fast run, but can really get down and hunt when scenting is tough…Lentz is all Addis bloodlines. ... Utz is Golden’s Bridge bloodlines”.  Marlborough’s Vice Admiral was third, Valor was fifth, followed by Vidalia, also in the top ten. This sort of placing in a Performance Trial is one of the ways hunts and huntsmen can evaluate a breeding.  All three of Marlborough’s aforementioned hounds and a fourth, Victor, are littermates, by Marlborough’s O’Jay out of Golden Bridges Kelby. When I checked with Marlborough’s MFH Katherine Cawood, she said, “ Both O’Jay and Kelby were outstanding hunting hounds”. To see the get of a breeding excel like this at a Trial is gratifying to any huntsman. Another hound worth noting was Carrolton’s Hounds Korvette, number 23, who placed fourth overall. I saw this hound up front on the lead in every full cry run on Sunday and every judge had him placed numerous times. Red Mountain Hunt’s Remus, was the favorite and top hound on Saturday in tough scenting conditions. Huntsman’s Choice was De La Brooke’s Vector, number 32. Greg said he noticed the hound due to his diligence and honesty, acknowledged to the delight of De La Brooke’s kennelman. Ribbons, silver trays and beautiful wooden sweat scrapers were handed out amid much applause. As the goodbyes were being made and plans laid for the next Performance Trial, everyone agreed it had been a fun, successful weekend, albeit a windy one! Beth Opitz MFH, Thornton Hill Hunt, said in a follow-up message to her members, ”While it’s nice to get ribbons the best part is getting together with fellow fox hunters”. I think we all agree.

Of interesting note to myself is that our guest huntsman, Greg Thompson, Wicomico Hunt, whom everyone thought did an excellent job in tough conditions, is leaving to assist MFHA President Tony Leahy of Massbach and Fox River Valley Hunts in western Illinois.  These two hunts hosted the first Performance Trial of the 2017 Hark Forward Tour Hark last September. I was blessed to have been at Leahy’s and Wicomico’s and a few in between.  Hound Trials are really fun and a great way for hunt clubs to support each other and to share ideas on breeding, membership, land conservation, to mention a few issues.  We all face the same challenges and we need to come together as we move into the next generation of foxhunting.

Huntsmen

  

Belle Meade Hunt 2018 Hunt week

Belle Meade’s “ Gone Away with the Wind” Hunt Week 2018

I drove down from Virginia in torrential rain on Sunday. My weather app’s promise of a 70-degree week in Thomson, Georgia, was one of the reasons I was heading away from a very cold Mid-Atlantic winter. The other reason was that hunting at Belle Meade Hunt, in particular, following Jean Derrick, First Flight Fieldmaster, is one of the best things in life!

I am a die-hard foxhunter. It is my passion and I think racing through those Georgia pinewoods at warp speed is my addiction. Some say it’s crazy. An eventing friend who jumps BIG fences thinks I’m brave (figure that one out)!  At home I whip for Bull Run Hunt in Culpeper and Marlborough in Maryland and love every day. I hunt with Thornton Hill Hunt, going up and down the mountains near Sperryville. Foxhunting is what I do. So what rocks my world is perhaps a step up from the normal. But Jean Derrick rips and rolls through those pine forests like Mario Andretti. I’ve never really seen anything like it. Perhaps it feels so fast because 90% of Belle Meade’s country is woods and the trails are narrow and uneven and Jean stays right behind Huntsman Epp Wilson, MFH. In other country, like Virginia, you can see across hayfields and cattle pastures and watch hounds at a distance. There you can see in front of you and pick the best gallop to follow. You can watch hounds trail a line up the hill towards a wood and follow, listening to the music. At Belle Meade Hunt, you have to stay with hounds, literally, to follow them and you cannot see around the bend, let alone across a field. The coyotes are fast. Charlie Lewis MFH, in his pickup, with his boar guns, is more likely to call a Tally-Ho on a coyote flashing across a meadow, than for the riders. All I see is the disappearing hind end of one of Jean’s lovely mares and I ride right behind her!

You are flying down washed out skinny slick trails, jumping over muddy creeks, all the while dodging tree branches and stumps just to keep the one in front of you in view. I hunt with some of the best huntsmen and riders I know and I still think Jean Derrick is the fastest fieldmaster ever. It is a hard call between her and Rosie Campbell, MFH, at Bull Run Hunt, so I will concede a draw. But it is the flying through narrow trails, so fast that there are tears streaming from my eyes, hearing Jean call out,” It’s almost a Rough Rider” that keeps me coming to Georgia.  A continuous 45 minute flat out gallop on a coyote earns the Rough Rider award here and I’ve been one a few. They are memorable. As a footnote, Belle Meade Hunt offers four fields, for all levels of riders. Everyone gets the thrill, no matter which field you choose.

Today was Day One of Belle Meade Hunt’s ”Gone Away with the Wind” Hunt Week. They offer 4 Belle Meade hunts and 2 more are possible at nearby Aiken hunts, dinners at Boots Hall or a cocktail party at a member’s home and the week is wrapped up by the Hunt Ball. It is a great value and the most fun to be had on horseback. The Belle Meade family is the biggest foxhunting community I know. The local cops are road whips, the juniors sometimes outnumber the adults and the truck followers bring you beer in the middle of the hunt. I think this tradition should be encouraged. In France, when stag hunting, the locals bring you wine, baguettes and cheese at every possible check. In England and Ireland we start and end the hunting day in a pub, but Belle Meade is the only place I have been given candies and beer in between runs! We started with a stirrup cup at 1:30 PM and moved off across the road from the kennels at 2PM. 3 coyotes were viewed and hounds were off in about 20 minutes. We ran for the next hour and enjoyed great music and great galloping. The beer break was a place to catch our breath, let horses catch their wind and catch up with old friends. I look forward to seeing people every year that I know from many different hunts. This year North Hills Hunt from Nebraska had made the trek in 22 hours and we all had the pleasure of hunting with huntsman David Kruger and 13 of their hounds. The North Hill MFH and several members had made the trip as well.  Subscribers and staff from Cloudline Hunt in Texas, Millbrook in New York, Loudon-Fairfax and Snickersville in Virginia were only some of the other people I had the pleasure to meet again. After a short break to gather hounds we moved off, hunting home. It was a great day, which finished with another delicious dinner at Boots Hall and welcoming remarks from Master Epp Wilson and Jean Derrick. Great day.

 

Bull Run- Rappahannock Performance Trial Oct. 20-21, 2017, part of "Hark Forward"

Bull Run- Rappahannock Performance Trial- October 20-21, 2017

                                                            By Barbara Smith

The kick-off Competitors cocktail party started with a toast to the late great Benjamin Hardaway III. It had been announced that he had passed earlier in the day and Epp Wilson, MFH Belle Meade Hunt, was moved to tears as he recalled their long friendship and the great gifts Mr. Hardaway had given to foxhunting in North America. Without a doubt Mr. Hardaway’s legacy is felt in almost every foxhunt in America. There will be many stories told about this grand gentleman and I am sure that this night he was enjoying the many toasts that were made to his memory.

Charles Montgomery talking about scoring to the judges

 

The Bull Run- Rappahannock Performance Trial also coincided with a meeting of the MFHA Regional Directors so it was a pleasure to have the likes of Dr. Marvin Beeman, MFH of Arapahoe Hunt, Terry Paine, MFH of Santa Fe Hunt, John McFadden, MFH of Delabrooke Hunt, to mention a few of hardworking and dedicated Masters that joined the party and the Trial the next day. The 7 hunts that had brought 5 hounds each to make up the 17 ½ couple Performance Trial pack were: Bull Run Hunt, Farmington Hunt, Rappahannock Hunt, Thornton Hills Hounds, Tennessee Valley Hounds, Deep Run Hunt and Blue Ridge Hunt.

Friday morning dawned chilly, there was some dew and we were hopeful for a good scenting day. Hounds were put together quickly and as soon as Epp Wilson, MFH, the guest huntsman, was satisfied that they were comfortable, hounds and riders were off over a coop at the top of the Feedlot parking area.  We moved off into Quiet Shade, which is a favorite fox haunt, but today a large, good-looking coyote was viewed immediately by Boo Montgomery, professional whip and judge today. She will tell you that Ben Hardaway had a hand in it from above, as we had a good run down towards River Road, before he slipped away. I mention the coyote as Hardaway’s spirit animal helping us, as I also viewed a large coyote pacing the hunted fox later in the morning. He was a big, fast one running parallel to the dark red hunted fox. I watched as both ran across a big cattle field before disappearing into the pines off Feedlot Drive. The hounds never left the fox line but that coyote was watching! Later we switched onto another coyote somewhere in the pines and hounds flew back towards the mountain and the meet.

 

We ran one fox and three coyote this day and judges were able to get many Full Cry scores, as well as Hunting and Trailing ones. By 10 o’clock in the morning, it was close to 80 degrees and thirsty hounds were drinking from the automatic waterers with the help of their huntsman, and almost all the riders were equally thirsty.  

 

 Some of us were also out of horse! It was a good first day.  Friday night all were invited to the Serenko home in Culpeper, Virginia for a delicious Italian buffet. Ribbons for the day were handed out and we welcomed Penny Denegre, MFH of Middleburg Hunt to join the fun and present ribbons to the top three hunts for the first day.

Rappahannock Hunt hosted the next day’s Trial at Jim and Debbie Massie’s home, Meadow Grove, in Amissville, Virginia. This lovely farm is just of Rt. 729 (Richmond Road) between Little Battle Mountain and Big Battle Mountain.

 

Charles Montgomery, Bull Run’s huntsman, said at end of day that the hounds had run a rough figure -8 up, down and around these two landmark Civil war-era hills.

 Battle Mountain in Amissville was actually the site of the largest single Civil War military engagement in Rappahannock County. On July 24^th, 1863, the Union Army was pursuing General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, as they marched south following their defeat at Gettysburg earlier in the month. Union General George O. Custer (yes, that Custer) attacked Confederate General Longstreet and Gen. A. P. Hill as they marched down Richmond Road. Custer had placed artillery on the shoulder of Battle Mountain and shelled Hill’s men. However, Confederate Gen. Benning returned and flanked Custer with 2000 infantrymen from Georgia and Alabama. Custer’s rear guard fought for two hours, allowing Custer to escape by cutting a road through the woods on the mountain back to Amissville. It was here at Battle Mountain that the Union Army‘s pursuit was stopped. It is interesting to note we were hunting in some of the very woods that Custer retreated through after his ill-fated attack on Confederate forces. General Custer was quoted as saying later it was the “closest call he ever had”, but I think history proved he had another that did not end so well.

According to Boo Montgomery, who was road whipping in the truck this day, three fox and two coyote gave the hounds, judges and all the riders a great time. The pack split at one point and the second field, ably led by Jim Massie, was standing at a great vantage point to listen to both groups on their quarry.

 

Beth Opitz, MFH Thornton Hill Hounds, was the only judge with one part of the split for about a ½ hour and she was able to get excellent scores on Full Cry as the hounds crossed the road before her. After about three hours the hunted coyote was viewed beside the stream at the base of the mountain opposite Meadow Grove. Huntsman Epp Wilson MFH dismounted and searched the stream bed for signs of a kill, but wily coyote had slipped by the hounds and as we were still trying to put all hounds together it was called a day.

The Massie’s had put together a lovely hunt breakfast in the yard and closing remarks were made by David Twiggs, Executive Director of the MFHA. Scoring ran into an internet issue and ribbons were handed out later in the afternoon.  Bull Run Hunt was top overall with Blue Ridge Hunt and Deep Run Hunt a close second and third respectively. Blue Ridge Tartan was the Huntsman’s Choice. It was an excellent day and all thanked Oliver and Michael Brown, MFH’s, for a great hunt.

Bull Run’s Talisman and Nicely were Champion and Reserve Champion Hound respectively. Nicely is a pure Fell hound, and along with Talisman were bred by John Harrison, then of Toronto- North York Hunt and were drafted to Bull Run Hunt. John Harrison is now Huntsman at Deep Run Hunt.  He did an excellent job scoring and handed in a sheet that showed he had been right with hounds all day. I imagine he was as proud of these two hounds he bred, as was Bull Run’s huntsman, Charles Montgomery. Another interesting hound of note was Bull Run’s Damsel, which placed fourth in points overall. She was a draft from Johnnie Gray’s Hillsboro hounds and if you have read the previous Hark Forward report of the first Performance Trial at Tony Leahy’s Massbach Hounds -Fox River Valley Hunt, you will remember that three other littermates: Hillsboro’s Dagwood, Mill Creek’s Dallas and Fox River Valley’s Daffodil, all placed in the Top Ten. Damsel was another of this litter, all from a hound named Warwickshire Daylight bred by Charmaine Greene. It is incredible to see the excellence of a hound breeding come through so many different hunts.

And it is this last point that brings me full circle back to Mr. Ben Hardaway. No one has had more influence on the breeding of hounds in America than this gentleman.  Charles Montgomery brought Bull Run’s Bellemaid to the Performance Trial with the hope that she would excel. She is a descendent of Ben Hardaway’s Midland hounds, Striker and Bliss, and she did them all proud by placing tenth overall.  For a young unentered hound she did a terrific job and I am sure, made the old man proud! This is what huntsmen hope for when they breed hounds. As in racehorse breeding, “ you breed the best to the best and then hope for the best!”  Performance trials give all hunts a chance to see excellence in a hunting hound, and we see the results of certain breedings, such as the Hillsboro litter from Daylight. The fact that a litter has produced champions in four different hunts in different parts of the country is extraordinary and worth noting.  It was certainly Mr. Hardaway’s dream to improve the hunting hound and these performance trials make it possible to continue to share ideas and theories for the benefit of all. The next Performance Trial is at Hillsboro Hounds in Nashville, Tennessee in late November. See you there.

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Friendship stop at Cheshire Hounds

The fourth Friendship Meet on the Hark Forward Tour of scheduled hunts and performance trials was at Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds in Unionville, Pennsylvania. During the month of September we traveled a distance of three thousand miles and visited nine hunts.

The Cheshire is revered as one of the best foxhunting establishments in North America, renowned for big fences, protected countryside, and a distinguished history. When you hunt here, everyone asks, “Did you jump the line fences?” Yes, we jumped one of the line fences first! Everyone spreads out and picks a panel of three-rail fencing and off you go, foxhunting with Cheshire!

The line fences are well set back off the roads, making the footing safe no matter the direction of approach. This is not a happy accident. Protection and planning of the hunting country has been a continuing ethic within the hunt’s leadership.

The late Mrs. John B. Hannum, Master of the Cheshire for over fifty years and huntsman for much of that time, advised property owners, even new non-foxhunting landowners, how to fence their land—specifying the fencing materials and the set-back distance off the roads! She persuaded them where to site their houses and any improvements; she purchased countless properties and resold them at cost to sympathetic buyers; and she battled developers by every possible means, including persuasion and bureaucratic delay. Moreover, she recruited the residents of her hunting community to follow her lead. From her unrelenting crusade bloomed the famed Brandywine Conservancy, a national model for open space preservation.

We had put our caravan of twelve horses up at the Brandywine Polo Grounds, watched a chukker of play on the polo field, and then drove to The Yellow House in Kennett Square, PA. This beautiful Civil War era home is on the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup course, and we could see the steeplechase fences from the patio. Supposedly it has some secret passageways dating from the Underground Railroad, though I did not find them. It also has had some very famous parties after the Hunt Cup races we were told.

 The next morning we gathered at the Hannum home near Unionville for the meet. Sanna Neilson, MFH, greeted us warmly, though unfortunately on crutches. She was nursing a torn ACL, but this Maryland Hunt Cup winner and trainer made us feel very welcome, thanking Epp Wilson, MFH, for bringing the Hark Forward tour to Cheshire. Anne Moran, MFH, led the field towards the first cornfield. We had the pleasure of riding beside Mr. Jock Hannum, son of the late esteemed Mrs. Hannum. He gave us a running commentary on the lovely estates and homes that we passed during the morning, as he grew up here and has been fortunate to spend his life hunting with what I would call foxhunting royalty.

Mrs. Hannum loved the Old English (traditionally-bred as opposed to the modern English) foxhounds, which she hunted and showed. Today’s foxhound pack is the product of a breeding experiment that began nearly fifteen years ago by then huntsman John Tullock, an Englishman. He admired the Penn-Marydel for its voice and low scenting ability and crossed the Old English hounds with Penn-Marydels. He left shortly after, and his whipper-in, Irish-born Ivan Dowling, took over as huntsman. Dowling was also familiar with the Old English bloodlines from his earlier days in Ireland and comfortable with the breed. He and the Masters, betting on Tullock’s hound breeding wisdom, decided to gamble and continue the program. Because the two hound types are so disparate, the early litters were less than uniform, but as time went on, they focused on the hounds of both types that threw what they were seeking. Today, there is enthusiastic agreement among the membership in the success of the program.

The deep music contributed by the Penn-Marydels was lovely to hear, as hounds spoke on foxes which were viewed several times coming and going in the corn. The field had a wonderful gallop after a hard running fox, which was viewed running poolside through a neighbor’s backyard. A herd of pastured ponies were trying to join the fun and we all held hard until a most determined big bay was caught before jumping out onto the path below the pool where they put the fox to ground. After several hours we were back at the first cornfields and ready for a drink.

I told my fellow travelers that the stout timber-stacked fences in the country are really no bigger than a large coop, but Mike Paget (who hunts with Montreal, Moore County, and Belle Meade) and I agreed that they just seem more intimidating! So, when you have a good day hunting at Cheshire you always feel proud of your horse and yourself!

After the hunt breakfast, Epp Wilson, MFH, thanked our hosts and with the help of his mobile map of the United States encouraged everyone to try and join in some of the Hark Forward hunting celebration. Our stop at Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds was close to the end of the first leg of the tour. Epp talked about the Performance Trials, Field Hunter Trials, Joint Meets, and Friendship stops, which will continue throughout the season, across North America.

The second grand Hark Forward tour will be a month long trek in the New Year through the Southwest, swinging through New Mexico, California, and Nevada, before heading to a final Performance Trial in the Arapaho Hunt (CO) country with Dr. Marvin Beeman, MFH. This is the stuff of legends and a you-only-live-once trip. Based on the fun we have had on the September tour, this is a chance to experience hunting over widely varying countries, behind different packs, all the while enjoying the hospitality of our host hunts. All are welcome and invited to join in this grand foxhunting adventure. If you can't make the tour, check on the season's schedule and make it a point to join an event near you, whether it be Hound Performance Trial, Friendship Meet, or Field Hunter competition. There are events every month throughout the 2017-2018 season.