Dahhhhlings! Ladies Foxhunting Clinic Weekend Fall 2011

[wateryglen]

Yup!

I second the benedryl! Take a large dose immediately but you also have to go in and drive home BEFORE it totally kicks in or else you’ll bee vewy, vewy sleeeeeeeeeeeppppyyyyy…:uhoh:
There’s a disolvable benedryl pediatric dose that’s like a piece of paper too.
A cold hosing for the pony’s stings has gotta help.
But remember…bees never sting hilltoppers!! Yup! By the time we get thru they’re all worn out. Just be sure to boogie through; you can avoid them if you’re moving fast enough! I proved that saturday! :yes: And being at the end of the hilltopper line is good too! :p:p:p:p
Oh…and carfollowers never get stung either!!

[Hunter_s_Rest]

OMG - the clinic participants get to:
Meet and greet (and cartop) with LEGENDARY Melvin Poe on Friday,
PLUS
Meet and greet (and audit) a foxhunting clinic by LEGENDARY Olympic champions Karen and David O’Connor on Friday.
PLUS
all the foxy fun at Hunter’s Rest.
Tally ho!!!

[jawa]

OH MY!! Now I’m really disappointed I couldn’t make it fit my schedule to go round!!!

All those in attendance, PLEASE HAVE A BLAST!

[whicker]

Tally ho!

The hunting princesses had the weather gods smile again… WE HUNTED! Our Master thinks we are the only hunt to go. Everyone else had too much rain. Jawa, you know the fixture- High on the watershed, great footing. Stream crossings were still low and clear running. We had a fox circle around us, as we stood on on of the high hills with a long view. The scent blew towards us, so we got to see the hounds work the line right in front of us.

Afterwards, Hunter’s Rest had a fabulous hunt breakfast, giving the princesses a chance to talk with everyone.

My horse, the Dressage Diva, is getting the education from the made horses and learning to enjoy herself. She moved up to 2nd field for an hour and half, and liked it very much. Then I moved her back to the hilltoppers to learn that standing is good, too. She is still going in her KK loose ring dressage snaffle. She is very sensitive mouthed and naturally well balanced. The dressage work makes the half halts and halts from my seat, so I’m not getting as tired. She is starting to watch hound work and weathervane to watch for the fox.

I’m packing the tiaras for this evening’s State Dinner at Wateryglen’s farm.

[jawa]

So glad it was a great day!! I’m sure the scenting was wonderful.

Whicker,
So good to hear that your mare is coming into her job.

Hopefully some of the other HP’s will chime in with a summary af the weekend.

[easykeeper]

Yes, it was AWESOME that we got to hunt as planned!

I was pretty proud of my little maresies debut hunt, I am thinking she likes it! And what a great opportunity to dip her hooves into the hunting pool!

It was so nice to meet everyone! And, I need to pay better attention to directions on how to get to Waterglen’s next time! ( Like, write them down! I got lost and gave up…sorry!) hope you all had a great time!

Thank you SO much HR for everything (including getting my stupid truck un stuck!!), and I hope to see you (and the others) again in the hunt field soon!

[wateryglen]

Hunting Princesses Rule!!

OMG! I wonder if I’m ever gonna recover from our Hunting Princess Weekend.!!! (which is still in progress today too!) The Gala & Crowning Ceremonies were at my place last night and I have only one thing to say…EAT LEFTOVERS!!
Anyway, 9 of us convened at the Wateryglen ghetto farm for dinner, chat and the official “Awarding of the Tiaras” Gala Ceremony. :rolleyes: Per protocol Hunting Princess Leaders- Hunters Rest, Whicker and I got to wear the flashing LED lighted ones whilst our group got the neon colored, jewel encrusted ones with feathers. (One observer wondered what would happen if we took our flashing tiara’s down to the road in the dark and stood there…and that pilots flying overhead would just keep going around in cirlces…and wow that man looked GOOD in a feathered tiara…but I digress!! :eek: ) Even my french basset Calais got a pink feathered tiara awarded. She trotted into my kitchen while I was cooking and showed it to me! Proof that Hp’s with a little refreshing beverage can even tiara a dog!! Not that she doesn’t deserve it! :winkgrin: Congratulations to the Sept '11 HP’s!

This capped off a great day of foxhunting which of course is a very frantic way to spend a morning on little sleep. Then we breakfasted with the Old Dominion Hounds members at HP HunterRest place. I’ll let them tell you about all that themselves. Today we are foot hunting with the Ashland Basset pack not too far from HR’s! That is for those that can still walk! And did anybody notice that all the HP’s were on greys!!??!! :eek: Brave bunch I tell you after several wet days and some damp going!

WG TOTALLY regrets that we missed Easykeeper last night. I am a flake and sorry I didn’t do better! Come on over for leftovers! But WG got to meet her and see her lovely new green and perfect fieldhunter. WG is jealous!

Thursday evening I met one new HP at Horse Country saddlery where we bought stuff then on to a wine tasting and more horse stuff buying at the Galloping Grape then on to the Black Bear Bistro to meet up with the other 7 HP’s for dinner & refreshing beverages.
HP Hinderella arrived from a days driving from Connecticut just as we sat down so we’re glad she made it!! HP Hinderella has been thrice crowned now! She wins! But longest journey was HP Ase (don’t know her coth name!) who came from Texas.!!! Yaaayy!!

So…friday night HP Hunters Rest hosted the evenings soiree of food and refreshing beverage. I brought the amoretto cherry cheesecake! I’ll let them tell you how they spent the rainy day but I know it involved shopping and riding in the rain!! Ask Hinderella about her new coat bargain!! Yaaayyy!

So…It’s all about the hunting,riding, the comraderie of strangers and of course…THE FOOD!!
Carry On!!
And I’m taking a nap now…:yes:

[TimelyImpulse]

It was so nice seeing old acquaintances and meeting new friends on Thursday. Due to just too many dang things going on, and the rain, I’m glad I got to do at least that this weekend.

Have fun swimming, er, hunting with the Bassetts today!

[ridingagain]

Yes, it was another fabulous hunter princess weekend at Hunter’s Rest. Many thanks to Hunter’s Rest and Watery Glen for their hospitality. It was great to get out on HR’s wonderful horses and the folks at Old Dominion are always so welcoming to us out of towners. We had a fun day hunting on Saturday… got to watch lots of houndwork and just missed viewing the fox in the tall grass. Two awesome dinner parties, a relaxing afternoon, a visit with Melvin Poe at his kennels, and a nice trail ride this morning capped it all off. Can’t believe I managed all this without getting wet! Thanks again, everyone, for a super weekend!!!

[Hunter_s_Rest]

On to the next thing – plans careening forward for the November redux.
Thanks to the Old Dominion hounds for providing an in-your-face tutorial on hound work, scenting, ‘all-on’, full cry, worrying a scent, and to one of the area’s resident foxes (perhaps the one that’s killing my chickens) for showing us how to lie low until … he … just … couldn’t … anymore, then how to break covert like the sneak that he is!
Epic.
: )

[jawa]

Sounds like a perfect hunting day!

[Underthebridge]

I am at the airport. Waiting to board. What an amazing
weekend. I have met the nicest people in the world. Had the privilege of riding a true gentleman hunt horse that taught me so much in 4 days. Thanks Betsy for making
my dreams come true. It was magical. Virginia is beautiful and I
can’t wait to come back.

[JSwan]

It was so nice to meet you and I’m sorry we didn’t spend more time together. Glad we at least got to all have a fun dinner together.

HR is great at positioning her field to get the best views possible.

Have a safe trip home and please come back soon.

[Underthebridge]

Everything went perfect, (still on cloud 9)
I can feeeel my horse jumping, and I don’t want to lose it

[Hinderella]

Many thanks again to our Virginia hosts: Wateryglen, Whicker, JSwan and Timely Impulse for fine dining and good beer in Warrenton, Wateryglen for the 2011 hunting princess coronation dinner, and of course, Hunter’s Rest for her a fine dinner Friday night, for perfect hunt horses, and for getting our third field to all the right places to see wonderful hound work. While this was only my third hunt ever, each time out is more interesting and more exciting, as I am able to relax a bit and learn more and understand more.

I’m so glad I’m able to come here for the recap, as I’m unable to find anyone at home who understands the racing of my heart at the sight and sound of the hounds and the huntsman coming up the driveway, the anticipation of the clip-clopping of many hooves as the hunt sets out, and most of all, the pure excitement of the first sound of the hounds when they find the line…sigh

[Underthebridge]

WG, there is a reason for your name:), thanks for toting me around, we had the best time ever, thanks for a feast and gourmet dinner, your place is the heaven where many of us just dream of living.
Whicker, thanks for everything, mentor and coach, and for finding the information I needed, I was as prepared as I could be and could relax 100%.
JSwan, we are just going to have to meet again:winkgrin: A beer and some good hunting stories.
it is great to have something to look forward to.

[TimelyImpulse]

Pix!

http://www.klmimages.com/odh_20112_2

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=wateryglen;5858130]
Ask Hinderella about her new coat bargain!! [/QUOTE]

Does is match that fab-u-lous hat from this spring?

[Hinderella]

My new coat is a wonderful vintage frock coat, made in January of 1964 by Millers for someone named Madhout. It was truly a frivolous purchase for me; as a newbie a frock is over-reaching (see previous CotH posts for details about who should/can wear a frock). But I couldn’t bear to pass it up…it absolutely fits as though it was made for me. I’m long waisted, and the waist seam sits just right, it has cool pockets, and it’s made of that super dense old-school melton that allows one to ride out in a blizzard or hurricane. And, depending on the opinion of the master and on the traditions of the particular hunt, I may be able to wear it anyway, for the purely practical purpose of staying warm & dry.

I still dream of riding well enough (and buying a trailer) so I can join a hunt up here, and I hope that in chilly CT the frock will come in handy.

In the meantime, I thought perhaps I would bring DH along for a visit in November and car follow…and I can wear the frock in the car! With the hat!

[whicker]

Hinderella,
Bring the rest of the outfit and we will get your photo taken on a fabulous hunter. Then you can hang it casually in the library, by the fireplace. The hunting books can be arranged tastefully near by the over stuffed leather chair and the brandy decanter…
:winkgrin: