I had some wonderful unplanned hunting moments yesterday. I’m still grinning!
Fairfax Hunt met at a neighboring farm, though I wasn’t aware of this and was going for a ride out. About 20 minutes into my trail ride, while in the woods, my horse suddenly stopped, head up, listening. Yep, the unmistakening sound of hounds in the distance.
Needing a hunting fix since my work hours make it impossible for me to go out past cubbing season, we stood and listened as the hounds got closer. There was a ton of crashing through the woods in front of us and a herd of deer went flying by. I was watching them when Tulsa’s ear flicked off to the side. I turned to look and there was Charlie Fox, picking his way through the woods about 30 ft. from us. He never looked up and continued on across the path behind us.
The hounds were getting louder and closer and we stood stock still as 7 or so couple appeared out of the woods and ran around us in a wave, continuing on after Mr. Fox. My horse stood like a rock, quivering and I had this stupid heavenly grin on my face. A few more hounds came running past, shortly followed by the Whip. I tally hoed and pointed and she gratiously invited me to join her.
As much as I would have loved to, my horse was sadly too unfit to actively hunt (and the hunt fashion police would have frowned at my outfit :o) and continued on with our ride.
The fox circled and it wasn’t too long after, as I was riding the edges of the cut cornfield, when I got a lovely view of him again scurrying along, the hounds working the line and then the huntsman with the field trailing. The same whip I met galloped by and waved.
My face frozen with the biggest smile in the world, we hacked on in the opposite direction, listening to lovely hound music. I met up with a couple of hunt members, who were hacking into the meet and rode briefly with them before turning off to continue my ride. I could still hear the hounds in the distance.
Crossed the creek and rode up to the 2nd cut cornfield of our hack and it sounded like the hounds had turned and were coming our way. My horse’s ears were very attentive to the hounds and horn. We got to the far corner of the field and Tulsa’s head snapped around, staring towards the center of the field. YES!! Another great view as the fox ran diagonally across, heading towards the woods with the hounds in full cry further back. We stood and watched as hounds began to materialize along the far edge of the cornfield, running like the wind across it, singing loudly.
Huntsman, Master and field followed along and My Friend The Whip came across where I was and said, “Wow, you should whip for us. You have been in exactly all the right places at the right time!”
Everyone disappeared down a trail into the woods as the hounds screamed along and I reluctantly headed back to my barn. My horse was delightfully wonderful, happy to observe and not feel compelled to turn into a lunatic as others galloped off. I grinned about my accidental hunt all evening!
