Hey, but I'm NOT a cropper!!

[florida_foxhunter]

For several of my southern hunting friends, I though I’d share my whereabouts!..home and off a horse, ugh!
While leading second flight galloping after a coyote down a chopped trail of a plantation I was looking directly down for holes (a BIG problem there). The last person in first flight was new and didn’t know to hollar “where ditch”…and suddenly it was there…and it was huge! I sat back expecting to go “in” it, but my gallant horse, Hunt Colors, jumped out of stride and made it over. I got jumped out of the saddle, but landed back in but off to the side. As I was scrambling trying to get back up I looked up and there was a huge limb about to behead me, so I let go again (now hanging only from my left knee) and leaned back. I felt like one of those circus riders who lean back with their hair gracefully brushing the ground!!.(but I’m sure it wasn’t so graceful!)…Again, I made it, still on and still galloping. I hollared “whoa”" and pulled myself up with every ounce of strength to reach the breastplate (a good reason to use one secured to your saddle rather than just a martingale!)!! God Bless Hunter, he stopped!
He certainly could have “finished me off” with a buck at any point of this story!
My second flight friends helped me walk the horse back to the meet and had to help me off of him .I sat at the meet for the next two hours with ice in my lap!
I ended up with what looked like a purple bikiini for awhile and a severely torn muscle…but have just been cleared to start riding carefully.(its been 7 weeks)…Although I must admit, I’m not sorry to be missing some of this COLD weather (8 degree wind chill this am in FLORIDA!!).but I do hope to be back for our Hunt Ball Weekend and joint meet with Bear Creek Hounds!
I have missed my trips to Aiken and VA this year…and seeing all my hunting buddies…but hey, we at LOH, have a party every year where the “croppers” have to bring the food for the “non-croppers” (a cropper is judged guilty - on trial after the meet - if you fell and your horses’ shoulder didn’t hit the ground too) and I’m proud to say
(knock wood) I AM NOT A CROPPER!

[ManyDogs]

Wow, sitting here in VA, drinking coffee, tucked in away from the frigid weather outside ----after watering horses, feeding dogs, looking for errant “barn dog” Pekeapoo :lol::lol:, I am most impressed with your adventure! Ouch!
It reminds me of a book years ago, complete with a drawing, of a woman hunting in the UK, hanging onto her reins and off to one side, held up by one (non-safety) stirrup as her horse galloped along. All I recall is the horse was a former military mount and was know by its numbers-didn’t have a name.
Yay for Hunt Colors !!! He sure did take care of you.
And thanks for adding another hunting term that I now know-cropper. I’m sure the trial was hilarious!

[jawa]

We all appreciate our hunt horses, but its when they really pull us through sticky situations that our admiration for them as partners comes into its full bloom. Hurray for the both of you!!

Hoping you heal quickly and will be back out hunting in a flash!!

[pleasantmeadowfarm]

You’re a lucky woman!

Lucky, that is to own such a wonderful mount! Wow, quite a story. Glad to hear you made it over the ditch and under the branch, and have a saint of a horse to give you time to right yourself. Clone him!

Wishing you luck for a full recovery.

[florida_foxhunter]

Yes, I agree how important a partnership is with your hunt horse! I bred, birthed, raised, trained and have ridden Hunt Colors his entire twelve years…we know what each other is thinking I believe! He’s sometimes Dennis the Menace around the barn, but he’s one smart guy!

It always amuses me when someone wants to lowball or pay just a little for “just a horse to hunt”…my answer is always “so, what is your life worth???”

[Equibrit]

Where do you get the expression “a cropper” from ? Never seen it used to describe a person other than a farmer.

[florida_foxhunter]

Cropper is an English term that means one has had a “sudden reversal of fortune”,
It is used hunting in England I’m told.
We have had our "Croppers Party following the ending of our season (in April) at one of our other Fieldmaster’s house(Gage Ogden) for years!! We act out skits of the falls and everyone hoots and laughs and guesses who it was!
Another of our members, Faye Altman, wrote a fantastic song that all the Croppers have to sing at the end…Let me find the words and I"ll post it…it’s a riot!

[wateryglen]

me so funny!

“To come a cropper” means to fall off!!
Of course this has NEVER happened to me…I HAVE had some “involuntary dismounts” for which I have had to pay the hunts a bottle of booze for the hunt coffers. Most of the hunts in this area do this. Thats why hunts always have such well stocked bars! One hunt requires champagne for the next breakfast or tailgate or party. I like that hunt! No beer for me!!

Did I tell you about the pink bubbly wine I found for the holidays this year? Bitch Bubbly!!! Tastes like watermelon jolly ranchers! From South Australia and judging from the hang over it gave me…they must not like us much!!! :eek::lol: But most interesting is that it doesn’t have a cork or screw on top…it’s a bottle cap!!! And the label reads…“Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch…”

Some one told me once that one is not a REAL foxhunter until one has fallen off at least 3 times…so FF?!! you need to just let go!!! :winkgrin:

[florida_foxhunter]

Thanks but I qualified many years ago…been hunting regularly for over 25 years…thank goodness I’ve been luckier lately in my older age, haha! I have lots more fall stories I could tell, but won’t bore everyone! There have been some doozies!!

Yes, we have the champaigne “fine”…or should I say “fine champaigne??” when we’re judged guilty of falling off! Our hunt has snob appeal…it must be French too!

[pintopiaffe]

just a lurker on this forum… but HAD to delurke to say the story was hairraising–but with great ending…

And the horse is To Die For. What a handsome guy! What is his breeding?

[florida_foxhunter]

Hunt Colors is the first horse I birthed personally at Flying Colors Farm tewelve years ago. His dam was “Black Heather” by Sir Thomson (owned and bred by Dianna Dodge).Oliver Brown held her in Hunter Breeding at Devon as a two year old and she won her TB class! His sire is State of the Art (owned by Silverwood Farm).
He is 16.1 1/2 hands and 80% TB, 10% APHA and 10% KWPN (Dutch)…and the best coyote horse in the south (well, okay, I’m prejudiced!) He’s the one I led first flight on when Dennis Foster was visiting once…a field member had just gotten a GPS and tracked us as RUNNING TWENTY FIVE MILES…(started out with a field of 20 and ended with 5!)
Let me see, he’s hunted at Live Oak since he was four…and has visited Midland, BelleMeade, Orange County,Farmington, Cassanova, Piedmont, Moorland, South Creek, Old Dominion, Bull Run, Keswick and Green Springs Valley! You may say, he’s earned his name!!!

[Equibrit]

The English expression is “to come a cropper” which does mean to fall, on the ground or from grace.

[Equibrit]

@wateryglen;4611637

:lol: But most interesting is that it doesn’t have a cork or screw on top…it’s a bottle cap!!! And the label reads…“Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch…”

Mmmmmmm - I think I’ll leave that one alone.

[florida_foxhunter]

Actually, I 'm also told that Gen. Schwartzkoph (oops, is that right?) said “Today Saddam Hussein became a cropper”…
and the General doesn’t even foxhunt!!

[danceronice]

I would think he said Hussein “came a-cropper”. Equibrit (as the name might suggest) is correct, the English expression is “to come a-cropper”.

[strawberry_roan]

FF–what a wild ride! I am so impressed that you didn’t come off–what a saint your horse is! I am bringing along a replacement for my tried and true hunt horse who is getting older and starting to creak–but it is oh so hard to replace the ones you know will take care of you. I am sure you gave him an extra carrot in his evening feed! :)

[Bensmom]

Wow, FF – Hunter truly is WONDERFUL!

I have a feeling that my SOTA boy, who would have the same “mix” (mama was a full TB as well) would not have done as well.

My fiance calls him the Big Chicken Bully. Sigh. I’m afraid to take him hunting for the first time. I hear he has done third flight with MMH once, but I think the first time I take him, we’ll make sure no one has a camera around!

Glad to hear that you are (mostly) ok, and I think Hunter has earned not just an extra carrot, but maybe one of those 13lb bags that Publix sells . . . hmmm? <g>

Guys, he is a super nice horse in person too. I’ve had a crush on him for years!

Libby

[Foxtrot_s]

I love the name Hunt Colours for your horse. We had one called Hounds Please.
Another, Chocks Away. (i.e. Fox Away)
Re above: To Die For would not be an auspicious name.