I keep popping in here to get my hunting fix, since we are now officially in our 4th day of summer.
We have however just started hound exercise a couple of weeks ago … http://www.flickr.com/photos/huik2em/6450288779/in/photostream
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Unfortunately that’s all I have to offer while you guys are having a blast hunting! Hope you’re all having a great season so far :):yes:
Ahem 
Soooo are you coming to Virginia/Hunters Rest in March for the Hunting Princesses’ Weekend??? You’d get the prize for coming the farthest! Really. Fly into Dulles and it would be less than 50 miles (30k?) to Warrenton. Riding, hunting, shopping, basseting, food food and more food, and of course, The Awarding Of The Tiaras! We could get you kitted out, I bet. (is that the proper term?)
Such happy hounds!!
Here’s a hunting fix for you from today.
Snickersville Hounds (Middleburg VA area) hosted a joint meet with Stonewall Hounds (mid VA) at Mt. Airy on the east end of Middleburg. Stonewall’s pack of lovely tan and whites seemed to be exuberantly happy visiting among the trailers as they were let out of their truck, but soon collected with the Snickersville hounds as the joint huntsmans called the joined pack together.
I was riding my 14.1h Welsh pony for his 8th hunt this season. Poor fellow got thrown into the job - with no credentials whatsoever - when my old campaigner injured his back ankle, but has showed such lovely manners and attitude that he is now playing 2nd string and standing in so my other guy gets a break periodically. However, he’s still not fit enough to go for the 3+ hours, so we have to cut out at about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I don’t want to run my darling boy into the ground as our hunt is FAST. We ride 2nd Flight as my little guy is an EPM survivor - his return to “normal” has been a long road, carefully mapped and planned as the neurological damage had been to his back legs. He was brilliantly athletic before the disease hit, so we are only just now starting to jump tiny hunt fences, including coops, which he has been floating over low and relaxed with perfectly folded knees in a “the least wasted energy, the better” frame.
Well, talk about a rip snorter day!!! :eek::yes: This was fast even by our blazing standards! It was decided to draw across the road on a beautiful (close to 1,000 acres I believe) property, and we had barely crossed the road when…the hounds found. Not only did they find, but they found in triplicate! Three foxes jumped from cover and took off. The hounds converged on one line with lovely voice and driving ambition, and we followed in their speeding wake over hill and dale. It was quite a run with barely a warm-up, and we were deep into the estate before we caught up with the pack at the top of a wide open hill.
The hounds had split on that big hill, most crying on the far side where 1st Flight stood, but on our side we were in the perfect spot to watch a mixed splinter group, with a tan and white Stonewall hound leading, crying hard on a line that swept down the hill, through a swampy area, back up the hill along the tree and stonefence line, making a nice arc around us. The line faded a bit as the hounds approached the top of the hill, and the pack was quick to fan out to pick up the scent. The same Stonewall hound (wish I knew it’s name - it was a really good hunter!) was convinced the fox has gone straight along the stone wall, and was proved right. The pack broke into full cry again, just as both huntsmen (or shall I say huntsman and huntslady?) came thundering towards us cheering on the rest of the pack that was now also flying towards us, eager to catch up with the splinter group which was singing at the top of their voices as they poured down the hill along the stone wall. The pack rejoined, and the song swelled.
And off we go, following at a fast clip. My little guy was doing his level best, and there were times I was actually urging him to gallop faster up the hills - but not so much down the hills! Did I mention the mud?? Seems like our foxes were having a field day taking us into areas with wet, sloppy, splashy mud. Mud was flying everywhere as we galloped through bogs, down muddy banks into streams and out again, and down narrow woodland paths that had their own “mud speed traps” which did little to slow us down. The only hunt coats that emerged from that run unscathed with clods and splatters of mud were the ones on the people who led the fields! :lol: My clean coat was no more, nor was my face. I must have been wearing at least a pound of splattered mud!
But…we were not finished. The hounds had lost the first fox at a copse of trees in the center of one field - where one hunt a year ago a fox had leaped out right under the startled nose of several hounds which spawned a hair raising run for the records! - and the staff decided to bring the pack back to the line of one of the other foxes that had escaped along a stone wall. The hounds, already primed, were quick to pick up the scent, and we were treated to some beautiful music as they tore away again.
Once again we were in hot pursuit, our Field Master brilliant in knowing just where to take us to get the best views of the working pack, and not waste time. Once again I found myself urging my pony to give it his all galloping up the hills to keep up, but to balance himself cantering down the hills and not get strung out and possibly stumble (oh, the joys of being in constant worry hunting on an EPM survivor!). This fox was determined to make us work for our sport, and laid a fast line that took us around the estate, then across the road towards our meet, but not before detouring through a few more streams, bogs, and wide open fields. As our field approached the road, our Field Master decided the coop going out onto the road was low enough (about 2’6") for most of us, so over she jumps with the field in a nice orderly line behind her - those of us willing to take the jump (which turned out to be just the first 6). My pony had only jumped a coop once, and that was only a week ago and one not fronted by a mud puddle! But true to his wonderful pony nature, he just glanced at it, judged the height accurately, folded his cute knees…and without missing a stride floated over it as smooth as silk and so efficiently and effortlessly that I was astonished to find us already on the other side, and within seconds we were cantering down the hardtop road to get to the paths leading into the fields across the road. I was so elated with my boy - what a gem!
But…we weren’t finished yet! The hounds were still running hard and singing just as hard, and we pressed on, knowing the rest of the field that elected to do the gate would only be seconds behind - which was the case. Once more we plunged down the hillsides to the bottom land - think mud and creeks and more mud, oh yes, and sloppy wet mud - a bare pause as we caught up with 1st Flight (and had several 1st Flighters join us) as we raced up the woodland paths towards the field which housed our trailers. The hounds were drawing a circle, singing in the cattle field just to the other side of the woods. We paused for a few moments to see what the fox would do. Well, our fox decided it was going to cross back over the road and head home, and the chorus of hounds finally swung away from the circle and headed back west still in hot pursuit.
We were now at 1 hour 30 minutes of almost constant running on very rolling terrain, and I knew my valiant, game pony was getting tired as he stumbled slightly trotting down the woodland path before the field turned to hand gallop up the adjacent trail into the field where our trailers resided. That stumble was my sign. In less than a minute we had reached the trailers, passing them. I called up to our Field Master a request to retire, and was given permission. My pony watched with big eyes as the Field galloped off, crossing the road - he just couldn’t understand why we weren’t going either. Of course, he and I were only the lead of a whole group that had also decided to retire since we were already at our trailers. I think our Master was left with only 1/4 of her field! I hung around for the next hour as drips and drabs of hunters returned, but not the main field. It was nice talking to some of the Stonewall members that had retired with me - they sure got their money’s worth today, and had had a blast.
By the time I left 2 1/2 hours later, the fox had taken the hunt 3 miles away as the crow flies. That crow is lucky to sail over the mud. It took me forever to get all the mud off my coat once I got home. Happy to report that Dryell (“a dry cleaner in your own dryer!”) really works. My pony looked a bit tired tonight, but his Mommy was thrilled with him. He was perfect the whole day, which, with three fleet foxes, a great pack of hounds, and lots of hound music, certainly made my day just as perfect.
Thank you for a wonderful recounting of a glorious day. Sitting at home on a dark evening, I could hear the hounds and the pounding of hoofbeats, and feel the splatter of the mud.
Your valiant pony certainly earned his carrots and his bran mash…but then, ponies ROCK
Thank you gothedistance - and well done on a terrific story for those of us not nearly as fortunate as you! Sounds like you have a fantastic pony there!
Some of your account of your hunt took me right back the the 6 weeks I spent hunting in Ireland - and the copious quantities of MUD! I can again hear the sloppy squelching and splashing of it - and I recall at the time wondering how I was EVER going to get clean again.
It’s all a far cry from the dust I’m choking on following our hounds up the road at the moment! I am really enjoying watching our “pups” being introduced one by one to the whole concept of travelling as a pack. They’re keen as mustard so are coupled up to older, steady hounds who patiently show them the ropes. Only another few weeks and they’ll all be out hunting 2 or 3 times a week, although usually my partner is the only one out with them as he does it on foot and there aren’t many interested in that! Most people here hunt for the riding, not for the hounds. However if I had to ride in the field, I doubt I’d hunt. There’s nothing quite like finding a vantage point where you can really watch hounds working. =)
Gothedistance–Wonderful hunt report! Thanks for the vicarious thrills and wishing you many more days like that on your super pony.
