The title says it all! If anyone could point me in the right direction, I’d surely appreciate it! Thanks in advance!
They might be inactive because they do not appear on the MFHA list.
http://www.mfha.org/hunts-alphalist.html
Princess Anne Hunt is on the VA peninsula or if you go up towards Richmond there is the Caroline Hunt.
Hope this helps some.
James River Hunt Club
1711 Todds Ln, Hampton, Virginia 23666
(757) 838-0107
Looks like downtown hunting !
Old Article; http://articles.dailypress.com/1993-03-14/features/9303150187_1_fox-hunting-james-river-hunt-club-hunting-attire
You’d have to check if it still exists.
That google map is the old horse show grounds called Jame River Hunt Club. It use to have some barns, a ring and a small outside course. Back in the 70’s when I lived in the area and showed there the hunt was not operating out of there but it was still called James River Hunt club.
The article has the hunt in Isle of Wight, VA which is across the James River from where the old James River Hunt club show grounds are located.
I don’t recall a James River Hunt Club, so I think you are thinking of the stable referenced by SLW.
There was a James River Hunt Club, and as of last year they were still hunting. I’m not sure if they are still active. I have a friend who was a member, I’ll check with her on the status and any contact info.
[QUOTE=jawa;7775542]
There was a James River Hunt Club, and as of last year they were still hunting. I’m not sure if they are still active. I have a friend who was a member, I’ll check with her on the status and any contact info.[/QUOTE]
Thank you! I so appreciate it!
Thank you everyone for helping!
Anyone?
You can see the names of the masters and whippers in here: http://jamesriverhorseshow.com/2014/2014_James_River_Prize_List.pdf
but there’s no contact information.
There was an address on page 12.
That’s the address of the company that manages the horse show, and has nothing to do with the hunt. Nardeen may be able to provide contact information, but as far as I know she’s not affiliated with the hunt other than managing the horse show.
Sounds like a Rita Mae Brown book in the making “The Mysterious Vanishing Hunt.” 
[QUOTE=SLW;7800603]
Sounds like a Rita Mae Brown book in the making “The Mysterious Vanishing Hunt.” :)[/QUOTE]
It’s possible one of Rita Mae’s talking animals, most likely that cat named squeaky (?), might know of this hunt but it is doubtful. My youngest daughter once hunted with Farmington and some years back I think I heard mention of James River but I don’t think it was an organized hunt so to speak.
Why don’t you contact the MFHA executive director and see if he can put you on the right track. They are probably aware of unafiliated hunts. The alphabetical list of mfha hunts was posted above. The article that was posted was published in 1993. That’s quite awhile ago.
Here’s the mfha main link.
http://www.mfha.org/hunts.html
The ExDir is Lt Colonel Dennis Foster: dennis@mfha.com
If James River doesn’t exist maybe he can get you hooked up with a hunt nearby. Haven’t checked but I think VA Hunt week is coming up soon. That’s when all the hunts open up for interested individuals and other hunt members to ride with them. Check it out.
VA has just passed a new hunting license law especially for foxhunters. You might want to check that out too.
Va Hunt Week has moved to an every other year format. It will be next year.
I passed on some contact information for the OP to try and see if they are still in existence/actively hunting. I know they hunted last year, but I’ve not heard back on whether they are hunting this year.
My first riding lessons were at the James River Hunt Club on Todds Lane in Hampton. As SLW posted above, there was a show ring, outside course, and probably 5 shed row barns, plus a clubhouse.
Mr. Stafford taught a bunch of girls from my neighborhood. I thought he was also on the staff of the hunt. But I was only nine years old from a non-horsey family, so I could be wrong.
I remember riding a white pony named Cotton. There were two Thoroughbreds, Judge and Jubal, who were also used for lessons.
I still have my first horse show ribbons from a schooling show we did, plus a newspaper clipping about the big horse show with a photo of Katie Monahan (before she was Prudent). When I moved to a nearby show barn, we went back to the James River Hunt Club for shows hosted by the Peninsula Horse Show Association and Hampton Junior Horse and Pony Club. Yes, I still have those ribbons, too! (I’m a pack rat.)
It was a great place to get started with horses!
FCHJ, I showed on the PHSA circuit in the early to late 70’s. Fun times. Did you ever show on the other side of town at Gosnolds Hope Park, the Taylors barn was a 1/2 block away? Fort Eustis use to host PHSA shows and the outside course there was fun, same at Newport News Park. Fun memories.
It still exists. I have not hunted with them, however I have several friends that have. I used to have a contact with the hunt, but I cannot find her email address.
If you go on Facebook, look up Hampton Roads Horse Community. Someone posted about JRH recently. A few members responded. You can also call Sesroh Tack Shoppe in Smithfield, VA. Several members shop there and Ms. Carol can get you in touch with members. The MFH owned and ran a feed store in Newport News, VA off Old Bethel Rd (cannot remember the name).
I’m not experienced in hunting (so my apologies if I say the wrong term), but if I recall, one of the members said they are not sanctioned with MFHA hence they now fly under the radar. Last time I talked to my contact (a year ago), their fees were perfect for those of us wanting to hunt, but on a strict budget. Membership was not much more than a weekend horse show.
Hope this helps and gives you some direction. I’ll keep searching for my contact’s email address.
I would assume they are a farmer pack
Which is often a delightful place to dip your toe in the hunting world so to speak.
mellsmom- What is a farmer pack? I have not heard that expression before
[QUOTE=anmoro;7923911]
mellsmom- What is a farmer pack? I have not heard that expression before[/QUOTE]
From MFHA: Farmer Packs
“Farmer Packs” are Hunts that do not meet MFHA qualification standards or have not applied for membership in the Association. A Farmer Pack may or may not hunt in a member Hunt’s territory. In situations where they do hunt in a member Hunt’s territory, there must be a mutual agreement between the Farmer Pack and the member Hunt. In recent years the Board has been concerned about new member Hunts applying for country hunted by existing Farmer Packs. The MFHA customarily does not assign territories to member Hunts that are hunted by mounted Farmer Packs, unless there is no conflict between them. "
From my experience Farmer Packs are usually a one or two landowner organized pack that hunt a limited territory, often just that of a landowner or that landowners friends. They are allowed to draft hounds from other hunts, and are granted by the MFHA a recognized “peaceful” coexistence with any sanctioned hunt in whose territory they share hunting privileges with landowners, and a peaceful use of their stated hunt territory without intrusion of other hunts. More often than not they hunt “open” land that is not claimed by a MFHA hunt. They are usually small with a limited membership, and one Master, and may or may not have subscriptions for hunting.
Not the same as an Outlaw Pack which has an adversarial relationship by deliberately hunting in some other hunt’s territory without that hunt’s “permission”. They are denied the benefits of a sanctioned hunt, and sanctioned hunts are forbidden to sell or give hounds to them.
