This sounds so lovely! Wish I had a horse to bring down and join you all. Next year!
Pasha,
Hunter’s Rest has the horses. and the B&B. We will look forward to your arrival whenever you want to come. This isn’t a competition, this is for the joy of it.
If everyone wants to do it again, we can. That’s part of the joy of 6 months of days to choose. Just keep giving the weather gods their offerings on a regular basis…:winkgrin:
One of these days I will come! Hunting is on my bucket list and I shall do it. Have fun ladies and gents, be careful and kind, always listen to the master and Tally-Ho!
Whicker, bless you 
- I will take you up on that invite one day - or of course you could come over here, where the hunting is 6 days a week (tho 3 of that is staghunting…), 9 months a year - not that I want to tempt you :lol: Must admit our weather gods aren’t very well-behaved, though…
[QUOTE=whicker;5127776]
Pasha,
Hunter’s Rest has the horses. and the B&B. We will look forward to your arrival whenever you want to come. This isn’t a competition, this is for the joy of it.
If everyone wants to do it again, we can. That’s part of the joy of 6 months of days to choose. Just keep giving the weather gods their offerings on a regular basis…:winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
So when does hunting season end this year? This is something I would absolutely love to do - it’s been a long time dream to ride through VA horse country. If there are horses available for lease, that would be fantastic and I wouldn’t have to worry about bringing a greenie (and maybe even combine this with a horse shopping trip!!)
Until sometime in April
Hunting in days of recent yore, went to the first of April, (April Fool’s Day, Natch…)
Last year, we had such wretched weather with all the snowmageddon storms, that there was an extension of the season into mid- April. We were able to lure Pleasantmeadow down for one of those late season hunts. She promptly became addicted. Perfectly reasonable!
This year is also unique, in that Rappahannock has joined forces with ODH, so you can hunt pretty much any day of the week. Of course, there are many other hunts locally to enjoy, so it is quite a luxurious choice to be made.
Each hunt has its own personality and terrain for territory. That makes visiting fun. Many have special memberships in adjoining hunts, which helps the budget for all concerned.
Hunter’s Rest is super, so it is easiest for me to plan with that in mind. She is only 15 minutes away, in the heart of the ODH country. There are other situations in other hunts, but this is the one I know and enjoy.
We will enjoy showing you our world.
I’m happy to be a part of the hooplaa! This was supposed to be a “support your spouse weekend” for me, but I’ve cajoled him into giving up important engagements in DC for a quick trip out to join my COTH friends! Actually, the whole family is tagging along (hubby & kids.)
We’ll be arriving at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and staying over at Hunter’s Rest (soooo excited). Looking forward to a fun filled morning out with ODH followed by races and a fab dinner at Whickers!
Can’t wait to see everyone I’m also hoping to make it down for the ODH/Rappahannock hunt week toooo.
And don’t forget, pretty ladies, the Oct. 30 ODH hunt ball at Marriott Ranch. There’s still time to scare up a date (and lose those 10 lbs…)
I soooo wish I could be there! Maybe early November if I can play my cards at work right…
Pass the work on and come!
Bat those eyelashes and delegate! The hunt ball is a blast! Even get my handsome gallant sons to dance with! (I brought them up right,:winkgrin:)
Linquest - contact Beth Rera in NJ - she has a group of ladies coming in early November you can join their trip!
Well, I didn’t make it to KY, so the next best thing will be to hunt tomorrow morning with y’all. See you in the AM!
O.M.G.
Kick ass day with ODH Saturday from Hunter’s Rest.
Hinderella was the Belle of the Ball. Got to witness superb hound work, jump across real Virginia hunting country and had a blast.
Posting pix now on my facebook page. (I don’t have pic privileges here.) Friend me - Betsy Burke Parker - to see them.
: o )
Wayyy more later from the others but just wanted to say We. Had. A. Ball. during inaugural CotH hunting weekend.
Planning to write a report for the brick and mortar magazine on how we all met, etc.
Quote of the day was the little girl on a leadline pony who looked straight at HR and said, “YOU took us the Wrong Way!”
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Those ODH hounds have some voice. The pack looked like a river of orange and white, pouring through the bottom and leaping up and over round bales, their cry echoing in the mountains. You could have thrown a blanket over them - it was just poetry in motion.
It was great to put so many faces to these screen names - and it was just a great day all around. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect horses and hounds… just perfect.
A day to remember.
I’m so glad that Hinderella asked about foxhunting and wanting to figure out how to start!!:) It provided a great excuse to get together and meet each other, eat some great food, and enjoy some unforgettable hunting!! The ODH hounds sure put on a tremendous show! :yes: Great voices and a tight hunting pack eager for a good long run or two! :winkgrin:
Thanks to all who organized this fantastic weekend of events. It was a wonderful way to get to know some amazing women!
Hoping that we get to make this an annual event! Here’s to COTH Hunt Weekend 2011!! HERE! HERE!!
As JSwan said
"It was great to put so many faces to these screen names - and it was just a great day all around. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect horses and hounds… just perfect.
A day to remember. "
Envious of all of you! Can’t wait to see the pictures!
[QUOTE=CarrieK;5137951]
Envious of all of you! Can’t wait to see the pictures![/QUOTE]
Ditto!!:yes:
Sweet, wonderful that it all worked out!! Besty- will friend you on FB to see the photos! I bet they make me become a lil bit homesick.
I cannot thank everyone enough for the WONDERFUL COTH Hunt weekend!!! Whicker, for starting the ball rolling, Hunters Rest for the great instruction, and for her amazing hunt horse who took such good care of me and to ALL of the COTH women who have introduced me to Hunting, to beautiful VA hunt country and shared the amazing joys of their new friendships.
I arrived completely unsure of myself, concerned that I hadn’t the skills to manage this foxhunting thing. I’d been riding every day to prepare, and reading everything I could about hunting so I would know the rules and etiquette. Honestly, my only goals when I set forth were to stay on my horse and to not make some terrible hunting faux pas.
Hunter’s rest took me under her very competent wing, matched me to a couple of her wonderful made hunters and took me out into the woods to learn. I gained new skills, and even more amazingly, new confidence. I began to think “maybe I really can do this”.
The night before the hunt I woke up at 3:45 a.m., afraid I would oversleep…lay in bed waiting for the first morning light, so I could dress in my hunting attire for the very first time! Headed down to the barn to get my wonderful retired police horse mount ready to go.
The foxhunting gods were surely smiling on us the morning of October 2…as the trailers arrived and horses began to unload, the mist, settled in down low, began to burn away, and the sun hit the golden leaves on the hillsides. The early morning chill faded, and those who had worn their vests began to have second thoughts. I was offered a stirrup cup as I mounted, but I was sure I wanted all my senses for this first day. The hounds arrived, a sea of orange and tails coming up the driveway to surround the masters in front of the house. And with a few brief words of greeting from the master, we were off !!
I rode in ODH’s new third field, surrounded by terrific COTH friends, new friends, talented little girls, and led by Hunters Rest. I had the chance to see the hounds gather and circle in a field at near a river, and soon they were away. First first and second field were shortly out of sight, but we third fielders hurried along our route, and before long we spotted one of the whippers in, we could hear the hounds, and soon see them in the distance. My third field experience was AMAZING!! Up hills, down hills, water crossings, in and out of many gates (thanks, pleasantmeadownfarm for doing gate duty) and soon we were truly hilltoppers…stopping atop a hill with what must have been one of the most beautiful vistas in all of Virginia. Our horses calmly began grazing, but even in this quiet moment, my heart still raced with the excitement of really, truly, hunting.
Soon we traveled down again, near the river, where we spotted the first field and the hounds, flying toward a row of round bales in pursuit of the fox! We were out quite a while longer, but were not again so close to the action. But that didn’t diminish my excitement in the least, when we finally returned “home” my face hurt from grinning non stop for hours!!
If horses are a vice and riding is an addiction, then hunting must be a sickness, because I’ve definitely caught it! I plan to work hard on my skills, and practice with my pony and I WILL DO THIS AGAIN!!!
I’ve noticed that people will say “I do dressage” or “I ride jumpers”…but for these women, it’s " I AM a foxhunter" …it’s not just what you do…it’s who you are…and I am amazed and humbled that these wonderful women have opened the door to let me into the club.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading and sharing my experience, and please, if you weren’t part of the wonderful crew this year, I hope to meet you in the future
With much gratitude…Hinderella
Yeah Hinderella, you did it!! Isn’t it fun??
Had to giggle about your 3:45 a.m. wake up. I was hunting my new mare on Saturday, her 4th time out, and some of us were moaning about how hard it is to get out of bed when it’s dark to go to work but when it’s a hunting day, we don’t notice the pre-dawn darkness one second.
