I recently purchased a used copy of “Fields Elysian, a portrait of hunting society” by Simon Blow. The dedication page is inscribed "To Joan, with many thanks for introducing the author to the Old Dominion and very best wishes, Simon, December 1984.
This is a book with lovely, old photographs. anyone know who “Joan” could be or any history?
thanks in advance.
Possibly Joan Hopewell. I believe she hunted with them for many years, then moved to Aiken or Southern Pines, I forget which. Owned some steeplechasers, too. I can only claim to know her slightly through friends.
Joan Hopewell was ODH master, but I think the reference is to the Old Dominion as in Virginia, the Old Dominion State, not Old Dominion Hounds.
Mrs. Hopewell was my very first job, between my junior and senior years in high school - I lived with her in Upperville and galloped horses for her trainer Barbara McWade at the Middleburg Training Track.
A 16 year old girl with a driver’s license, a jeep wrangler, a fake ID and a giant libido???
Ooooooh. That was some kind of trouble. : )
But wow, what a summer.
Her best horse was Running Comment.
Wow. Interesting and thanks for the info. I think I will put a sticky note in the back of the book with a "this could be. . . " notation.
If the author is still alive, why not just ask him? It would be nice to know.
HR - loved your little ‘journey back in time one summer long ago’. That was cute!
:lol: LOL, Betsy! :lol:
Carol
The next “Studs”
[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;6622520]
A 16 year old girl with a driver’s license, a jeep wrangler, a fake ID and a giant libido???
Ooooooh. That was some kind of trouble. : ) [/QUOTE]
I can see this on a book cover already. You should write up your summer as a novel. All you have to do is change the names to protect the innocent :winkgrin:
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