So, Rivenoak, are you gonna favor us with a report from Arizona?
Sadly, I was neither able to hunt nor attend the hunts. 
I’ll try to get someone to tell me how it all went…and will report back.
Challenge is over
So the Challenge was finished at Red Rock yesterday. Anyone know the results? I just checked the website and there was no info on it. I haven’t seen anything on FOL either.
I was out with two of our Masters yesterday and neither had heard anything.
I was promised a phone call from Red Rock with the results. Their hunt ball was last night and I believe they have a hunter pace today. I’ll see who I can get in touch with out there and let you know if I find out anything!
No one is answering their phones just now, and I am off to buy a new horse, what better way to spend a Sunday! But I will report as soon as I know anything, though with luck someone else will beat me to the news!
And the winner is…
Well, the Red Rock folks never got back to me, but I have my sources…
I just learned that the Grand Canyon Hounds of Flagstaff, AZ won this year’s Challenge- congrats!
Runner-up was the Knoxville Hounds of Douglas, WY.
I believe Betty Hollendorfer of Fort Carson won the Stalwart Award for most hunts attended, she picked up the tour at North Hills and went all the way to Reno.
Don’t know yet who won the award for most funds raised for charity.
PS, just learned that Bridlespur was named as 3rd place, congrats! And also, I think, raised the most funds for charity?
GCH hunt report
Posted by permission of Paul Delaney, MFH of Grand Canyon Hounds:
"The Grand Canyon Hounds met at one of their most productive fixtures, about
25 miles south of their namesake canyon. The country is rolling, high desert with beautiful views of the Canyon’s north rim far to the north and northern Arizona’s rim country equally far to the south. Huntsman Peter Wilson hunted 14 couple of American hounds with whippers-in Jimmy Boyle and Amanda Wilson.
The field of 17 included visitors from the Caza Ladron and Fort Carson hunts. Weather was warm and dry and coats were waived for those wishing to keep cool, though a northerly breeze persisted through the day. Hounds cast at 9 AM.
After working through some antelope, hounds arrived to drink at their first
tank of the day. This is where a coyote was viewed. Hounds maintained a line of vision for a mile and a half across open country before the coyote ran up a bluff and broke the line of sight. The pack then struggled to find, casting west then east. Finally, they opened as the quarry was seen running northwest, a minute or so ahead. The coyote was pushed and the gap closed quickly, the coyote in view only ¼ mile ahead of the pack.
After 3 fast miles, the front hounds picked a check as the coyote turned southwest. RoseTree Ox and Grand Canyon Quarter (both PMD drafts from Jody Murtagh) withKryer and Angle pulled away from the rest of the pack, to the satisfactionof Judge Grosvenor Merle-Smith, as these were from some of his favorite bloodlines. Hounds, staff, and judges galloped for several more miles before the coyote disappeared into juniper cover. Hounds checked and the horses were given a breather, the pack collected, and the field allowed to catch up. Hounds had run more than 7 miles in less than 50 minutes. The pack was gathered and taken to water. Hounds then began casting, drawing through a few jackrabbits and up onto a ridgeline.
A coyote was spotted moving eastward, downwind, and hounds were brought on but were unable to maintain a line after more than half an hour of trailing northward. The decision was made to head to the Blanco Tank for more water. (Yes, hunting in Arizona has a lot to do with taking hounds to water!)The hounds never drank, as yet another coyote was viewed. After some effort, the hounds locked on, as did Judge Adrian Dangar riding Peter’s favorite mount Pinky, who ran ahead of the pack right with the quarry!
Hounds were determined and ran the scent for 2 miles, before Jump and Goblin (a draft from Red Rock) closed the gap and ran the coyote’s heels another couple of miles. Both these first season hounds, lacking the support from the pack,hesitated, relieving the pressure and giving the coyote some needed distance.
Adrian was not to be deterred and continued with the coyote for another mile where it took a break on a rocky ledge. Peter gathered the hot and thirsty pack for a last-ditch attempt. The coyote proved to have more gas in his tank than did the hounds, who had run to exhaustion. More water from the nearest tank and the hounds were hacked back to trailers after a productive day."
Beverly, I hope you are right. Eleanor will be really excited to hear that Bridlespur was third. The most funds donated is also a lovely trophy. We were shooting for most juniors. I don’t know how we did on that. We had a couple that should have been there but got in trouble with their parents and couldn’t come. Still we had five juniors which I think is a pretty good showing for a weekday.
I just looked on the website and we did win for most Juniors. Goody!
Well, that was what the judges told Sue, the organizer, so yes I am sure that Bridlespur was third!
One of these days
One of these days I’m going to go as far as Colorado from Bridlespur.
Problem is I have this job thing and diesel is over $4.
If I didn’t have a job I could take the time to go but then I wouldn’t be able to pay for the diesel.
