Dr. Scott Dove, MFH / Karen L. Myers photoThe Old Dominion Hounds (VA) have a new Joint-Master—Dr. Scott Dove. If his name doesn’t ring a bell with you, his dog’s name probably will. Dove owns the most famous dog in America—Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, the Scottish Deerhound that won Best in Show at Westminster this year. But if you know Dove, you know he earned the Mastership through his own hard work at foxhunting.
Dove has served Old Dominion as honorary whipper-in for twenty-three seasons. One of his roles as Master will be mentoring new honorary whippers-in.
Traditionally at Old Dominion, they have employed a professional huntsman and one professional whipper-in. The other whippers-in are honorary, but these individuals make a real commitment to the hunt. They pay their own subscription, furnish their own horses, and are expected to walk out and road hounds on a regular basis.
Dove, a veterinarian, whips-in three days a week throughout the season. He credits professional whipper-in Leroy Ryan with mentoring him when he started. Dove has whipped-in to huntsmen Oliver Brown and Gerald Keal at Old Dominion.
His education and experience were greatly expanded by hunting extensively with Ben Hardaway, MFH and the Midland Fox Hounds. He especially benefitted from riding with Ann Hughston at Midland and hunting on foot with her basset pack.
“Ann really turned the lightbulb on for me,” Dove recalled. “She was very generous in allowing me to ride her horses, stay in her family home, and accompany me to the meets of the Midland and the Live Oak Hounds. She was a long term whipper-in for the Midland, and I was allowed to ride along with her.
“Knowledge of the coverts, the previous runs, and how her huntsman handled the hounds dictated where we would position ourselves. The real key, as Ann explained to me, was to anticipate just where to be at any given moment in order to provide the best assistance to the huntsman. Second to knowledge of the country, good intuition and hunting instinct are the distinguishing traits of the best hunt staff.
“I was also very fortunate to have had long talks with Mr. Hardaway about his hounds and how he selected his breeding stock. As everyone knows, Ben is a walking encyclopedia. It was a real privilege to have had the opportunity to learn from the Master. And the icing on the cake was when Ben Hardaway and Mason Lampton awarded me the colors of the Midland Fox Hounds.”
Dove has been whipping-in to Old Dominion huntsman Gerald Keal for seventeen seasons now.
“I’ve had a great education from Gerald,” Dove said. “He gives his whippers-in a very clear indication of what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to hounds in the field.”
Dove becomes the third Joint-Master in the team at Old Dominion, joining MFHs Douglas Hytla and Gus Forbush, two ardent and experienced foxhunters.
Posted July 5, 2011