James Scharnberg, Master and huntsman of the Skycastle French Hounds (PA), walks out his Griffon Vendeen bassets. / Noel Mullins photo
The day following the 112th running of the Maryland Hunt Cup, which I traveled from my native Ireland to witness, I accompanied advertising executive/sportsman Eli Silberman to visit the Skycastle French Hounds—a pack of Griffon Vendeen Bassets—at their kennels on White Acres Farm in Downingown, Pennsylvania.
Silberman, after discovering the sporting opportunities available in Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds country, resigned from the McCann Erickson agency in New York City, moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania, and set up his own award-winning advertising agency, The Silberman Group in Philadelphia. In addition to his passion for foxhunting, Silberman frequently hunts on foot with the Skycastle French Hounds and also hosts meets on his farm.
Our visit was on a Sunday morning, and the Skycastle staff and members had gathered to exercise the puppies that will grace the show rings this summer. Master and huntsman Jim Scharnberg was using tasty biscuits as a reward for the young puppies as they progressed in their education. When the training session was over everybody repaired to the old whitewashed farm barn where an array of appetising refreshments were offered, including a very refreshing, warm, non-alcoholic cider! This I was to discover was a welcoming group of hunting enthusiasts whose slogan is simply, Come Basseting.
GRIFFON VENDEEN BASSETS
The Griffon Vendeen hound originated in Central Western France in the area of Poitou-Charantes, which is also close to where the best French Cognac like Hennessey, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Martell and Camus are distilled. The Griffon Vendeen hound could easily be described as Welsh if one did not know better. But then apparently the Welsh conquered Brittany in the fifth century, and probably took their rough-coated hounds that are mostly white, lemon or hare-pie in colour with them to hunt, thereby producing an outcross that is now the Griffon Vendeen hound. The larger hound was used to hunt wild boar and wolves. They were used by royalty, so they are often referred to as Chein Blanc du Roi. The Griffon Vendeen Basset is similar to the larger breed except they are shorter, measuring up to thirteen to fourteen inches. They have exceptional voice, are very active and much faster than standard bassets, and ideal for hunting hares and rabbits.
COTTONTAIL RABBITS
The cottontail rabbit resembles the wild European rabbit and is distinctive by the white under their fluffy scut tails that shows when they run. Most live in shallow nests known as forms, and they have greater resistance to myxomatosis than European rabbits. They range from reddish brown to grey, all with a distinctive *cotton ball* tail. When running they can reach speeds of up to eighteen miles per hour, and run in a zigzag manner.
ORIGINS OF THE PACK
The Skycastle French Hounds was founded by John and Elizabeth Streeter in 1942 as AKC Bassets in Chester Springs, and recognised in 1952. They got their first English outcross from the Tewksbury Foot in the mid 1970s. Later Mrs. Streeter imported Griffon Vendeen Bassets from England and France. When Jim Scharnberg took on the pack in 1987 he imported pure bred Griffon Vendeen bitches in whelp, and also stallion hounds.
This is a hardy breed, particularly suited to the conditions in Chester County of thick covert, often briars and scrub, and a good opponent for the Cottontail Rabbit which they hunt. Jim’s other Joint-Master is Nicholas Streeter, and his Field Masters are Paul Green, Daniel Wessells, and Barrett Farnham who is also the honorary treasurer. The kennel huntsman is David Duvall, Mrs. Paul Wiedorn is the honorary secretary, and the chairman is Eugene A. Bolt, Jr.
Formal meets are held on Sundays in full hunt livery, and informally on Wednesdays from the first of August to the end of March. Visitors are welcome. The pack is well-supported with the number of followers at any given meet running as high as sixty.
The hunting country is approximately fifteen bytwenty miles, and the Skycastle French Hounds hunt in cooperation with a number of packs in the area of Chester, Montgomery and Berks Counties in Pennsylvania.
EXTRACTS FROM THE 2011 FALL/WINTER MASTER’S HUNT REPORTS
“We kicked off our 64th season with a super Oktoberfest party at Farnhams Friday 7th October, enjoyed by over 50 members. The Farnham’s Barn was a perfect spot. We had a good hunt on the farm Saturday morning, two rabbits, ran well and marked to ground after about half an hour on each one.”
“Sunday 13th at Silbermans was a good day, despite no good runs. Hounds held together when the first deer broke out of the Barn Covert. We had a short running rabbit there. Heavy fox smell in the Woods Hollow. Drew up the road, and in the Tenant House Covert, Uwchlan (who was the standout hound all day), accounted for a bunny that popped out of the Briar Tangle as he was about to speak, right in front of me! I then blew for home and we went in for a superb tea.”
“On the 23rd, we had a good day at George Jefferis’s Farm. Hounds got up and ran five rabbits and marked to ground, with two good long runs down the backside of the property, in and out of the woods below the West Bradford Foxhounds kennels. Deer got up at the start on our first rabbit when we were drawing around the west side, but hounds did not break either time.”
THE MASTER
Master and huntsman Jim Scharnberg is a concerned and active defender of the right to hunt on foot or on horseback, and is an active member of lobby groups both in the USA and in Europe. He is engaging company, whose heart is firmly in hunting with hounds. He is a great storyteller, many with amusing twists. For any sportsman or woman intrigued by interesting breeds of hounds, it certainly would be worth a special visit to see the Skycastle French Bassets hunt. The kennels are only forty minutes from Philadelphia Airport.
Posted July 2, 2012
Foxhunter/photojournalist Noel Mullins, who lives in County Galway, Ireland, is a frequent contributor to Foxhunting Life. Visit his website for more stories and to purchase his books.