At age fifty-five, Rick Burtner discovers new adventures. / cell phone photo by Betsy Burke ParkerIn September, I rode with the Old Dominion Hounds (VA) on my first fox hunt. It was an early start from Julia Theriot’s Poe’s Run and a crisp fall morning at the outset with a few shivers to be had by all, but it soon warmed into a beautiful sun shining day with many riders sporting beads of sweat as we neared the end of the hunt. The transformation of the cold morning into a warm, sunny day was reminiscent of my experience preparing for foxhunting.
It all started on a chilly morning in early February 2012 with Mary Alice Matheson as my trainer. That I would be foxhunting seven months later was unimaginable to me at the time. My first trail ride in some way symbolizes how I started my foxhunting adventure—at first a bit cold, strange, and uncertain, but quickly, just as the weather turned warm that morning of my first fox hunt, my adventure has been filled with new growth and learning experiences. As I progressed in my riding, I overcame mental and physical challenges and met many fabulous, helpful, and friendly people along the way who share my same passion for foxhunting and hacking through the country on horseback.
Riding in the third field with Betsy Burke Parker as our Field Master on this first hunt for me was a reflection of that first hack seven months prior coupled with the trepidation of being on my first fox hunt. These feelings quickly gave way to the warmth of the morning, and my months of training kicked in to reassure me as we went along. The beauty of the landscape and the friendly support of our Field Master, huntsman Gerald Keal, whipper-in Ross Salter, and the other members of the hunt towards a guest like me added to the warmth. Betsy also had a riding student of hers along for her first hunt.
I returned two weeks later for my second hunt with the Old Dominion Hounds—this meet from Winterset—and came away with the same positive experience as before. The natural beauty of the rolling hills and woods through which we rode, the small logs and cross fences we jumped, all with supportive and welcoming experienced members who had not forgotten their own initial foxhunting adventures made it an equally memorable adventure.
I am living proof that a fifty-five year old guy can undertake a new sport like foxhunting and horseback riding with all the joy, excitement, and satisfaction as though in my twenties. My wife, who rides in the ring and will soon hack out in the fields, was instrumental in getting to me to ride. We felt it was a pursuit that we could do together for the next twenty years. She has surely opened a new world of adventure for me with my new foxhunting friends.
Posted October 16, 2012