Belle Meade Hunt Week attracted a happy throng of visitors. / Bella Vita Fotografie photo
Masters and members of the Belle Meade Hunt in Thomson, Georgia celebrated their Hunt Week with an event-packed schedule for friends and guests from Monday, January 14 through Saturday, January 20, 2013. The week featured three days with the Belle Meade hounds and a day each with the Aiken Hounds and the Why Worry Hounds. Stirrup cups, hunt breakfasts, and optional trail rides were featured, and the week finished up in style with the annual Hunt Ball.
Here’s Robbie Gilmore’s report on the sport shown by the Belle Meade hounds during their first two days in the field:
Belle Meade staff and hounds with Master and huntsman Epp Wilson (second from the right) / Bella Vita Fotografie photo
Hounds were brilliant on Monday, January 14. They found a coyote at Lake Lawrence and ran him to US 78 at Stucki’s Store. Riders had a long, happy hack back in the dusk and dark. The straight line pattern of this day’s run was an interesting contrast with Wednesday’s large and small loops.
How many views on coyotes did we have on Wednesday, January 16? Hounds struck a coyote line at Palmetto Hill and worked toward Widow King’s then circled back east.
Lucy Bell viewed him coming back across Quaker Road near Kenny’s Bridge Road. She gave our guests a bunch of fine Rebel Yells (perfect for Gone Away With the Wind Hunt Week) to hark hounds forward, and they flew to her. On to Valley of the Spleen and straight south upstream on Little Creek all the way to the pipeline then west to Cable Road at the Honey Hut.
The coyote circled back east toward Big Oak then turned northwest back to Jim Sigler’s Branch. Most of the hounds had had enough, except Intel (light gray) who carried the line to Ridge Road. It was a good Rough Rider Run lasting over an hour.
By the time dessert was served, the last three hounds were in safely. Our Hunt Week guests all appeared to have had a grand time—tired but smiling.
Posted January 23, 2013
Bella Vita Photografie photo