Bourbon or Whiskey Balls
Bourbon or Whiskey Balls are a breeze to make, and they retain their alcoholic zing!
Smithwick Saddles Four Winners at Old Dominion
Fogcutter gives Woods Winants his first of three winning rides and trainer Eva Smithwick her first of four wins on the card in the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle Race. / Douglas Lees photoEva Smithwick-trained horses won four of the eight races on the card at the Old Dominion Hunt Point-to-Point held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Ben Venue Farm. Woods Winants drove home three of her winners: Fogcutter in the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle, Coturnix in the Maiden Hurdle, and Rutledge Classic in the Foxhunter Timber Race.
Smithwick’s other win came with Dr. Alex, owned and ridden by Teddy Zimmerman, in the Amateur Highweight Timber Race. This was the second win for Zimmerman and Dr. Alex in this year’s series, their previous victory coming at the Piedmont Point-to-Point.
When Photographer, Horse, and Camera Go Head Over Tail
Foxhunting photographer Gretchen Pelham / Jennnifer Calderwood photo
Gretchen Pelham’s photos have been published in numerous magazines, in Foxhunting Life, and in our annual Foxhunting Life Calendar. After telling her I was impressed that she could juggle reins, hunt whip, and camera, she said that when she rides her own horse, she uses double reins! But, she said, the whip is useful. When taking pictures, she puts it under her leg, horn up, and hooks the reins over it. That way, she can use both hands on the camera! [Ed.]
I don’t have a picture of my whopper of a cropper in the hunt field, mainly because I was the one taking the pictures. I always hunt with my Canon 20D equipped with a 300mm zoom lens shoved down the front of my hunt coat. When I see a moment worthy of a shot I put the reins in one hand, drag the camera out, and start shooting.
Sometimes I have plenty of time to shove the camera back down my coat before my Field Master takes off, but mostly I’ve learned to shove it down with one hand while breaking into a gallop. The coat really holds the big camera steady, and I can jump anything without fear of the camera coming out and clocking me on the chin.
Virginia Mourns Loss of Mary South Hutchison
Douglas Lees photoMary South Hutchison, a powerful presence in the world of Virginia foxhunting, died suddenly on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Mary South—as she was known to visitors and members of the Orange County Hounds, exhibitors at the Virginia Foxhound Show, and members of the Virginia Foxhound Club—served the Orange County Hounds as Honorary Secretary […]
An Introductory Letter from England
Photo by BothSidesPhotography
As our respective seasons come to an end in the northern hemisphere, I would not be sure how the weather has been behaving itself in the US, but here in England and the rest of the UK, we have experienced one of the wettest years on record. Coming on the back of one of the driest in memory it certainly has given Masters and those who are at the very sharp end of hunting considerable challenges in keeping the ‘tamborin a rolling.’ In some areas the season was curtailed by just a few weeks, in others the use of roads and tracks has been an obvious answer. However, the most gratifying aspect of all is to find that our farmers, be they arable men or stockmen, are still the greatest friends to hunting.
Coming from a family who seems to have been involved with the sport for rather a long time has been a privilege to say the least. This is largely due to the very large cross section of people we have worked with, the hounds we have bred, and those vulpine friends of ours who have kept us on our toes for many a year! It has not only been our way of life for four generations of our family, it is far more than that. Hunting seems to be engrained in us, and if you think that as a member of the Barclay family you can escape from it, that I can tell you will not be looked upon as an option!
Strong Showing for Trainer Neil Morris at Orange County
Old Timer gives jockey Jacob Roberts and trainer Neil Morris their first wins of the day in the Novice Timber Race.
Trainer Neil Morris made a bold statement on his home turf at the Orange County Hounds Point-to-Point Races on Sunday, March 31, 2013 by saddling four winners on the card. The day’s racing was run at Locust Hill Farm in Middleburg, Virginia.
Morris-trained horses won three races for Kinross Farm, home to his training stables: Old Timer ridden by Jacob Roberts in the Novice Timber, Sand Box Rules (Chris Read) in the Open Timber, and King Ting (Jacob Roberts) in the Maiden Hurdle.
Passing It On: The Children’s Hunt at Woodford Hounds
What’s wrong with this picture? asks Mary Pierson at the Children’s Hunt to test the youngsters’ knowledge of proper hunting attire. Master Jane Winegardner (scarlet coat) observes with amusement. / Sive Doyle photoTake a look around your hunt field. If your youngest members are the cute couple in their thirties, foxhunting is in trouble. Unless we share our passion with youngsters, foxhunting will die out when we do.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to set the stage for a Children’s Hunt, and you’ll be well-rewarded when you see all the smiles at the end of the day. Michelle Primm was the force behind Woodford’s Children’s Hunt on March 23, 2013. She held well-attended foxhunting camps the past two summers to introduce children to the basics of foxhunting, and a trailer-load of suitable ponies arrived at several meets during the season to take her students out for a day of sport. Wanting to get more kids together at the same time, “Aunt Primm” approached Woodford Masters Robbie Lyons, Jane Winegardner, and Jim FitzGerald with plans for the Children’s Hunt. Woodford Huntsman Glen Westmoreland was all in favor with just one caveat: no lectures!
Preserving Wildlife and Habitat through Cooperation, Not Conflict
(l-r) NARGC Chairman Sean Doris, Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, FACE Europe President Gilbert De Turckheim, and FACE-Ireland Chairman Oliver Russell / Noel Mullins photo
Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan gave the keynote address at a two-day meeting of FACE (Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation) during Ireland’s presidency of the EU in Dublin. In sharp contrast to the attitude of his predecessor, Minister Deenihan’s presence was a welcome breath of fresh air to supporters of hunting, wildlife preservation, and the countryside in Ireland.
FACE is an international organisation that builds bridges between European legislative bodies and the representatives of civil society who stand for sustainable hunting and conservation in Europe. As such, it represents the interests of seven million hunters in thirty-eight countries including the twenty-seven EU countries, making it the largest democratically representative body for hunters in the world.
A View from the Second Flight at Whiskey Road
Cornelia Henderson and Banjo / Shawn McMillen photoI was brushing Banjo’s mane before a meeting of the Whiskey Road Foxhounds (SC). It was standing on end from static electricity, and I thought, “Oh, rats. It’s not going to be a very good day today….too dry.” Was I ever wrong!
And John Emery had apparently told Master Lynn Smith that if the hounds spent another day in the swamp, he wasn’t EVER going back to the Jackson meet. No worries there; John will definitely be back.
We started out toward Averitt Valley Road with hounds speaking in the woods on the in-country side. They worked hard, and first flight took off down and around Kirkland and in by the chicken houses. Second flight held up a bit and listened and watched, finally deciding to move along behind first. That’s when all hell broke loose in the middle of the country with hounds screaming away while we were still on the far edge.
Aiken Hounds Will Celebrate Centennial in 2014
The Aiken Hounds, founded in 1914, are making plans for their centennial celebration next year. In the late nineteenth century, the South Carolina town was becoming a favorite wintering place for wealthy families from the northeast. Thomas Hitchcock, Sr. and William C. Whitney established the Aiken Winter Colony there and were joined by Astors, Bostwicks, […]