A Sportsman’s Artist: Franklin Brooke Voss
Franklin Brooke Voss (American, 1880–1953), Tom Allison, Huntsman of Meadow Brook Hounds, 1934, 12 x 16 1/8 inches, National Sporting Library & Museum, Gift of Katrina Hickox Becker, 2020
Franklin Brooke Voss counted among his patrons a Who’s Who of some of the most successful and affluent people in the United States in the early-to-mid-20th century, including the likes of John Hay Whitney, J. Watson Webb, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Alfred Vanderbilt, Walter Jeffords, F. Ambrose Clark, and Emily T. DuPont. These patrons, however, had something other than wealth in common. They were all equestrians in a golden age of turf and field sports, and just as importantly, they were supporters of the arts.
Harry Worcester Smith…the Great Hound Match of 1905…a Discovery?
Photograph discovered by Baily’s in a biscuit tin, dated 1905 on the back, and appearing American.
The historic and well-documented Great Hound Match of 1905 was a face-off between A. Henry Higginson’s Middlesex Hunt (MA) with its English Foxhounds and Harry Worcester Smith of the Grafton Hunt (MA) and his American foxhounds. The Match was held in the then hunting country of the Piedmont Fox Hounds (VA), with each pack alternating hunting days.
Despite the substantial coverage by the press and public interest in the Match at the time―and ever since―something has been missing.
Kennel Crisis Demands Quick Action
Camargo huntsman Andy Bozdan and a healthy Fargo.
With permission, here’s a recent FaceBook post by Andy Bozdan, the London-born huntsman at the Camargo Hunt (OH). The post generated excited congratulatory praise from foxhunters all over, and justly so. This is a man with a big heart for animals. Let’s just say, “a big heart…period.”
I contacted Andy, wanting to write about his experience in Foxhunting Life, and Andy agreed by saying, “If it could be helpful, then yes.” After adding that what he did was based on training he’d had for humans, Andy suggested, “I think it would be good to get a knowledgeable vet to give the actual procedural advice.” Right you are, Andy, so here’s both.
Frank Burke: Man and Horseman
The Irish possess a mystical, possibly genetic relationship with the horse. The late Frank Burke is a splendid example of the horseman all horse-lovers aspire to be.
Frank Burke with Siscero, winner of the 2016 Dublin Horse Show Puissance at 7-feet, 3-inches and ridden by Shane Breen / Noel Mullins photo
A constant outpouring of messages of sympathy flew at the sad news of the passing of Frank Burke―West of Ireland horseman and lifetime follower of the Galway Blazers Foxhounds. The messages expressed what so many were thinking: a great warrior, kind and caring, inspiring, a joy to meet, smiling and good-humoured, hospitable, strong, a passion for life, steely determination, brave, tough and positive. Some said they admired his deep faith, a gentleman who suffered in silence from a dreadful illness over the last twenty years, yet remained pleasant and uncomplaining.
Frank knew he was not fighting his battle alone. He has his family in his corner and particularly his beloved wife Bernie, a trained nurse who was his ‘rock,’ sharing both his good days and bad days. And he had sons and daughters, all living as a close family unit. His son David said that his father gave a whole new meaning to the word, tough, recalling when the Hospice Nurse called to the house to attend to Frank only to be told he was out on the farm painting a gate!
Irish National Hound Show at Stradbally Hall
Leo Powell presents The Irish Field Perpetual Trophy for Best Unentered Bi*ch, ‘Old English,’ Co. Limerick Truckle (Racket ’18 ex Tassel ’18). Receiving the trophy is Belinda Johnson with huntsman Fergus Stokes and David Beecher, whipper-in for the Co. Limerick Foxhounds. Stradbally Hall stands in the background. / Catherine Power photo
For twenty-one years, the Irish National Hound Show has been hosted at Stradbally Hall in County Laois, the Cosby Family seat since the 1500s. Stradbally’s long history is as tragically brutal as the history of Ireland herself. Today, however, it is home to a young Cosby family and internationally known as the site of the annual Electric Picnic, a prized arts and music festival; the National Steam Rally; and the Irish Scout Jamboree, attracting scouts from Ireland, Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Lassie, Come Home
Halo: two years getting home / Illustration by Rosemary Coates
From The Hound Intelligence Series, published by Hounds Magazine (UK), edited by Deirdre Hanna, illustrated by Rosemary Coates. Click to purchase the 333-page collection.
Red Rock Halo by Lynn Lloyd, MFH
Years ago, in the mid-1980s, the Red Rock Hounds (NV) hunted an area in Northern California called Spencerville. The drive from Reno takes about four hours and crosses a mountain pass exceeding fourteen thousand feet at the summit. Here in Reno, we are about 5,500 feet above sea level, so the climb is substantial, and the range is vast. It is the same Sierra-Nevada range and the same pass (now Interstate 80) where the doomed Donner Party met their fate over the winter of 1846/1847 when they became snowbound migrating westward.
True to the Line, A Hunting Life
Book Review by Dulany Noble
True to the Line, A Hunting Life, Adrian Dangar, Quiller, UK, 2017, Hardbound, $31.50, available at Horse Country Saddlery
I looked forward to reading this book by Adrian Dangar because I love stories about foxhunting, and, to be clear, this book is about foxhunting and about hunting all sorts of quarries, not just foxes. It is not about fox chasing. If you are reading this, I am sure you know that foxhunting in England was not strictly for the sport. It was to kill foxes that harm the livestock of the landowners and farmers in the country and to control the prolific fox population.
Jenny Camp
Tommy Thompson and Jenny Camp
Foaled in 1926 at the United States Army Remount Depot in Front Royal, Virginia, Jenny Camp was named after the cavalry’s horse shows known as “Jenny Camp” shows, open to enlisted soldiers, women, and children. Despite being the daughter of one of the Army’s finest remount stallions, Gordon Russell, Jenny Camp did not come equipped with wonderful conformation below the knees, but she did come with a scrappy hardiness that would take her far. She was out of a half-bred mare and she stood sixteen hands high.
Belle Meade’s Midland Maiden
Belle Meade huntsman Epp Wilson, MFH, and 8-year-old Midland Maiden 2013
Midland Fox Hounds (GA) has drafted a lot of fine hounds to us at the Belle Meade Hunt (GA) over the years. Most have worked out well for our country and our way of hunting. Most drafts are un-entered pups, but often they will draft an entered hound to us when they’ve had a large litter and find themselves with more of that bloodline than they need. That’s how we got Midland Maiden 2013, and she turned out to be one of the best hounds they ever sent us. She is so good, I think Mason may have some regret about having drafting her to us.
Still Horse Crazy After All These Years
Book Review by Caroline Treviranus Leake
Still Horse Crazy After All These Years, James Wofford, Trafalgar Square Books, North Pomfret, Vermont, 2021, $27.95
James Wofford was born in 1944 in Kansas. His father was stationed at Fort Riley, longtime home to the U.S. Cavalry. Early on, at the age of three, Jim received ‘riding lessons’ from his older sister and brothers, including jumping little fences on his 12-hand Shetland pony, Merrylegs. He would grab the horn of his Western saddle and ‘hang on.’ His siblings led the pony over the fences after which they allowed Jim to jump on his own.
As a result of that early and sophisticated training regimen (or despite it), during Jim’s competitive career, he earned team silver medals in two Olympic Games, an individual and a team bronze at two World Championships, and team gold at the Pan American Games. He also won five US National Championships (each on a different horse) and two Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Events on two different horses.