Ohio Governor Engineers Compromise Puppy-Mill Bill
Early this month, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced a compromise puppy-mill bill that he would recommend to the state legislature. The compromise has the backing of both the hunting dog community and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the bill’s sponsor. The question now is, will the compromise hold through the legislative process?
Opening the Window
With regular reports from Ireland and England by photojournalist Noel Mullins, Foxhunting Life is pleased to bring you a wider window into the world of foxhunting.
Mullins, having retired as marketing chief for IBM in Ireland, has happily reverted to his true personna—foxhunter. FHL subscribers have already enjoyed his stunning photographs and well-crafted articles. There’s more to come.
Mullins also has two books currently in print and available through FHL’s Bookstore. In The Origins of Irish Horse Fairs & Horse Sales: 3,000 Years of Selling Irish Horses, the author explores the roots that have made Irish horses famous the world over. Irish horse fairs and horse sales have lured buyers from every nation in the expectation of finding horses with good temperament, tough bone, and athletic ability.
Where Did You Hear That One?
I shall always be grateful to the Masters of Foxhounds Association for allowing me to develop Covertside and serve as
its editor for fifteen years. During that time I had the unparalleled opportunity to meet, observe, hunt with, talk to, and interview many of the greatest huntsmen, hound breeders, Masters of Foxhounds, and foxhunting statesmen of the last half-century. Not only in North America, but in England and Ireland as well.
When planning this website, one of the features I wanted to offer was access to authorities such as these. Every foxhunter has the occasional question, whether it be on an arcane hunting term, hunting hounds in the field, breeding hounds, correct attire, a point of etiquette, training the field hunter, sporting art or literature.
British Foxhunters Offer Major Concession for Overturn of Hunting Ban
July 7, 2010
Foxhunters in Britain are backing plans for regulation of hunting by an independent authority in return for an overturn of the despised 2004 Hunting Act.
Hunt supporters have proposed creation of a Hunting Regulatory Authority (HRA) which would demand a strict code of practice to eliminate unnecessary suffering of the fox and to ensure that hunts respect animals, property, land, and crops. Flouting of the code could result in prosecution in the courts and, for the guilty, fines and disbarment from hunting. Hunters with hounds operate under a similar system in Northern Ireland.
Melvin
The young lady was waiting in line—a long line, all the way outside the building—at the Virginia Foxhound Show when a soft-spoken, older man started a casual conversation. Where are you from? What hunt? Did you bring hounds to the show? How are they bred? What is your country like? He was interested in all she had to tell him about her hounds and her hunt. Then he strolled off.
“Do you know who you were talking to?” gushed a friend nearby.
EU Requires Micro-Chips, Passports for All Horses
July 1, 2010European Union legislation passed in 2008 required all foals to be micro-chipped by July 1, 2009. New legislation requires all horses to have valid passports issued from an approved studbook or agency as well. Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has consulted with representatives of that country’s equine industry to determine how best to […]
Puppy Mill Legislation Considered in Congress
June 29, 2010
Legislative initiatives to curb puppy mills, in recent years brought before numerous state legislatures, is now in the hands of both houses of the U.S. Congress. The so-called PUPS Act (Puppy Uniform Protection Statute) would require dog breeders who sell more than fifty puppies a year to be federally licensed and regulated.
The Kill: Take This One to the Beach
June 29, 2010
“A shot exploded in the hushed twilight and grumbled through fog in the hollows.”
So begins The Kill, Jan Neuharth’s third mystery novel set in the famed foxhunting country of Middleburg, Virginia. All the familiar landmarks are there: The Coach Stop, Books and Crannies, Middleburg Tack Exchange, The Upper Crust. You want to keep clear of Goose Creek and the Foxcroft Road, though. Bad things happen there.
Bookstore
Starting a foxhunting library? FHL‘s Bookstore has a wide selection of must reads.
Galleries
See foxhunting slide shows from around the hunting world. Click Horse and Hound/Photo Gallery.