Horse & Hound

Foot staff (l-r) are Tom Pardoe, MFH; honorary whippers-in Ande Kinder, Liz Lavine (front), MacKenzie Taylor (behind), and Dr. Frank Becker; and Robert Taylor, MFH and huntsman.   /  Frankie Pardoe photoPerhaps nothing is more important to the perpetuation of foxhunting than public relations. Consequently, when a prominent member of the local agriculture community contacted the Goshen Hounds and invited them to participate in the “First Annual Lisbon Ole Fashion Horse Parade,” the response was immediate. “Count us in!”

Anne Eberhardt Keogh photo
The Woodford Hounds (KY) held their Opening Meet on Saturday, November 26, 2011. The Blessing of Hounds was performed at Shaker Village in front of the Center Family Dwelling on Main Street.

The Woodford and Shaker Village enjoy a symbiotic relationship. The hunt kennels and club property share part of Shaker Village's northwestern boundary. Shaker Village very graciously allows us to hunt their more-than 3,000 acres. In turn we keep paths mowed throughout a section of Shaker Village known as Little Texas. We also refer to, promote, and encourage use of Shaker Village's lodging, dining, and stabling to our out-of-town visitors and others. We are a public-relations resource for them.

Toronto and North York huntsman Antony Gaylard waits to move off with hounds from Grandview, home of Wolf von Teichman, MFH and Gill von Teichman, in Thornbury, Ontario. Georgian Bay is in the background. Sophie and Tea vonTeichman joined their grandparents in the field along with Oliver Harris, grandson of Taddy Cork, ex-MFH.

Mrs Sarah Angel, owner of the Louth Foxhounds, wishes new huntsman Alan Reilly well.The County Louth Foxhounds—founded in 1817 and one of the few packs of Old English breed of hounds in Ireland—have a new huntsman this season. Alan Reilly replaces Noel McKeever who sadly had to retire after nine seasons hunting hounds due to a recurring hunting injury.

The McKeever family has given exceptional service to this premier foxhound pack. Noel’s father Michael started working in the Louth kennels when he was fifteen years old. He whipped-in and hunted the hounds for a remarkable forty-four seasons.

Myopia's hunt kennel with its weathered shingles on Boston's North Shore evokes old New England.Robert Howarth is the new professional huntsman at the venerable Myopia Hunt located on Boston’s North Shore. Robert, originally from England and the Holderness Hunt, arrived at Myopia from the Hamilton Hunt in Ontario. He brought with him Liberty, an Old English foxhound which he bred whilst at the Holderness. I recently visited Robert and got to see Liberty again whom I walked as a puppy.

During my visit, I thoroughly enjoyed helping in Myopia's prestigious hunt kennel, with its red and cream decor, chandelier, and hounds peacefully resting in their lodges to the sound of the classical music!

Lili Wykle, MFH and huntsman, Stonewall HoundsOn Tuesday October 19 we welcomed Todd Kern and fourteen of his Snickersville Penn-Marydel crosses to join the Stonewall Hounds (VA) for a weekday hunt. Todd was coming this way with a horse for one of is his whippers-in, Julia Bayliss, who is currently attending Sweet Briar college and hunting with us. This was very exciting for Stonewall because we had never hunted our country with a joint pack. Adding his seven couple to our eight-and-a-half couple made for a nice size pack.

Todd anticipated a good run on something besides red fox, his usual quarry. He wanted to get his hounds on game that they normally don't hunt, such as gray fox or bobcat or coyote. We have that type of varied game (and even an occasional bear) in our country and not many red foxes.