People

Susan Oakes and saddle, the provenance of which includes the training of ceremonial horses for Queen Elizabeth IILongtime foxhunter Susan Oakes will attempt to set a new world record for the side saddle high jump at Aintree’s Annual National Show on July 28, 2012. The record of six feet, six inches was set by Mrs. Esther M. Stace at the Royal Sydney Easter Show, Australia, in 1915.

Susan Oakes hails from County Meath, where her parents Clare and Oliver and her sister Elizabeth are all involved in horses. Since childhood she has pony clubbed and hunted with the Meath Foxhounds, Tara Harriers and the Ward Union Staghounds, often riding side saddle. She also campaigns her point-to-point horses Parson’s Pistol and O’Muircheartaigh. She is also a show judge of hunters and side saddle, and an accomplished show rider winning the first ever coloured horse class at the RDS with Cisco Kid, and the coloured cob class with Crowboy JJ.

R.K. Mellon's great-granddaughter Kendra McBroom, showing her hound in the Junior Handlers Class at the VIrginia Foxhound ShowFrom the founding family—the Mellons—to the professional huntsman’s family—the Stickleys—the Rolling Rock Hunt nourishes its family connections.

Today, two Rolling Rock Masters represent the founding family: Mrs. Armour (Sophie) Mellon and Christina Henderson, granddaughter of hunt founder Richard King Mellon. Christina’s daughter, Kendra, thirteen, helped with hounds at the Virginia Foxhound Show this year and showed in the Junior Handlers Class—a fourth generation of the Mellon family involved in the hunt.

Mark Stickley, the current Rolling Rock huntsman, whipped-in to his father Lovell Stickley, who came to Rolling Rock as kennel huntsman in 1956 and carried the horn from 1961 to 1977. Today, Mark’s daughter Virginia whips-in to Mark and worked side-by-side with her dad showing hounds at the Virginia Foxhound Show—a third generation of Stickleys working with hounds at Rolling Rock.

Angela Royal, MFH  /  Sarah McKee photoAngela Royal of Rougemont, North Carolina has been elected Joint-Master of the Red Mountain Foxhounds.

She has been a dedicated supporter of the hunt for more than fifteen years, serving as Field Master, hosting the hunt’s annual Boxing Day Celebration, and participating in hound shows. She currently serves as whipper-in.

Or more to the point, who are these two giants of foxhunting? One is revered for his uncanny rapport with hounds; the other is remembered for his imaginative contributions to the world of horse sports and sporting scholarship.

This puzzle was posted on our Facebook page, and Carey Shefte was the first person to correctly identify both men and claim the prize. Foxhunting Life is sending Carey a CD of foxhunting songs collected by one of our mystery men. Read on for the answers!

Larry Byers and Joey Peace are new Joint-Masters at Aiken.  /  Randy Wolcott photoThe venerable Aiken Hounds (SC)—a pack steeped in the history of North American sport—has appointed Larry Byers and Joann “Joey” Peace as Joint-Masters. Established in 1914, the Aiken Hounds hunt the drag through the Hitchcock Woods.

Liz Callar photoCongratulations to Tommy Lee Jones, the first recipient of the Ian Milne Huntsman’s Award, presented by the Masters of Foxhounds Association on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Biennial Staff Seminar dinner. Jones has hunted the foxhounds of the Casanova Hunt (VA) with distinction since 1970. The award is named for the late Ian Milne, popular huntsman for the Fairfax Hunt (VA), to recognize and honor those professional huntsmen who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of foxhunting. Posted April 25, 2012... This content is for subscribers only.Join NowAlready a member? Log in here

What is dog to man? What is the worth of one terrier to a band of stoical countrymen who live in a harsh place in a depressed time? How hard and how long will such men strive to save a dog from perishing, out of pure respect? Our late Cumbrian friend Ron Black gave us a story to remember.

The rescue, 1934

It’s a long pull from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to the site of the borran. You first climb up Stickle Ghyll following the track as it ascends, beside the beck, at first gently, but just before Tarn Crag there is a steeper section. At Tarn Crag the track swings right-handed, and you can cross the beck and follow it up to the tarn on the left bank picking your way through the rocks.

What is dog to man? What is the worth of one terrier to a band of stoical countrymen who live in a harsh place in a depressed time? How hard and how long will such men strive to save a dog from perishing, out of pure respect? Our late Cumbrian friend Ron Black gave us a story to remember.

The rescue, 1934

It’s a long pull from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to the site of the borran. You first climb up Stickle Ghyll following the track as it ascends, beside the beck, at first gently, but just before Tarn Crag there is a steeper section. At Tarn Crag the track swings right-handed, and you can cross the beck and follow it up to the tarn on the left bank picking your way through the rocks.

This photograph along with the question of the couple’s identity was posted on our Facebook page to provide an entertaining and informative way of featuring iconic figures in American foxhunting. We furnished a few hints, thinking that this would be a tough puzzle, but our readers made short work of it.

Verity Cameron and Bill Getchell were the first to correctly identify our mystery couple, and since their complete answers were posted pretty much simultaneously on our Facebook page, each will receive a gift from Foxhunting Life. Anne Manfredo Darken filled in more information by naming their pack correctly, so she deserves an honorary mention!

This portrait along with the question of the subject’s identity was posted on our Facebook page to provide an entertaining and informative way of featuring iconic figures in American foxhunting.

Paula Nelson was first with the correct answer, and if she will contact us with her address she will receive a gift from Foxhunting Life. David Amos provided the right answer just two minutes later. Also Lauren Giannini and Jesse Welsh got it right—all four within the space of an hour.