Picture of the Week

Cathy Summers captured this photo and the others in our Gallery from her own house in Falls Church, Virginia. “For the last four years,” she says, “a vixen has made her home under a shed in my backyard, and I have been able to use my house as a blind from which to photograph the various litters.” Click for more of Cathy’s fox images on her website, including captivating pictures of last year’s litter of cubs.

This flying fox was captured in mid-flight by the lens of photographer Douglas Lees. Click for a Photo Gallery of the Piedmont Fox Hound’s meet at Blue Ridge Farm with first whipper-in Neil Amatt temporarily carrying the horn for injured huntsman Spencer Allen. Posted February 9, 2015

  Photographer Nancy Kleck caught Charlie streaking, and Blue Ridge Hunt field members staring, at a recent meet at Catherine Berger’s Rolling Hills Farm near the Shenandoah River. Click photo for larger view.

Photographer Jim Duggan, out with the Golden’s Bridge Hounds in New York, had to be as quick on the draw as Wyatt Earp to capture this amazing shot. “A slight movement in the weeds and there he was, and as quick as a flash, he was gone!” said Jim.

Photographer Cathy Summers positioned herself perfectly to capture this image of Farmington Hunt’s (VA) first flight moving off from the meet at Hidden Fox Farm. Fortunately it was a still day, rendering the reflections as clear as the subjects. More photos can be seen on Cathy’ website. Posted December 15, 2014

Click photo for larger view Photographer Jim Duggan was perfectly positioned to catch this clever coyote stealthily sneaking behind the field of the Golden’s Bridge Hounds (NY) at Vaile Lane. Posted November 28, 2014

(click for full size image) Denya Clarke captured this compelling and artistic image of North Cotswold Mousetrap—an English foxhound with aristocratic bearing, royal bloodlines, but perhaps a less than regal name! Nigel Peel, MFH and huntsman of the North Cotswold tells us she is a star in his pack. We asked about her unusual markings. “I suspect the colouring comes from her lines to Blencathra Glider and possible from Duke of Beaufort’s Mostyn,” Nigel writes. “Her sister Monday has brown spots. Both are both very good hunters and way back have lines to New Forest Meddig.” Posted Nov. 17, 2014

Click image for enlarged view. Huntsman Robert Howarth watches the Fife foxhounds draw through the gorse above a magnificent piece of hunting country in Scotland. The Fife is one of the northern-most packs in Scotland and has been in existence for more than two hundred years. Helen Laverack, a frequent contributor to Foxhunting Life, took the photo. The Fife country is an undulating mixture of plough and old, hilly grassland. Most of the jumps are timber, and there are no adjacent bordering hunts. The Fife was home to the legendary sporting poet, George Whyte-Melville (1821–1878). Posted October 17, 2014

It was the month of April in 1947 that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball. Here’s an earlier photograph of Robinson while a member of the segregated 9th Cavalry Regiment taken at Fort Riley, Kansas. Consummate athlete that he was, it’s not surprising that his seat on this cavalry horse cannot be faulted! [Submitted by Steven Price.] Posted April 23, 2014

David Chapman photo

Novice rider Tom Bennett, riding for trainer Jimmy Day, fell at the same fence in the first two races at the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point on Sunday, March 23, 2014, but came back strongly to notch two wins on the day's card. This spectacular photograph was taken by David Chapman. See the entire sequence by clicking on the photo and starting the slide show. Prints of these photographs are available from the photographer. Contact FHL to be connected.

Bennett's blues started in the first race, the Maiden Hurdle, when his horse, Fall Colors (number 5) owned by Bruce Smart, fell. Bedizen (number 2) jumped Fall Colors cleanly (photo), but unseated his rider, Gerard Galligan, the two going their separate ways as well. (Click on the photo to see the entire sequence.)