Uncle Mo Is Still the Horse to Beat in the Derby
Uncle Mo is being touted as the horse to beat in the upcoming Kentucky Derby on May 7. In fact, the undefeated two-year-old champion that ran away with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by more than four lengths is renewing serious talk of a potential Triple Crown winner this year, an accomplishment not seen since Affirmed’s […]
Dr. Lewis McCurdy, Popular Alabama Foxhunter, Dies After Hunting Accident
Tragedy struck Saturday, February 28 at Belle Meade Hunt in Thomson, Georgia, according to a press release from Epp Wilson, MFH and huntsman. Dr. Lewis McCurdy, a visiting huntsman from Tuscumbia, Alabama, fell from his horse when it missed a turn while hunting. Dr. McCurdy, a large animal veterinarian, was visiting along with several other […]
Fox Shoots Foxhunter
A determined fox in Belarus turned the tables by accidentally pulling the trigger on his assailant’s rifle and shooting the foxhunter in the leg. The hunter had approached the fox after wounding it, with the intention of finishing the job with his rifle butt. The fox resisted strenuously and in the ensuing scuffle managed to […]
Foxhunter Has Best in Show at Westminster
Foxhunter Scott Dove’s Foxcliffe Hickory Wind Is Best in Show at Westminster Kennel Club Jack Grassa photoFoxcliffe Hickory Wind, a Scottish deerhound bitch owned by foxhunter Dr. Scott Dove, his wife Ceil, and Sally Sweatt, was judged Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club in New York yesterday, February 15, 2011. Hickory is the first of her breed ever to capture that honor at Westminster.
The news clips on TV showed her to be not only a magnificent specimen of a dog, but an astoundingly beautiful mover. Watching her trot across the ring, one would think she was filmed in slow motion—floating effortlessly—were it not for the legs of her handler doing double-time beside her!
William Frazer’s Tailor Shop Destroyed by Fire
Michael and Elsie Frazer just four days before fire destroyed their tailor shop Noel Mullins photo
The shop of famous Irish sporting tailor William Frazer in the village of Hospital in County Limerick was destroyed by fire on Wednesday, February 16. William Frazer passed away years ago, but the business was continued by his son Michael and Michael’s wife Elsie.
Besides the complete loss of stock, fabrics, and equipment, all their records were destroyed, including measurements and memorabilia of the many well-known customers like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and other larger-than-life foxhunters and sporting figures for whom the Frazers built hacking jackets, hunt coats, vests, breeches, and trousers for over two generations.
Sportsman/Publisher Arthur “Nick” Arundel Dies
Arthur “Nck” Arundel at the Gold Cup Races, Great Meadow, 2007 Douglas Lees photo
Foxhunter, visionary, and publisher Arthur “Nick” Arundel died in his sleep at home on Tuesday, February 8, one day shy of being named Outstanding Virginian of 2011 by the Virginia General Assembly. He was eighty-three.
Mr. Arundel was publisher of the Times Community Newspapers covering four counties in Northern Virginia, including Loudoun and Fauquier.
His father was a foxhunter and once served as head of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association. His mother was an ardent conservationist. Mr. Arundel merged the influence of both parents into his life.
Fernie Hunt to Appeal Conviction
Fernie huntsman Derek Hopkins will appeal his conviction under the Hunting Act and Badgers Act, according to the Countryside Alliance. Hopkins and countryman Kevin Allen were convicted following a seven-day trial that had been scheduled for only four days. The accused men argue that key evidence, including questions about their intent, was not even addressed […]
Abandoned Horses at Dunsink to Be Helped
A coalition of local government and a private trust will help the abandoned horses at Dunsink, a common grazing ground near Dublin. The Fingal County Council and the Irish Horse Welfare Trust drew up the plans jointly. According to Sharon Newsome, spokeswoman for the trust, there are approximately sixty horses on the 160-acre site at […]
Movement Afoot to Re-Open Horse Processing Plants
There are movements stirring to re-open horse processing plants in the U.S. The last remaining processing facility, which was located in Illinois, was closed in 2007 by a federal judge. Although horse processing was not outlawed, Congress, in 2006, curtailed the US Department of Agriculture’s inspection of such plants. Just recently, a Summit of the […]
British Hunting Ban Will Go Unchallenged in 2011
England’s Hunting Act will go unchallenged in 2011, despite Prime Minister David Cameron’s earlier pledge for a free vote in Parliament and despite former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s admission this year that passage of the Act was a mistake. Although the government claims there are more pressing issues requiring Parliament’s attention, there is doubt now […]