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Randy Rouse, MFH, Donates Middleburg Training Center to Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Loudoun Fairfax Hunt Master Randy Rouse has donated a well-known Middleburg, Virginia property to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The transaction was completed on Thursday, December 29, the day after Randy celebrated his one hundredth birthday. “I can take a tax writeoff,” Randy said to The Fauquier Times. “At my age, I’ve got to start thinking about the future.” Rouse has been a successful real estate developer in Northern Virginia, a longtime Master of the Fairfax Hunt, winning amateur steeplechase rider, and president of the National Steeplechase Association. The property, the Middleburg Training Center, was originally built by Paul Mellon as a training facility for his racehorses. It boasts a 7/8-mile track, multiple barns, paddocks, tack rooms, offices, grooms’ quarters, and house. In 1975, a group of local horsemen purchased the facility. Over the years the track surface has resounded to the hoof beats of many good horses, among them Hoist the Flag and Spectacular Bid. Randy Rouse bought the training center in 2006 for four million dollars, but its usage has declined over the years, and, though it’s been on the market recently, there have been no takers. The non-profit Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), plans to continue current operations—eighty horses are now stabled there—and will renovate barns and add more fencing. As many as ninety Thoroughbreds could be retired on the property, according to Lenny Hale, TRF president and CEO. For more details, click to read the complete article by Vicky Moon and Leonard Shapiro. Posted December 31, 2016
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Fox Eradication Program In Tasmania Lives On
No one has ever seen a live fox on Tasmania, an island state off the southern coast of Australia. Yet fifty million dollars have been spent over a ten year period to fund the fox eradication program. An occasional dead fox has been found, and fox scat has been noted, but many believe the evidence to be a hoax, planted to continue funding an un-necessary bureaucracy. “I don’t know if there are foxes in Tasmania or not,” said Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilke. “I don’t know if there’s been misconduct in the task force or not, but I tell you what—there is so much evidence on the table now I suspect we’ve got a real problem.” Tasmania has long been the only federal Australian state thought not to have an established fox population. Apparently, it appears so important to keep it that way that the fox eradication program has a life of its own, impervious to governmental questioning. Doubts have been raised as far back as 2011 whether or not the program is a hoax. Wilke met with Federal environment minister Greg Hunt in 2014 to raise his concerns, but Hunt has not responded. Tasmanian MP Ivan Dean asked police to investigate alleged misconduct or fraud within the eradication program, but Police have been unable to lay criminal charges. The Tasmanian Integrity Commission is considering whether to launch an inquiry. For more details see Dominique Schwartz’s complete article, published by ABC, Australia. Posted December 16, 2016
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Free Market Funds Largest Purse In Thoroughbred Racing
Florida’s Gulfstream Park is offering a new race—the Pegasus World Cup—featuring a twelve million dollar purse, the largest in Thoroughbred racing. The first running will be on January 28, 2017. The mouth-watering purse, funded by a free-market concept, has attracted an international scramble just for a place in the starting gate. Each of the twelve gates costs entrants one million dollars. Not all the buyers are owners with outstanding horses. Some gates were bought by swinging sportsmen and women to be sold, shared, or leased to other owners, under any number of business-like arrangements. According to the Wall Street Journal, “The gambit has attracted people like longtime race fan Dan Schafer, a 33-year-old entrepreneur who owns pizza shop franchises in the Midwest and a free daily fantasy sports site. He purchased a spot in the gate without so much as a horseshoe because he saw the race as an innovative way to be involved in racing—rather than the well-trod path of buying a young horse and praying it has Kentucky Derby potential.” “‘I believe in the industry,’ he said. ‘To grow the sport, we need to grow the fan base. There are a lot of skeptics, but skeptics are going to be our biggest watchers.’” Billionaire Frank Stronach, eighty-four, founder of an auto parts empire in Canada, devised the format of the race. His Stronach Group controls topnotch race tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, and Pimlico. Stronach’s daughter Belinda is chairman and president of the Stronach Group. Their aim is to make racing cool and exciting. All gates are sold, and the purse is full. California Chrome, 2014 Horse of the Year, with record-setting earnings of over fourteen million dollars, has a spot. Arrogate—who won the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, setting a new track record, then went on to beat California Chrome in the Breeders Cup Classic last fall—is not yet committed. However, trainer Bob Baffert has had inquiries from gate owners. For more details, see Pia Catton’s complete article. Posted December 15, 2016
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Foxhunting Issue Erupts Again in Bucks County, PA
Jim and Judy Cox, a Warwick, Pennsylvania couple who live in the vicinity of Dark Hollow Park, are once again campaigning to ban foxhunting in the park. Four years ago the couple sued the Huntingdon Valley Hunt and huntsman Richard Harris, MFH, claiming that hounds knocked Judy Cox down while walking her dog and bit them both. Foxhunting in the park was suspended briefly, then allowed to continue. The Coxes (Jim is a township supervisor) now claim that the hunt has not conformed to the terms of the 2012 agreement. Supervisors Chairwoman Judith Algeo agrees with the Coxes, voicing her “concerns that the continuance of these fox hunts are a safety risk to the residents.” Town Manager Gail Weniger says the township is no longer “quite as rural as it used to be.” The hunt has scheduled ten hunts in the 770-acre park and claims it has followed the rules. Foxhunting permits are issued by the county Parks and Recreation Department. For more details, click for Justine McDaniel’s story in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Posted December 2, 2016
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Scottish Police Say Foxhunting Law Is Unworkable
Foxhunting was banned in Scotland in 2002 by enactment of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act. Since that date, there have been no successful foxhunting prosecutions there. According to Police Scotland, while “exceptions to the offence to ‘deliberately hunt a wild animal with a dog’ are multiple and provide opportunities for exploitation by those who continually and deliberately offend,” there exists a “lack of clarity,” and “the police are, on occasion, unable to establish the high threshold of evidence required to prove and ultimately, report cases.” Police Scotland say that terms such as “stalking”, “searching”, and “flushing” were not defined by the act, an omission that creates confusion that can “deflect from the original intention or spirit of the legislation…. To make this legislation more effective and workable, offences need to be simplified and terms expanded.” A review of the act by Lord Bonomy was ordered by Scottish ministers last year, and findings are expected in the coming weeks. The legislation allows hunts to use dogs to flush out foxes and chase them towards the hunts, where the foxes are shot, but there have been allegations that the law has been broken because guns have not been visibly present. Police also said that proving the “intent” of an accused individual was very difficult because of the wording of the law. The League Against Cruel Sports agrees with Police Scotland that the legislation is unworkable. According to the Scottish Director of LACS, “Our two-year investigation into the activities of Scottish fox hunts convinced us that they were driving a coach and horses through the present legislation…. The Scottish Parliament thought it had banned fox hunting in 2002. Now is the time for the law to be strengthened and for fox hunting in Scotland to be really banned, for good.” The Scottish Countryside Alliance, which promotes hunting, is yet to respond. For further detail, see the complete BBC article. Posted November 12, 2016
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Farmington and Windy Hollow Hunts Top Winners at Penn National
Windy Hollow Hunt Tops Hunt Team Competition. / Al Cook photo Traditionally, Monday night is Hunt Night at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg. This year, twenty-two hunt teams from thirteen hunts showed up in formal hunting attire on October 17, 2016 to compete in the evening’s highlight event. As usual, the course featured a series of single fences to be jumped by each team with the emphasis on maintaining an even pace and equal spacing between the three horses, culminating with the last fence approached on the diagonal to be jumped by the three team members in unison. The winning team was from the Windy Hollow Hunt (NJ)—team members Holly White and sisters Emily and Jane Wiley earning the blue ribbon. “We did not even realize we won. We couldn’t believe it when we walked in and saw them holding up the blue ribbons,” said Jane Wiley. “We are dedicating the win to our pony, Bear, who died last night. He was thirty-one years old and was leased out to a young girl with special needs.” The team didn’t have much time to practice. White has only been in the United States for a short time because she works for the United Nations and is based in Africa. “We are so thrilled! We have only been able to practice for a month because of my job,” said White. “I think we won because of our overall presentation. We really thought about the beginning and the end, and our horses jumped in good form. I think the combination of the two really helped us out.” Emily Wiley, Jane’s older sister, was grateful to the Horse Show for dedicating a night to the Hunt Teams. “It’s great that the Horse Show supports the sport of foxhunting and the great riders who participate. People should come try it!” The overall Hunt Night Championship, based on points accumulated over all the classes for field hunters, went to the Farmington Hunt (VA), whose riders traveled four-and-a-half hours to participate. “We were very surprised to win. We just came to ride and have a good time with our horses, and we won! How exciting is that!” said Elizabeth King, MFH and spokesperson for the hunt. “Last year we had one team, but this year we thought it would be great fun to have two. We’ve got great riders and we had such a great time. We’ll be back again next year!” The two teams from Farmington included King, Karen Bull, and Jeanette Fellows (Team 1) and Stephanie Gurlain, Elizabeth Uffleman, and Jennifer Daly (Team 2). Now in its seventy-first year, the PNHS is one of the most historic horse shows in the U.S., featuring the best in the sport of hunters and jumpers and is the launching ground for many future Olympians. Fifteen thousand spectators, and a million live feed viewers enjoy ten days of top national competition as 1,400 top Junior and Adult competitors vie for eight national championships—including the prestigious Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal Final and the Neue Schule/USEF National Junior Jumper Individual and Team Championships. The top jumping riders and horses are expected to compete in the $100,000 Prix de Penn National Grand Prix on the final day of the show (October 22), presented by The Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund. Since the show’s inception in 1947, the PNHS has donated $1.68 million dollars to the Harrisburg Kiwanis Youth Foundation and has donated $350,000 to local therapy and equine groups since 1999. Applications for grants are accepted throughout the year with action upon requests awarded in September. Other Winners of Hunt Night, sponsored by Kinsley Construction were: Leading Lady Rider: Molly Green of the Green Spring Valley Hounds (MD), Team 1 Field Hunters for Riders 35 Years of Age and Under, sponsored by the Hempt Bros, Inc:Elizabeth Uffleman, Farmington Hunt, Team 2 riding JT Field Hunters for Riders 36 Years of Age and Over, sponsored by Horseshoe Trail Farm, LLC:Jennifer Daly, Farmington Hunt, Team 2 with Prize Hunter Under Saddle – Gentleman, sponsored by Roundtop Mountain Resort: Dr. Csaba Magassy, Potomac Hunt (MD) riding Thunderbride Hunter Under Saddle – Ladies, sponsored by Carol Copeland: Molly Green, Green Spring Valley Hounds, Team 1 riding Co-Dependent Posted October 29, 2016 Huntsman John Dean parades Radnor foxhounds to the delight of the crowd. / Al Cook photo
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Sewickley Hunt Will Raise Funds for Local Park
Horse Show at Hartwood, 1932 Successful and long-lasting hunting establishments are those which not only provide benefits to their subscribers, but also contribute to and become an integral part of their communities. Like the Sewickley Hunt (PA), which will stage a demonstration fox hunt on October 9 to help raise funds for the Hartwood Acres Park in Allegheny County. The park covers 629 acres just ten miles from downtown Pittsburgh. Hartwood is considered the crown jewel of the county’s park system, comprising nine parks totaling 12,000 acres. At Hartwood, hounds will follow a drag laid over the trails and fields, with funds being raised from the sale of tailgating spots in strategic areas for viewing. Funds will help the nonprofit Friends of Hartwood restore and preserve the historic stables at the former estate, the centerpiece of which is a stately Tudor mansion. The thirty-one-room slate-roofed stone mansion was built by Mary Flinn Lawrence in 1927 and features design elements she and her husband John Lawrence had seen in a manor house in Broadway, England. The grounds of the estate were transformed by Mrs. Lawrence into an equestrian showcase of riding trails, show rings, steeplechase course, and stables. The property was sold to the county in 1969. The mansion contains a collection of original English and American antiques. The park also offers a large-stage concert area where summer concerts and music festivals are held. Thirty miles of trails are available for horseback riding, walking, hiking, biking, and cross country skiing. The hunt has never ridden at Hartwood, according to Andy Komer, MFH, but no problems are expected in traversing the country. Komer will talk to spectators about the hunt and its history, which spans nearly a century. The other three Sewickley Masters are Anne Metcalf, Diane Dubois, and Doug Christy. John Tabachka is the professional huntsman, and, as a multiple winner of the annual MFHA Horn Blowing Championship, could give a good demonstration of horn calls to the spectators as well. Sewickley member Amy Giammattei, who serves as chairman of the Friends of Hartwood, suggested the demonstration as a fund raiser for preserving the stables. With stalls finished in varnished oak, it’s a project deserving of restoration, indeed. Posted September 28, 2016
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Horses Can Learn to Read and Communicate
A Norwegian study recently proved that horses can quickly learn to read simple symbols and use them to communicate whether or not they wish to wear a blanket. The study was conducted with twenty-two riding horses of various breeds over a period of time during which weather temperatures varied from pleasant, to cold, to cold and rainy. After completion of the training process, each horse chose accurately and appropriately according to its individual desires over a test period of nearly a year. Four days within the period were shown on a chart as examples. On pleasant days in May and August, all horses chose not to wear blankets. On a cold, drizzly day in April, fifteen out of twenty-two horses chose to wear blankets. On a cold, very rainy day in September, twenty of the twenty-two horses chose the blankets. Of the two un-blanketed horses that day, both chose blankets on a still colder, sleeting day. To begin the study, three white boards were used to teach the horses to choose their preference. One had a horizontal bar in the middle (meaning, “put blanket on”), one had a vertical bar in the middle (meaning “take blanket off”), and one board was blank (meaning “no change”). The boards were introduced, one at a time, to each horse. When they touched the single board with their nose, they were rewarded with a piece of carrot, and the appropriate action was performed by the handler. It took just two weeks for the horses to learn the meaning of each symbol. Then all three boards were mounted on a paddock fence, their positions continuously shuffled. Each horse would be brought to the paddock on a warm day covered with blankets and sweating. When they chose the appropriate symbol, they were rewarded and the blanket was removed. Each horse had to make the correct choice twelve times before moving on to the next step—a cold and uncomfortable day when they were brought outside without a blanket and presented with their choices. Finally, when they were brought out suitably dressed for whatever the weather—un-blanketed on a pleasant day or blanketed on a miserable day—they would receive the carrot if they chose the blank board, but no reward for any other choice. A few horses were too smart, and tried to game the system to get more carrots. A couple tried nibbling on the boards, but eventually learned that this strategy didn’t produce more treats. Another horse apparently loved the attention of having blankets put on and off, so he kept choosing the all white board just to get changed! After a while he learned that changes had lasting consequences, like becoming overly hot or uncomfortably cold. For a short video and more detail, click to see Karin Brulliard’s article in the Washington Post. Posted September 24, 2016
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New Conservative Government May Bring Vote on Hunting Act
UK Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has consistently pledged to bring a free vote in Commons to overturn the hunting ban. It was part of her election plank as she sought to become Prime Minister in last summer’s election. Although she lost her election bid to current Prime Minister Theresa May, because Leadsom is head of the department in charge of the issue, she is still positioned to fulfil her pledge. David Cameron made the same election promise before he became Prime Minister, but he never did bring the matter to a vote, fearing it would fail. The odds against are still overwhelming, but many Tories now fear that low ambition guarantees failure. Current Prime Minister Theresa May has spoken in favor of foxhunting in the past, and her stiff support for other contentious government issues has given new hope to many Conservatives who wish to square off on the foxhunting issue. They chafe under the Hunting Act which they see as a Labour-inspired class assault on the countryside in the guise of animal welfare. Tony Blair was Prime Minister at the time the Hunting Act was passed and implemented. Blair managed to leave hunting “banned and not quite banned,” and he admitted in his recent memoir that the Hunting Ban was a mistake. There appears to be renewed resolve among some well-placed Conservatives to force a vote on the issue, win or lose. Posted September 20, 2016
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Limestone Creek Holds Annual Parade
Limestone Creek Hunt (NY) celebrated the start of their official season with an annual Parade of Hounds. Professional huntsman Lori Gronau and staff took hounds and field from the village green, through the town, to the site of the meet. This year, the hunt invited the Beaver Meadow Foxhounds (ON) and the Green Mountain Hounds (VT) to join the Parade of Hounds and Opening Meet, all on the morning of September 11, 2016. Before hounds moved off, a traditional Blessing of Hounds ceremony was held. Spectators were invited to view the parade and attend the blessing. Limestone Creek is a 501(c)3 organization, and holds the annual parade and other events such as trail rides, hunter paces, foot races, hunt clinics, and hunt balls to help educate future foxhunters about the sport and about conservation, preservation, and good land stewardship. Limestone Creek’s pack of mostly Crossbred hounds hunts fox and coyote live and follows the occasional drag. Masters are John and Barbara Anderson, Nelson and Renee Eddie, and Barbara Lindberg. Click for the complete EagleNewsOnline article for photo and more details. For information about the Limestone Creek Hunt, visit their website, FaceBook page, or communicate via email. Posted September 13, 2016
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