Now that Scotland has successfully banned trail hunting, the Labour Party has promised to follow suit in England and Wales. The fallout from this promise, laid out in its “manifesto” released this summer, has already affected several hunt clubs that hunt on Ministry of Defence land despite there not being any new legislation enacted from the newly elected party. In response, the British Hound Sports Association held a National Trail Hunting Day this month to try to sway public opinion away from supporting a total ban.
In February 2024, I took a road trip to hunt my way across the US and back after finally being cleared to ride again after back surgery. I hunted to Pennsylvania before returning west to hunt my way home to Nevada.
Nothing is more terrifying during early Autumn Hunting in the East than when a member of field yells “BEES!”. Yellow Jackets are a dangerous surprise that can cause complete chaos in late summer (Yellow Jackets are wasps, not bees, but when in the moment the fewer syllables required to scream a warning is best). There are some precautions everyone should take when riding out in the country in late summer to prevent injury from falling off a panicked horse, anaphylactic shock from a venom allergy (for both horse and rider), and permanently terrifying new riders to never ride out of the ring again.
Harriet McFadden writes wonderful hunt reports for her Tennessee Hunts. This one is from 2017 when Cedar Knobs Hounds was still operating and Johnny Gray was still acting huntsman for the Hillsboro Huntsman.
Traditional foxhunting attire is important to me, but I’m not a fanatic. Why is it important? Respect...for three hundred years of sport, art, literature, and the men and women who had the passion, energy, and intellect to formulate and leave us one of the most exhilarating activities known to man. For these reasons it pains me to see the concepts of appropriate attire ignored in many hunting fields today.
Everyone has their tricks and quirks to prepare for the day’s hunt. I have learned several tricks or hacks over the years that prevent problems or make things easier. Below are twenty tips that might also be helpful to you.
