chronicle of the horse
Drag Hunting Today
Wayne-DuPage drag hounds head to covert. / Chris Carney photo
Drag hunting, according to conventional wisdom, is what a hunt does when its country is constricted by suburban development. Sometimes that’s true, but, more often, hunts follow a dragged line of man-laid scent because the Masters want to. And a few hunts have been doing it for more than a century.
Each type of hunting—live or drag—has its pluses and minuses, depending on the needs and priorities of the participants. Drag hunting offers a controlled hunting experience to the benefit of hounds, riders and landowners. With a judicious laying of the drag, hounds are safer because roads and other hazards can be avoided; farmer’s crops are protected from horse’s hooves; homeowners’ lawns and yards are not trampled; and small pets are safe from the attention of hounds (all assuming that hounds don’t riot).
For riders who seek a gallop over fences, drag hunting offers a more efficient use of time, with no standing on a windy hillside while hounds search a covert for a fox (which may or may not be found). Thus the drag-hunting day typically lasts about two to three hours, with guaranteed galloping and jumping, better suiting those with a busy schedule, rather than the three- to five-hour day usually consumed by the ebb and flow of live hunting.
The Chronicle of the Horse Is Sold
The Chronicle of the Horse in Middleburg, Virginia and Mark Bellissimo of Wellington, Florida jointly announced today the sale of the magazine to Bellissimo. The purchase also includes The Chronicle‘s enormous vintage black and white photo library that has recorded most major equestrian sporting events since the late 1930s, as well as the digital publication, The Chronicle Connection. Bellissimo’s Wellington Equestrian Partners LLC owns and operates the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Florida. Founded 76 years ago as The Middleburg Chronicle by the late Stacy Lloyd, The Chronicle of the Horse has long been one of the most respected magazines in the industry. For many years foxhunting was a major subject and remained so under the editorships of the late Alexander Mackay-Smith and the late Peter Winants. In 1952 The Chronicle was bought by the Ohrstrom Family who has owned the publication to this day. “I’m so proud to be part of the long tradition of The Chronicle,” said Bellissimo. “I am committed to keeping the organization’s core mission of being the most trusted resource for equestrian sport by offering independent journalism and the highest editorial integrity.” Plans are to introduce new products and services that will strengthen the information flow within the industry, including an enhanced website and state-of-the-art mobile applications, and for the current staff to remain in Virginia. Click for more details. Posted July 12, 2013
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