Riot
Douglas Lees photoCubhunting season has arrived, and hunt staffs across North America are taking to the field tasked with imposing new rules upon young hounds just discovering new freedoms! Edric C. Roberts addresses the conflict in this timely and light-hearted poem from his collection, Hunters’ Moon (Richard R. Smith Inc., New York, 1930, 70 pp, illustrated).
Riot
Somehow, I honestly never knew why,
Rarity, Chorister, Landlord and I
Found ourselves happily hunting alone,
Running like smoke on a line of our own;
Riot
Cubhunting season has arrived, and hunt staffs across North America are taking to the field tasked with imposing new rules upon young hounds just discovering new freedoms! Edric C. Roberts addresses the conflict in this timely and light-hearted poem from his collection, Hunters’ Moon (Richard R. Smith Inc., New York, 1930, 70 pp, illustrated).
Douglas Lees photo
Riot
Somehow, I honestly never knew why,
Rarity, Chorister, Landlord and I
Found ourselves happily hunting alone,
Running like smoke on a line of our own;
Hale-Bopp and the Foxhounds
The inhabitants of the Lake District, home to the venerable foxhunting foot packs of Cumbria, have always been superstitious, their lives governed by beliefs and ritual to prevent bad luck. There were many beliefs, but the one I remember best is that in Wasdale a mother did not wash a baby’s arms until it was six months old. This, it was believed, would stop the child growing up to be a thief. As time passed, superstition of events and the cause of happenings became less, or did it?
On July 23, 1995, Alan Hale in New Mexico and Thomas Bopp in Arizona discovered, independently, an unusually bright comet outside of Jupiter’s orbit.
Now the approach of this comet in 1997, which became easily visible to the naked eye in the night sky, did not register on the radar of Pete who only saw stars after closing time, and would never dream of looking to the heavens anyway on his way home from the pub up the streetlight-less road. As the comet neared the sun it became brighter still in the night sky, and the talk in the billiard room was of nothing else. Even hunting took second place.
Hound Hunting Bill Passes California Assembly
A bill that will ban the hunting of bear and bobcat with hounds (SB1221) was passed by the California State Assembly on August 22, 2012. Because it was amended in the Assembly, it must be passed again by the State Senate, after which it will go to the Governor for signature. SB1221 passed the Senate […]
MFH and Hunt Worker Found Guilty of Illegal Foxhunting in UK
Two representatives of the Meynell and South Staffordshire Foxhounds were found guilty of hunting the fox with dogs under the 2002 Hunting Act. John Greenall, MFH was fined ₤3,000 and hunt worker Glenn Morris was fined ₤250 in Magistrates’ Court after a two-day trial.. The prosecution was bolstered by a video taken by hunt monitors […]
Foxhunter Becomes World-Class Carriage Driving Expert
Ed Young—newly appointed to the five-member FEI (international) Driving Technical Committee—was plucked from the Genesee Valley hunting field in the mid-1970s by Bill Remley, founder of the Walnut Hill Carriage Driving Competition in New York State. Remley recognized Young’s math, organizational, and leadership skills and asked him to help out with the scoring in an […]
We’ve Been Noticed!
Foxhunting Life editor Norman Fine is profiled in the August 2012 issue of Middleburg Life. Well known equestrian writer Steve Price serves up more than you ever wanted to know about Norm. The print version is available at many Middleburg, Virginia locations; click to access the electronic “flip-page” version. Open the “Latest Issue” and see […]
Irish National Hound Show
Galway Blazers shown by (l-r) whipper-in Jason O’Donnell and huntsman Tom Dempsey / Noel Mullins photos
The magnificent grounds of the Cosby Estate in Stradbally, County Laois again hosted the annual Irish National Hound Show. Three rings featured foxhounds, harriers and beagles.
Hound shows are important events to meet and catch up on hunting in different parts of the country. For masters and hunt staff it is an opportunity to see what packs have on show, and maybe to pick out a suitable stallion hound for future breeding plans. However, at hound shows, hounds can be judged only on conformation and movement. Only in the hunting field can the other essential qualities for any working hound be assessed, like stamina, scenting ability, fox sense, and drive, as hounds are only as fast or as steady as their noses.
Taming the Cannonball in the Trailer
Paul Striberry on Valentine / Erik Olsen photoA reader who we’ll call Easy-Does-It asks Foxhunting Life for advice on how to get her horse to exit the trailer slowly and safely, as opposed to ejecting itself like an equine cannonball.
We went to Paul Striberry, Lilla Mason, and Robinson Duncan for their expert advice. All agreed that this is a problem that needs fixing, yet each individual took a different approach. While the three recommendations are mechanically different, each is sensible, thoughtful, and promises success. Which all goes to reaffirm that there is more than one way to skin a cat! Or civilize a horse.
Loving His Summer Job
Junior whipper-in Buzzy Fisher / Elisabeth Harpham photoJunior whipper-in Buzzy Fisher (12) has been working with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds this summer. He rides to the kennels by himself each morning to help staff with morning chores, then walks out on hound exercise. Buzzy’s parents—Drs. Phoebe and Rush Fisher—arrive by trailer with horses and ponies […]