New Hunting Bill to Be Introduced in UK
The British government is expected to introduce a new hunting bill in Parliament that would abolish hare coursing and stag hunting. The hunting of fox with hounds would be allowed in parts of England and Wales under a licensing system. Once the bill is introduced and the content is known, it will surely provoke controversy. […]
Third Grand Championship in a Row for Live Oak at Virginia
Grand Champion Live Oak Farrier 2010 chases a biscuit from kennel huntsman Richard Daley. / Lauren Giannini photo
For the third straight year a Live Oak English hound was judged Grand Champion at the Virginia Foxhound Show. This year it was Live Oak Farrier 2010; last year it was his littermate, Fable; and the year before that it was Live Oak Maximus 2009. This feat of breeding begs a question. Has any one hunt ever won the Grand Championship at Virginia for three straight years? I’d lay money on a new record here.
James L. Young, ex-MFH
Douglas Lees photoFoxhunting lost one of its most notable Masters of Foxhounds with the passing of James L. Young, age seventy, on Friday evening, May 25, 2012.
Urbane, articulate, literate, trim and handsome both on and off the horse, Jimmy Young did everything with a flair, whether leading his field, presiding over the Virginia Foxhound Club Show, writing or speaking on his favorite topic—foxhunting as a noble art form.
Nancy Milburn Kleck Art Studio
Cigar by Nancy Kleck, 24 x 30 inches, oil on canvasEquine and sporting artist Nancy Milburn Kleck has relocated her art studio from the Kentucky Bluegrass country where she lived for twenty-five years to Bluemont, Virginia, near historic Upperville and Middleburg. She relishes the opportunity to expand the scope of her work from mostly racehorses to the foxhunting field as well.
Penn-Marydels Are Getting Respect
Unentered Aiken Trailer was Grand Champion of the Carolinas Hound Show to the delight of (l-r) huntsman Katherine Gunter and Linda McLean, MFH. / Louisa Davidson photoWith stunning examples of the modern English foxhound setting the beauty standard of our time, the Penn-Marydels have long been considered the ugly ducklings of the show ring. So outclassed were they that when shown in the same ring with the modern English or well-bred Crossbred, they never even earned a second glance from the judges.
That view is changing, and we are seeing some spectacular examples of foxhound conformation in the Penn-Marydel ring. So good in fact, that in two cases at least the Penn-Marydel entry has eclipsed all others.
Tally-Ho: I Spot an Old Friend
Author Tom Howland and Candy Linville catch up with friends at the hunt’s reunion. / Jim Sykes photoThe South Creek Foxhounds, Florida’s oldest hunt, revisited their roots at Robert Thomas’s Two Rivers Ranch on May 5, 2012 for a sentimental reunion. Established in 1965 as the Two Rivers Hunt, the hunt’s current name was adopted in 1995.
What an outstanding reunion we all had out at Two Rivers Ranch! For some of us, just entering the drive off of 301 was enough to shed a tear or two and initiate many warm memories. I can’t remember them all, but there were flashes of different parts of the ranch, old friends that have since passed (or those that I hadn’t seen in ages), memorable horses, hounds, the old kennels and barn.
Nicolas J. Hartung, Farrier/Huntsman
Nicolas Hartung and wife Ann with two of their lurchersNick Hartung, former huntsman and farrier, passed away on May 17, 2012 at his home near Staunton, Virginia. Nick suffered respiratory disease commonly referred to as “Farmers Lung” in his native England. Nick was a farrier of great repute, commuting to Maryland for most of his […]
Angela Royal Is New MFH at Red Mountain
Angela Royal, MFH / Sarah McKee photoAngela Royal of Rougemont, North Carolina has been elected Joint-Master of the Red Mountain Foxhounds.
She has been a dedicated supporter of the hunt for more than fifteen years, serving as Field Master, hosting the hunt’s annual Boxing Day Celebration, and participating in hound shows. She currently serves as whipper-in.
Three Convicted Under the Hunting Act in England
Three members of the Crawley and Horsham hunt in West Sussex, England were found guilty in Horsham Magistrates Court of violations under the Hunting Act. These are the first convictions in Sussex under the act. Four of the hunt’s members were charged with five separate offences. All pleaded not guilty. The evidence, including video clips, […]
The Masters Ball
The Masters Ball by Anne-Marie Lacy, 2012, Indigo-Inc Publishing, 206 pages, $25.00From the elegance of the annual fete in New York to a hair-raising ride at closing meet, author Anne-Marie Lacy takes the reader on mad gallop in The Masters Ball, a light-hearted murder mystery with a charming ghost.
The author, who has hunted for seventeen years, drew upon her experiences in the field with the Mooreland Hunt (AL), the Hillsboro Hounds (TN), and the characters she met along the way for her first book. The astute reader will recognize a few larger-than-life, real-life Masters who were Lacy’s inspiration for her characters.