Raja: Story of a Racehorse
Raja: Story of a Racehorse, Anne Hambleton, Old Bow Publishing, 2011, 250 pages, illustrated by Peggy Kaufmann, $14.95The fictional adventures and travails of a well-bred Thoroughbred foal are chronicled from the early days by his dam’s side to a Grade 1 Stakes win, to the jumpers in the “A” circuit, to the New York City Mounted Police, to foxhunting with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds, to the Blue Ridge Hunt point-to-point, and finally to the Maryland Hunt Cup. As a foal, Raja is cursed with a phobia for lightning—the recurring source of his many troubles along the way in achieving his potential.
This may be Anne Hambleton’s first novel, but she has had plenty of practice honing her writing skills in the business side of her life. On the equine side, Hambleton is a horsewoman who knows all the disciplines intimately, and Raja’s adventures unfold believably and with authority. The characters in the story—both animal and human—are well-crafted, and we care about them.
Autumn Foxhunting in Maryland
Members of the Carrollton Hounds joined members of the Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds on Sunday, September 18 for a day of autumn foxhunting in the open rolling hills of Frederick County, Maryland. Photographer Susan Bloom captured the action and color of a busy day with hounds.
Who Carries the White Whip?
Huntsman John Tabachka“Are MFHs supposed to carry white whips?” asks John Tabachka, huntsman for the Sewickely Hunt (PA).
While there are slight differences in the answers from our experts, the common thread seems to place the white whip properly in the hands of those who deal with hounds in the field, either as huntsman or whipper-in. That said, as always, the Master may do anything he or she likes!
One thing you can always count on from Foxhunting Life‘s Panel of Experts: they speak their minds!
Huntland Kennels at One Hundred
1914 photograph of Huntsman Charlie Carver (front), Master Joe Thomas, and hounds / Courtesy of Karen L. MyersThis year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the completion by Joseph B. Thomas of the stables and kennels at his historic estate in Middleburg, Virginia, aptly named Huntland.
On September 18, 2011, current owner Dr. Betsee Parker marked the anniversary with a luncheon for members of both the Piedmont and Middleburg Hunts. Newly uncovered photographs of the original structure were displayed, and people were free to wander through the stables and kennels.
William P. Wetherall, Jr. (1934–2011)
William Pinkney Wetherall, Jr., foxhunter, race rider, and racing official died at the Winchester Medical Center in Virginia on Monday, September 12 at the age of seventy-seven. Bill was an excellent horseman and all-around athlete. He set a long-standing record in the hurdles at Episcopal High School, then attended Princeton University and Virginia Tech. Bill […]
Old Huntland, Joe Thomas Photos Discovered
A youthful Joseph B. Thomas at Huntland / Courtesy of Karen L. MyersJoseph B. Thomas, MFH came to Middleburg, Virginia via Boston and New York in the early part of the twentieth century and built Huntland—house, stables, and kennels. Thomas was a founding member of the American Foxhound Club, Master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, and author of Hounds and Hunting Through the Ages, the first comprehensive book on hunting with hounds ever written by an American.
Thomas became the largest breeder of foxhounds for mounted packs in North America and helped to define the American foxhound breed. He has been a subject of great interest to all serious scholars of North American foxhunting, and much has been written about him. However, available images of Thomas (and his famous huntsman Charlie Carver) to grace all that published text have been sparse.
Now, just in time for the present owner and restorer of Huntland, Dr. Betsee Parker, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of her famous home, we have a treasure trove of recently discovered old photographs of Thomas, Carver, hounds, and kennels.
Bridlespur Hunt
Bridlespur huntsman Eleanor Hartwell and houndsIn our Hunt Club Pages under the Horse and Hound drop-down menu, we publish a page (or more!) for every North American hunt. On those pages appears every published article about or refering to that hunt.
We recently asked you for descriptions or histories to use as a lead for your hunt’s page. The response has been terrific, and we’re continually fascinated by the diversity of each hunt’s origins and individual culture. Here’s Bridlespur’s story:
Horses in Art at the Bruce Museum, Connecticut
The horse has been a romantic subject for artists for twenty-thousand years. That is when the oldest known cave painting of horses were executed. The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut has mounted an exhibit of horses in art—“Saddle Up! Horsing Around at the Bruce Museum.” From Pierre Jules Mene bronzes to Eadweard Muybridge’s iconic equine […]
Bill McDevitt: Friend and Benefactor
Bill McDevitt, honorary whipper-in and benefactor of the Los Altos Hounds (CA) since 1963, passed away at his waterfront Sausalito home over the weekend. He will be remembered by his many hunt buddies and the numerous Masters he served, including Tom Harris, W.W. Mein, Richard Collins, Eugene Rettig, Mrs. Jay Foss, and Albert Schreck. He […]
Two Views
Foxhunting Life takes pleasure in publishing the winning entry in the United States Pony Club annual Hildegard Neill Ritchie Joys of Foxhunting Writing Contest for 2011.
As one of the contest judges, I was impressed by Katy Ropp’s vibrant depictions of sounds, smells, and sensations. Katie, 15, is a D-3 member of the Kalamazoo Valley II Pony Club in the Great Lakes Region.