Gretchen Pelham
When Photographer, Horse, and Camera Go Head Over Tail
Foxhunting photographer Gretchen Pelham / Jennnifer Calderwood photo
Gretchen Pelham’s photos have been published in numerous magazines, in Foxhunting Life, and in our annual Foxhunting Life Calendar. After telling her I was impressed that she could juggle reins, hunt whip, and camera, she said that when she rides her own horse, she uses double reins! But, she said, the whip is useful. When taking pictures, she puts it under her leg, horn up, and hooks the reins over it. That way, she can use both hands on the camera! [Ed.]
I don’t have a picture of my whopper of a cropper in the hunt field, mainly because I was the one taking the pictures. I always hunt with my Canon 20D equipped with a 300mm zoom lens shoved down the front of my hunt coat. When I see a moment worthy of a shot I put the reins in one hand, drag the camera out, and start shooting.
Sometimes I have plenty of time to shove the camera back down my coat before my Field Master takes off, but mostly I’ve learned to shove it down with one hand while breaking into a gallop. The coat really holds the big camera steady, and I can jump anything without fear of the camera coming out and clocking me on the chin.
Sandy Beall Is New Joint-MFH at Tennessee Valley
The Masters and Hunt Committee of the Tennessee Valley Hunt (TN) have announced the appointment of Samuel “Sandy” Beall as Joint-Master of Foxhounds. Beall is founder and CEO of Ruby Tuesday, and his wife Kreis is founder of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. A Relais and Cheateau Resort, Blackberry Farm hosts hunting at the Three Sisters fixture and offers superb hunt breakfasts at the estate. Sandy and Kreis’s son Sam is proprietor of Blackberry Farm. Sandy and Kreis started riding to hounds with the Tennessee Valley Hunt in 1998, and a love affair with foxhunting began. “I am more committed than ever to the sport and being part of something great!” said Sandy upon accepting the Mastership. “I am excited that Kreis is enthused about hunting, and we look forward to great times in the field. I hope my business and hospitality experience will add value to the hunt and the post hunt food and celebration. I believe camaraderie and fun, with happy hunt people, makes the experience whole.” Beall joins four other Joint-Masters of the hunt: Carla Hawkinson, Grosvenor Merle-Smith, Rosemary Merle-Smith, and Gretchen Pelham. Posted May 12, 2011
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