hounds
The Hounds of Annwn Series: The Ways of Winter and King of the May
Perkunas Press, 2013
Paperback from Amazon, e-book
from Amazon and the publisher
Perkunas Press, 2013
Paperback from Amazon, e-book
from Amazon and the publisherAuthor and avid foxhunter Karen Myers continues the adventures of huntsman George Talbot Traherne of Virginia, who found himself inexplicably pulled into a realm of fae and immortals in her first novel, To Carry the Horn: The Hounds of Annwn.
Her second and third novels, The Ways of Winter and King of the May plunge George deeper into the lives of the fascinating characters who inhabit this mysterious otherworld, where it is not always clear who is friend and who is foe. George discovers that he is related to the rulers of this ancient domain, which seems to have once paralleled that of humans. But he possesses godlike powers that not even the wisest of the fae with their magic and their charms fully understand.
Throughout all three novels, Myers weaves the myth of the Great Hunt and the Hounds of Annwn, which belong to the antlered god, Cernunnos. The hounds, which hunt stag and man, were bestowed by Cernunnos upon George's kinsman, Gwyn ap Nudd, the Prince of Annwn, and are the secret to the prince's power. Without the hounds, Gwyn loses all. George discovers magical skills of his own as he struggles to keep his hounds safe so that the Great Hunt on Nos Galan Gaeaf, or All Hallows’ Eve, can take place.
Arturo Bandini and the Pasadena Hunt
Arturo Bandini“Mr. Arturo Bandini, of the Pasadena Hunt, owns the finest pack in the vicinity.... The meet is generally upon Orange Grove Avenue, or some spot contiguous to the Arroyo. And before the dew is off the grass, and while the scent is fresh, the musical notes of Mr. Bandini’s horn may be heard, followed by the fitful baying of the hounds; and then horsemen and women come from all directions—parties from the Raymond and other hotels, and from Los Angeles and San Gabriel, swelling the hunt....”
So writes Charles Frederick Holder, in his 1889 book, All About Pasadena and its Vicinity; It’s Climate, Missions, Trails and Canyons, Fruits, Flowers and Game. Holder tells us that the sport holding the most fascination to visitors is hunting the wild-cat with hounds—the cats in this area sometimes weighing in at fifty pounds. One can't help but wonder if Mr. Bandini and his hounds were even known to those east-coast founding fathers that were pioneering our own sport of organized mounted foxhunting in the late 1800s.
California Bill Will Ban Dogs from Hunting Bear, Bobcat
A California bill (SB 1221) that will ban the hunting of bear and bobcat with dogs has passed the California Senate and is expected to pass the Democratically-controlled Assembly. California lawmakers rejected such bills in 1993 and 2003, but this one is expected to land on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for signature. Fourteen states already ban the hunting of bear with dogs, and thirteen states ban the hunting of bobcat with dogs. Dan Tichenor, a retired engineer who hunts black bear with Plott hounds in California, says that the plan of anti-hunting groups is to ban hunting species by species and state by state. MFHA Executive Director Dennis Foster makes the same argument, which he calls the “Domino Effect.” If we foxhunters want to preserve our sport, we cannot be selective in which game we support. Both figuratively and literally, we have “a dog in every fight” to ban hunting. More details on the California bill may be read in Paul Rogers’ article in the San Jose Mercury News. Posted June 19, 2012
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Red Letter Day with the Stoke Hill Beagles
Stoke Hill Beagles, 1983. (front) Huntsman C.W. Allen, MH and first whipper-in/kennel huntsman Suzy L. Allen, (rear) second whipper-in Richard K. Hill, Esq.
As reported in an earlier News item, Boxing Day—the day after Christmas—traditionally draws large numbers of riders and spectators at foxhunting meets in England. According to The Daily Mail, a quarter of a million hunt supporters turned out for Boxing Day meets last month.
It's a banner day traditionally for all forms of hunting with hounds, including beagling. Here’s a report of a Boxing Day meet of the Stoke Hill Beagles that took place on December 26, 1983 in Devon, England. It was a red letter day according to C.W. Allen, MH.
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.
Melvin at Ninety
Melvin Poe celebrating his ninetieth birthday
Douglas Lees photo
Douglas Lees photo
Hounds were screaming, and the huntsman was cooking. A cattle guard loomed ahead—a coop to the left and a gate to the right. The huntsman veered left.
"Melvin," someone yelled, "the gate’s on the right!"
"Melvin just kept kicking on, right over the coop," recalled Joe Conner, shaking his head and grinning in wonder.
Conner, who has whipped-in to Melvin for years at Bath County (VA), didn’t resurrect that story out of a distant past. It had happened only weeks before Melvin Poe’s ninetieth birthday celebration.
A month or so earlier, I had recognized the same notes of awe and wonder as I stood chatting with Brian Smith, my farrier, about Melvin’s upcoming ninetieth birthday.
Where Do They Go?
Karen L. Myers photo Now that FHL has been riding the web for a couple of months, we’ve accumulated a list of articles that first appeared on the Home Page, but were gradually dropped off to make space for new material. “Where do these articles go?” a couple of subscribers asked me recently. “Are they still available to be viewed and read?” These articles are definitely still available, I replied. They can be found in their respective sections by subject, mostly under the Horse and Hound drop-down menu. For example, past reports from the hunts and articles about hunting will be found under the Horse and Hound drop-down menu by clicking on Hunt Reports. Articles about foxhounds, hound shows, and puppy shows are accumulated under Horse and Hound in the Hounds section. Articles about new books, excerpts from old books, and poetry are collected in the Literature section. Articles describing Featured Properties are, you guessed it, under that very section. Even all my old blogs are retained under the same Horse and Hound drop-down in Norm Fine’s Blog. I hope all subscribers will choose their own rainy or dreary day to login and take the time to browse the various drop-down menus and become familiar with navigating FHL. We want you to get the most value, enjoyment, and information you can from your subscription. Finally, don’t forget the Search Site function. Find it in the left-hand column of the Home Page under the Using FHL button. Type in a name, phrase, or key words and it will find all matching articles for you.August 16, 2010
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