Morven Park
Haight, White, Barclay Inducted into the Huntsmen’s Room
Andrew Barclay (left) and Sherman Haight congratulate eachother on the occasion of their mutual induction into The Huntsmen's Room at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. / Douglas Lees photo
Three huntsmen, two living and one deceased, were honored the day before the Virginia Foxhound Show for their uncommon skill as huntsmen and for their contributions to foxhunting in North American. Sherman P. Haight, Jr., ex-MFH; William John White, Jr.; and Andrew T. Barclay were inducted into The Huntsmen’s Room of the Museum of Hounds and Hunting in ceremonies held at Morven Park on Saturday, May 23, 2015.
While recognized by this honor for their achievements in handling hounds in the field and producing the highest level of sport, each of these three men of disparate backgrounds contributed uniquely to our sport. Their stories are just as uniquely fascinating.
Virginia Foxhound Club Celebrates Sixty-Five Years
But no one came to the party.
Virginia Foxhound Show, Oatlands, 1986: Huntsman Shelly O'Higgins receives trophy from Joan Jones (now President, Virginia Foxhound Club). Judges are (l-r) Captain R.E. Wallace, MFH, Exmoor Foxhounds (UK); Bun Sharp, MB, Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles; Sherman Haight, MFH, Mr. Haight's Litchfield County Hounds.
There's an elephant in the room, sucking away so much attention from what we would normally be thinking about at this particular time of year. The Virginia Foxhound Club, for one.
The venerable Virginia Foxhound Club—the team that brings you the Virginia Foxhound Show each year...except this one—is celebrating its sixty-fifth anniversary. It seems timely to look back, evaluate the importance of hound shows in the overall scheme of foxhunting, and convince those with a passion for the sport that their membership in the Virginia Foxhound Club, no matter where in North America they hunt the fox or the coyote, is an investment that will benefit all fox hunters and their hunts.
The Virginia Foxhound Show, the largest hound show in the world, brings foxhounds of all types and all strains to the flags for viewing, comparing, and judging. Whether a Master or huntsman is seeking certain bloodlines, or an outcross to introduce hybrid vigor to the gene pool within his kennels, he sees such hounds at Virginia. And he will again have the opportunity to socialize and chat, in a magnificent setting, about the merits and traits of the canine objects of his desire. With your support, the best matings may continue to be made in Heaven, but they’ll be arranged in Virginia!
Virginia Foxhound Club Celebrates Sixty Years
Virginia Foxhound Show, Oatlands, 1986: Huntsman Shelly O'Higgins receives trophy from Joan Jones (now President, Virginia Foxhound Club). Judges are (l-r) Captain R.E. Wallace, MFH, Exmoor Foxhounds (UK); Bun Sharp, MB, Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles; Sherman Haight, MFH, Mr. Haight's Litchfield County Hounds.
The venerable Virginia Foxhound Club—the team that brings you the Virginia Foxhound Show each year—is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary. It seems timely to look back, evaluate the importance of hound shows in the overall scheme of foxhunting, and convince those with a passion for the sport that their membership in the Virginia Foxhound Club, no matter where in North America they hunt the fox or the coyote, is an investment that will benefit all fox hunters and their hunts.
The Virginia Foxhound Show, the largest hound show in the world, brings foxhounds of all types and all strains to the flags for viewing, comparing, and judging. Whether a Master or huntsman is seeking certain bloodlines, or an outcross to introduce hybrid vigor to the gene pool within his kennels, he sees such hounds at Virginia. And he has the opportunity to socialize and chat, in a magnificent setting, about the merits and traits of the canine objects of his desire. With your support, the best matings may continue to be made in Heaven, but they’ll be arranged in Virginia!
One Missing Hound Safe; One to Go!
One of the two unentered Live Oak foxhounds that were spooked upon their arrival at Morven Park for the Virginia Foxhound Show last May has been recovered. Perfect, who never left the Morven Park area, was finally secured in a box dog trap. Her companion in flight, Charter, has been more adventurous in his travels. He has been seen on Zulla Road in Middleburg, and Piedmont huntsman Spencer Allen has been feeding him but hasn’t yet secured him. So long as Charter stays off the busy roads, chances are he will soon be in good hands as well. A much-relieved Daphne Wood, MFH, Live Oak Hounds (FL), has expressed her gratitude to the Morven Park staff, retired huntsman Kevin Palmer, Piedmont MFH Tad Zimmerman, and Piedmont huntsman Spencer Allen for their continued efforts on behalf of these young hounds. Posted June 11, 2014
Read More
Missing Live Oak Hounds: Update
The Masters of the Live Oak Hounds very much appreciate the concern of the foxhunting community and the efforts of many in trying to recover the two young foxhounds that went missing from the Virginia Foxhound Show at Morven Park. The good news is that, although they have separated, each has been seen recently. Daphne Wood, MFH sent us the following update as of June 4: “I just spoke to Spencer Allen [huntsman, Piedmont Fox Hounds]. He got within ten feet of Charter today. He said he was one hundred percent sure it was him. (The picture he has of Charter from the Southern Hound Show is a closeup). Several others have also seen him [in Middleburg], but understandably he is thoroughly terrified because he has made it all the way to Zulla Road and is hanging around between the tennis club and Ardarra Farm. Maybe he can be enticed into the trap we borrowed from the Loudon County Animal shelter. Perfect has recently been seen still at Morven Park near the pond in front of the mansion. Kevin Palmer [former huntsman, Fairfax Hunt] has been wonderful trying to get Perfect. We are putting up a trail camera above a feeding area in hopes of confirming her recent sighting. As we only have the one trap, hopefully Charter will get caught soon so we can take the trap back to Morven Park.” Posted June 4, 2014
Read More
Morven Park Clarifies its Future
Concerned horsemen were mostly mollified by the message from Morven Park officials in a pair of meetings held last week. While the plan is to make a wider public use of the Leesburg, Virginia property, it appears that the only equestrian casualty will be the steeplechase racecourse. Other equestrian facilities will be continued and even improved. Park officials said that the steeplechase races never made money, and the decision to close the track was strictly economic. The Fairfax Hunt Point-to-Point Races, to be run in April of this year, will utilize the racetrack for the last time. Preliminary plans call for a grand prix course to be built in the infield area. The Virginia Foxhound Show held each year over the Memorial Day weekend will continue, according to officials. The cross country schooling course will remain, and horse trial events will continue to be held. Horse show and dressage arenas will be relocated closer to the stables, and the indoor arena will be refurbished. The stable that was destroyed by fire last year will be rebuilt. The Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation will be allowed to expand to accommodate more users, and equine therapy for wounded servicemen may be introduced. See Betsy Parker’s complete article in the Loudoun Times. Posted February 11, 2012
Read More
Morven Park Will Reveal Master Plan to the Public
Morven Park has invited all interested parties to a meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Director Frank Milligan will share maps and explain the recently adopted plans charting Morven’s future. A new “easy-to-find” entrance is planned; a visitors center; trails for hiking, riding, and bicycling; along with new uses for the land currently used for steeplechase racing. Those interested in attending should email Director of Development & Community Relations Judith Wodynski at [email protected]. Posted January 17, 2012
Read More
Morven Park: Hound Show In; Steeplechase Out
Morven Park and its lovely grounds in Leesburg, Virginia are familiar to many foxhunters. The former estate of the late Governor Westmoreland Davis has been home for many years to the Virginia Foxhound Show, meets of the Loudoun West Hunt, and the Morven Park Steeplechases. The mansion has recently been refurbished—a major project taking several years to complete—and Morven Park’s Board of Trustees are now grappling with formulating a vision for the future of the 1200-acre estate. A number of strategies have been identified with the goal of making it more accessible and relevant to a broader public. The expanded mission is expected to require significant fund raising to implement needed improvements, and decisions are being made as to which facilities and activities will survive and which will be discontinued. One casualty of the plan, according to Margaret Morton’s article in Leesburg Today, will be the Morven Park Steeplechase Races. The other equestrian facilities, however, will be improved for dressage, carriage driving, trail riding, eventing, show jumping, and therapeutic riding. “The annual Memorial Day weekend Virginia Foxhound Club show, the largest hound show in the world, will not be affected,” according to the article. Posted December 27, 2011
Read More
The Virginia Foxhound Show: Hounds and Sunshine!
The sun blazed, but the mature trees gracing Morven Park provided shade, and the multi-colored hospitality tents above the show rings offered cooling drink and refreshment. It was a happy throng that milled back and forth all day, watching hounds and browsing the vendor stands.
In the Foxhunting Life booth, our free drawing for Lizi Ruch’s lovely set of four hound puppy plates was a big hit. By day’s end we had a bowlful of names from which to pick, and the winner is....Barbara McKee from Leesburg!
Meet Us at the Hound Show!
You’re invited to visit Foxhunting Life at our stand in the vendor area at the Virginia Foxhound Show on Sunday, May 29, for a free chance to win a beautiful set of four hand-painted china plates in a humorous hound puppy motif. These plates will go home with the winner of our drawing through the courtesy of Lizi Ruch—foxhunter, artist, and designer of the popular Artfully Equestrian line of hunt-themed tableware and gifts.
