theodora randolph
Piedmont Pair Are 2014 Field Hunter Champions in Virginia
Laurie Ambrose and Stretch from the Piedmont Fox Hounds won the 2014 Mrs. Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship. / Douglas lees photo
In a hark back to bygone days, the Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championships combine a whirlwind week of foxhunting and socializing against a backdrop of sporting estates, well-bred foxhounds, and passionate foxhunters. Always held the last week of September and ending the first weekend of October, this year's event attracted seventy-four entries with a brilliant card of hosting hunts: Orange County Hounds, Blue Ridge Hunt, Loudoun Fairfax Hunt and the Piedmont Foxhounds. Judges ride alongside the field to observe the competitors in action before selecting several riders each day, based on how well their horses performed, for the finals on Saturday. Every hunt hosted a tailgate, and there were social functions every evening.
Foxhunters from twenty-two hunts and eight states rode in the event: Andrews Bridge, Belle Meade, Blue Ridge, Bull Run, Casanova, Deep Run, Elkridge-Harford , Farmington, Glenmore, Hillsboro, Keswick, Loudoun Fairfax, Lowcountry, Middleburg, Newmarket-Middletown Valley, Old Dominion, Orange County, Palm Beach, Piedmont, Snickersville, Warrenton, and Whiskey Road. Riders came from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The six judges were Helen Brettell, Middleburg; Snowden Clark; Liz McKnight, ex-MFH, Elkridge-Harford; Ginny Perrin, MFH, Deep Run, and the husband-and-wife team of Lincoln Sadler and Cameron Sadler, MFH, Moore County.
2013 Field Hunter Championship of America
Organizers of the 2013 Field Hunter Championship of North America urge you to bring your best field hunter and join in the action for a week of foxhunting behind four Virginia foxhound packs: Keswick, Casanova, Snickersville, and Piedmont. Evening get-togethers are on the schedule including a day at the Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park, Middleburg, where the Field Hunter Championship Finals will be held. Competitors will hunt from Monday, September 30 through Friday, October 4, 2013. Those selected to compete in the Finals will ride on October 6 in view of the race day crowd, prior to the day’s races at Glenwood Park. The winning horse will be chosen after the completion of trials which begins with the judging of the “Best Turned Out” horse and rider, then moves to a short drag hunt that starts and ends right on the race course. The field will be narrowed to at least ten finalists who will be asked to complete a “handy hunter” course where they may be required to drop a rail, open a gate and/or hand gallop and halt. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early and walk out on to the racecourse so as not to miss the action. The family of the late Mrs. Theodora Ayer Randolph will again honor her memory and her lifetime commitment to foxhunting by awarding a $2,500 cash prize to the home hunt of the winner of the 2013 Field Hunter Championship. General Admission price is $30.00 per carload of four people. To reach Glenwood Park from the Washington DC area, take I-66 West and exit Route 50 West (Exit 57B towards Winchester). Drive approximately 25 miles to Middleburg and turn right at stop light in Middleburg (Route 626, Foxcroft Road). Proceed 1 mile north to Glenwood Park on your right. For additional information and/or photos call the Field Hunter Championship Chairman Ms. Pippy McCormick at 540-454-2854. Posted August 4, 2013
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