virginia fall races
Thoughts on Field Hunter Competitions
A competent horse and rider, confidently and comfortably crossing the country: what we all aspire to! Laurie Ambrose and Stretch, winning the Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship in Virginia. / Douglas Lees photo
The recently held Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship in Virginia is a unique competition. It differs from the more usual one-day hunter trial in which foxhunters ride individually over a course of obstacles, often including lead-overs, trot fences, fast gallops, and hold-hards.
In the Theodora A. Randolph Championship format (see Susan Monticelli’s report in separate article), field hunters are observed by mounted judges for several days during a series of actual foxhunts behind different packs of foxhounds. The judges’ task during these hunts is to select those horse/rider combinations they wish to see in a final day of competition. The finals, held each year at Glenwood Park in Middleburg on the morning of the Virginia Fall Races, consist of a mock hunt following a Field Master over a course of obstacles, and then individual tests similar to those in a hunter trial for the final ten or so selected.
While some avid and capable foxhunters believe that foxhunting is not a competitive sport and decline to participate, and while I can appreciate and respect their view, I also see benefits from these competitions. From one aspect, it’s a great value. If you want a hunting holiday in Virginia, you get to hunt with four different packs for an entry fee of not much more than the cost of a single cap at some of these hunts. And parties all week to boot!
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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