November, 2023
Credit: Mary Ellen Murray
President's Report
By Richard Michael
It may be cliché, but I think autumn is a favorite time of year for most of us. The changing season brings cooler temps, colorful trees, and, of course, early hunting. The young hounds are learning their trade and show promise. The hunt from Dover Green a few weeks ago was exciting, with four foxes participating, keeping the staff and field quite busy. This season, we bid adieu to Kasandra Fregoe and welcome new staff members, Micah Lisi, First Whipper-in, and Eva Stribling, kennel/barn assistant.
John was able to access Alvis’s Bottom to cut trails through areas of briars and other annual growth reaching 8 feet tall. By his own admission, it was an epic endeavor. The trails are now in great shape for hunting.
The annual meeting held on September 28 was well attended. We said farewell to retiring board members Buck Jones, Meghan Winfield, and Laura VanManen. We thank them for their tireless efforts in support of the club. We welcome our new board members, Bennett Camp-Crowder, Carter Iseman, and Gabrielle Thomas. They are long-time club members who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.
The development of the new DRHC website is progressing and should be up and running by November.
The DRHHSA recently received a letter, granting IRS 501C3 approval. This will be a game changer for soliciting sponsors for shows and capital projects.
The Masters noted that times have gotten increasingly tough for those intrepid fox hunters in England. They are presently being arrested, and in some cases jailed and severely fined, for the slightest infraction of the laws. In this country, fox hunters are fortunate in that we are still able to enjoy this marvelous sport. Marshie reminded us that we must continue to support our representatives, as our sport is always under scrutiny and is endangered.
As a sidebar to the concept of being “endangered”, I recently became aware that the Irish Draft Horse and the Irish Sport Horse, the breed of my own horse, Polly’s horse, and others in the field, has become endangered. There are only about 2000 pure-bred Irish Sport Horses in existence. That is fewer than the 3000 endangered Bengal tigers and the 6000 Black Rhinos (source: Food and Agriculture Committee of the United Nations).
Somehow, the horses and fox hunters don’t get the same support received by the tigers and the rhinos.
I was happy to see a large turnout for Opening Hunt on Oct. 28. For 75 years, the Shield family has been generously hosting Deep Run Opening Hunt at Full Stream Farm. That is longer than I have been alive! We are grateful for the family’s continued support.
Our Masters
By Marshie Davis
Interesting Facts about the Gray Fox:
Gray foxes are considered omnivores; therefore, they eat a wide variety of foods such as small mammals, eggs, fruit, birds, insects, nuts, berries, and lizards. Gray foxes are not observed as frequently as red foxes due to their reclusive nature and more nocturnal habits. They tend to be active from the late evening hours until dawn. The Gray fox is the only member of the dog family that will climb trees, either to search for prey, sleep, or to escape from predators. They have strong, hooked claws that enable them to climb trees. Gray fox prefers rocky canyons and ridges, but can also be found in wooded areas, open desert, and grasslands. The usual manner of travel is by walking or trotting, but, when necessary, a gray fox gallops or runs, attaining top speed of 20-28 mph. They are intelligent predators with extremely sharp senses of sight, smell, and hearing. (a fox can hear a mouse squeal from about 150ft away) Gray foxes are excellent swimmers.
Foxes are afraid of people, loud noises, and sudden movement. Foxes are dangerous for those with small pets or chicken coops. Fox will hunt these, gray fox seldom live more than six years.
A few Practical & Helpful Hints for Hunting (not all-inclusive list)
Ensure you have your hunting license with you, either electronic on cell phone or paper copy on you while hunting (store in helmet).
Always following your Field Master. If you leave the hunt early, please verify with the Field Master as to the trail home. Do Not go on land we don't have permission.
Wear leather clothes or string gloves for wet weather. Bees stay calm, move quickly and safely away.
Out hunting, always give the hounds the right of way.
Out hunting always give the Masters and Staff the right of way.
Say "Good Morning" to Masters and Staff prior to hunting and "Thank you" to each at the end.
A few Hunting Terms (not all inclusive)
Couple: Two hounds for convenience in counting hounds. Also, a device for keeping two hounds attached for training.
Double: To blow a series of short sharp notes "double the horn". Signifies a fox is afoot.
Enter: A hound is "entered" when he is first regularly used for hunting.
Feather: A hound "feathers" when he indicates, by actions rather than by voice, that he is on a line or near it. The stern is waved and activity in concentrated and intensified.
Heel: Backward, hounds following the line the wrong way are running "heel".
Riot: Anything that hounds might hunt that they shouldn't.
Walk: Puppies are walked by DRHC members during the summer for training (learn their name).
If you have any questions about Hunting Helpful Hints or Terminology, please reach out to Marshie Davis or one of our Masters.
By Caroline Boyd
Weekend Tailgates Have Started!
This season, DRHC is starting a new-old tradition - hosted tailgates at our weekend hunts. It’s a great way to enjoy the comradery of friends, both riding and non-riding, after the hunt. They can be simple - set up on the tailgate of your truck - or bring a table or two and go wild. Provide food, refreshments, and let others bring something to share- as well as a chair. Be ready and setup about 2 to 2.5 hours after the hunt moves off. You can co-host your tailgate with several members to lighten the load and double the fun. Available dates and sign- ups are here: https://signup.com/go/hnkBFMr
DRHC Facebook
Thanks to a few savvy members, we have a member’s FB page that begun for sharing info on upcoming events, equine activities, and general photos of the fun our members have out with DRHC. If you are on FB and want to join, please request to be added to the admin as it is a closed group.
An Excerpt from the MFHA Centennial View:
Forward note by Caroline Eichler, MFH
DRHC is a foxhunting club. We are part of a long standing tradition of hunting with hounds that has evolved in a uniquely American way over the course of our nation's history - and that to date has withstood the challenges of urban sprawl, land development, changing cultural and political sensitivities, and economic constraints. We are blessed as a Club to be a small part of a tradition that fosters the partnership between hound and hunter that has existed in various forms for the entirety of our human existence. Many have read the below excerpt, but - for those that have not - you might enjoy a small snippet of of foxhunting history here in America (from the MFHA's Centennial View book, a copy of which I am happy to share for those interested in further reading).
In 1650, Lord Baltimore appointed Robert Brooke to the “Privy of the State within our Province of Maryland.” Brooke arrived from England with his wife, eight sons, two daughters, twenty-eight servants, and his hounds. This is the earliest recorded importation of any quantity of hounds to the Colonies. Brooke’s hounds no doubt hunted other game as well as fox, since packs of hounds for hunting the fox exclusively had hardly appeared in England at that early time. The Brooke hound bloodlines were carried on by his sons and their descendants and provided basic stock for American strains fielded today.
From these earliest times, hunting with hounds was carried out in various forms depending on individual circumstances—mounted on horseback, astride mules, and on foot. Family dogs and hounds were taken out at night to hunt ‘vermin’—racoons, opossums, and foxes.
The cultivation of tobacco in Virginia and Maryland ushered in an unprecedented era of prosperity in the 1700s, and the planters, who surely loved their horses, built great plantation houses, imported race horses, and rode to hounds in the formal fashion. They cleared land for cultivation and hunted wolves from horseback with hounds to rid their plantations of predators. As the wolves were driven out, it was only natural to continue their exhilarating sport by hunting the native gray fox.
One day in 1730, according to several accounts, a group of tobacco planters on Maryland’s Eastern Shore were reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ chasing red foxes in their mother country. Sadly, hunting the less inspiring native gray foxes in Maryland did not match up, so the men resolved to improve their sport. The captain of the tobacco schooner, Monocacy, which was owned by one of the planters, was instructed to bring back from Liverpool eight brace of red foxes on his next trip. The foxes arrived in due course and were liberated along Maryland’s Eastern Shore with much fanfare, merriment, race meets, and a hunt ball! Some fifty years later, descendants of those imported red foxes would initiate a revolution in hound breeding resulting in what we know today as the American Foxhound.
The winter of 1779/1780 was climactically historic. Chesapeake Bay froze in the bitter temperatures, and red foxes made their first appearance in Virginia. It is believed that they crossed the ice from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, descendants of the eight braces of English reds imported by the tobacco planters in the 1730s. The extent to which the red foxes that populate the eastern states today are descendants of those original English foxes, or are descended from the red foxes believed to have been indigenous to Canada and the northern climes, or are a combination of both is still a matter for theorizing.
From modest beginnings in Maryland, then to Virginia, the population and range of the red fox increased slowly and steadily. The English hounds that had been imported to the Colonies in earlier times were mostly of the type referred to as the old Southern Hound—slow, deliberate, trailing hounds—probably descendants of the French- Norman hounds brought to southern England after the Norman invasion. They were well suited to hunting the native gray foxes in the Colonies but were too often at a loss trying to pressure and account for the red foxes.
New outcrosses were needed, and most breeders looked to England for bloodlines to increase the speed and drive of their hounds.
Fleet hounds from the Quorn and from other fast running packs in the Shires were tried, but found wanting. Lower scenting hounds with bigger voices were needed in North America, and many sportsmen feared that the appearance of the red fox bespoke the end of foxhunting here. In 1814, Bolton Jackson, an Irish immigrant to Baltimore brought two Irish foxhounds - Mountain and Muse - a dog and a bitch - to Maryland......
Stay Tuned for Future Excerpts - or read the book!
Entertainment Committee
By Jackie Bowen
The Entertainment Committee was busy over the summer with lots of events we hope you enjoyed. Be sure to stay tuned because we have more to come for you this fall. Here in alphabetical order are committee members that helped make everything possible: Margaret Dickerson, Catherine Foster, Carter Iseman, Hilary Keller, Carolyn Naoroz, Elissa Wagner, Danny Welsch, and Stacy Wimmer.
New Member Report
By Jane Whittemore
New this year! We will be offering a capping special to College students.
Do you know any College Student equestrians that would be interested in either trying fox hunting for the first time, or experienced fox hunters that would be interested in capping with us? Beginning Oct. 1, we will offer college students a special rate of $35 per hunt for up to 6 outings this season.
There are lots of colleges and universities in the area and we are excited to provide this opportunity to make it inviting and affordable.
For more information, feel free to reach out to the Membership chair, Jane Whittemore 804-389-0792 janewhittemore@yahoo.com or Field Secretary, Sophie Goluses 585-314-2134 SMgoluses@gmail.com or any of The Masters.
Riding with mindfulness
By Courtenay Baber MS LPC - grayhorsecounseling.com - 348 River Road West Manakin Sabot VA 23103 - 804-372-5499
This is my favorite time of year. Sweater weather. It marks the beginning of yet another season and another change. It reminds us that we are constantly changing and evolving. The summer season of being busy and doing lots of things moves on, and we start to prepare for the colder months ahead. So, this is a time of transition and change. If you ride, and even if you do not, get out and enjoy the colors of fall fun. Riding in the woods and walking can give us a reason to pause and take notice of the world around us. You could say it would allow us to be more mindful. I want to expand on the concept of mindfulness and how it can be helpful to riders and non-riders alike.
I know a lot about what it means to be mindful and how to do it. When I first heard the term, I thought this is very hard to do, and who has time to be aware? However, over the last several years, it has become a habit to slow down, notice the world around me, and see what I am doing and feeling. Being around horses is helpful to this as they are intuitive and responsive to the world, including us. Learning to be mindful is more about enjoying the process and not focusing exclusively on the destination. If you think about focusing on the goal once you have achieved the destination, you must find another one to focus on. Being mindful allows you to focus on getting there on the journey and allows the goal to change and move as needed. The journey is the focus, and the goal is a by-product.
So, how does this look in practice with riding and other aspects of our lives? Let's start with riding. Whether you have been riding for a long time or are just beginning, you decided to start, and you probably set out to say I want to learn to canter or I want to be able to go for a trail ride or go fox hunting or jump a certain height or some goal. Thinking that would be the end. I achieve that, and I will be happy. However, chances are you achieved that goal and then moved quickly to something else, or maybe you did not accomplish that goal but did something else. Do you remember how you got to that goal? Do you remember the journey to that goal and your steps? Chances are greater that you do not reflect on the journey as you focused on how long it would take you to get there and then spent lots of time worrying over the destination. Focusing on the journey asks us to focus on each step to get there. So, the days you rode did not go well, and you felt frustrated and disappointed. It would be less frustrating if we recognized it was only one day and not the end. Being mindful asks us to take the time to feel each experience and enjoy the experience. So you go out to ride instead of rushing to tack up and worrying about all the things that have not happened or that you did not do to prepare for the lesson or ride. Instead, you stop for a moment or two as you brush your horse to feel the brush in your hand and its fur as you touch it. Does it change texture as you brush it? What are the sounds it makes against the horse? What does your horse's breathing sound like? What does your life sound like? Just noticing these things and being more aware of our environment. Breathing is essential not only to survival but also to getting us to be mindful of our bodies. Take a proper deep breath and see how different you feel. You may find your horse will take one with you and allow you to connect with them even more. What are things you notice as you ride, what sounds you hear and what does the saddle feel like? How much pressure do you have in the stirrups and your feet? How tightly are you holding the reins? Which foot is your horse about to pick up? Being mindful is not about stopping riding or life. It is about noticing and appreciating riding and life. If you are driving to work and you ask what does the seat feel like? What sounds do I hear, the radio, the road, the kids or friends in the car? How tightly am I holding the steering wheel? What is my breathing like? Can I wiggle my toes and feel my feet?
Again, we do not stop what we are doing. We notice what we are doing and do not judge what we are doing. Doing these simple things can add to significant changes. This will take practice and this will take time. This will also take a conscious effort to do for a while and then it will come more efficiently and more naturally.
This focuses on the journey; as we stay on the trip, we will reach many destinations and enjoy every step.
What I have described so far requires flexibility in our thinking and transitioning in our approach. As riders and humans, we need to move and stretch our muscles, and one of the best ways I have found to do this is to start with yoga. Yoga requires concentration on the moment and encourages breathing. When I started yoga, I thought it was simple and easy, and I quickly learned that it requires so much more strength and concentration than I had ever imagined. In doing yoga, I found peace and enjoyment from breathing, stretching, and noticing how my body and muscles felt. I also noticed it helped my riding as I became more flexible and more robust this helped my riding. I became more aware of my breathing and used my breathing to move more quickly.
Yoga can be a helpful tool in our riding and living toolbox. You can do yoga poses on a horse to help increase flexibility and connection and yoga practices for beginning or after riding. Use the links provided
https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/health-fitness/yoga-equestrians https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse- community-yoga-for-equestrians https://horserookie.com/yoga-for-equestrians/
to get some ideas on what you can do to add yoga to your riding routine or your routine if you do not ride.
This time of transition and change we can use to change our focus from destination to journey and increase our flexibility in our thoughts and our bodies. If you would like to learn more about how mindfulness can help your riding or life, please contact me; I would be happy to discuss more.
Deep breathe and enjoy your ride!!
Opening Day
Trailers crest the foggy hill, Stomping steed inside.
Stirrup cup and morning chill, Autumn smells collide.
Scarlet coats from Thomas Pink, Tawny tack buffed bright.
English boots as black as ink, Soaring in first flight.
Wagging tails, and scent explodes, Huntsman’s cracking whip.
Master’s horn sounds hopeful odes, Tally Ho! Tight Grip!
Opening day at Fullstream Farm Cleaver fox is sure to charm.
-Ashton Applewhite
Grandson to Andy and Kitty Shields
DRHC Member Happenings
By Megan Proffitt
Maggie Proffit and Jib (owned by Gretel Mangigian) were finalists this past weekend at the Virginia Field Hunter Championships.
Hunt Fixtures 2023
Sat. Nov. 11 Dover Green 10:00
Tues. Nov. 14 Oakland 10:00
Thurs. Nov. 16 Sunnyside 10:00
Sun. Nov. 19 Greenfield 10:00
Tues. Nov. 21 Hollybrook 10:00
Thurs. Nov. 23 Sabot Hill - Thanksgiving Day 11:00
Sun. Nov. 26 Sheridan Stables - Junior Meet 10:00 Tues. Nov. 28 Kennels 10:00
Thurs. Nov 30 Barclay's Silo 10:00
Sun. Dec. 3 Mayfair Farm 10:00 Joint Meet with Princess Anne
Tues. Dec. 5 Price's Pines/Venable Road 10:00 Thurs. Dec. 7 Thistle Rose 10:00
Sun. Dec. 10 Sunnyside 10:00 Joint Meet with Bull Run
Tues. Dec. 12 Little Hawk 10:00
Thurs. Dec. 14 Orchard View Wedding Venue 10:00 Sun. Dec. 17 Dover Green 10:00
Tues. Dec. 19 Oakland 10:00
Thurs. Dec. 21 Barclay's Silo 10:00
Tues. Dec. 26 Kennels Boxing Day - Junior Meet 10:00 Thurs. Dec. 28 Little Byrd 10:00
Mon. Jan. 1, 2024 Showgrounds 11:00
Second Flight provided on Thursday and Weekends. Third Flight provided on Weekends, as appropriate.
Please contact a Master with any inquiries. Field Secretary: Sophie Goluses (585) 314-2134
When not hunting, specific permission must be obtained from landowners for cross country riding privileges.
John Harrison, Huntsman (804) 774-5578
Polly W. Bance, M.F.H. (804) 339-6105
Marsh L. Davis, M.F.H. (804) 240-7400
Caroline T. Eichler, M.F.H. (703) 475-2238 Dr. Stephen E. Thurston, M.F.H. (804) 840-6468
ALWAYS check the Hunt Recording for possible changes: 804-784-4335
If you would like to contribute to our next newsletter please email me, kjbarlowbinner@yahoo.com by January 31st, 2024 and include “ February Tally Ho” in the subject line. Thank you, Kim