Thanksgiving Day

Peter McAllister captured Fraser Valley Hunt's Thanksgiving Day meet. Karen Hatch is master and huntsman of the British Columbia-based hunt

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loudoun’s Ryan Johnsey

Photo by Ed Robisheaux

Editor’s Note: This is the first in an ongoing ecovertside.net series profiling staff members of various North American hunts. Do you have a staff member you’d like profiled? contact katy@covertside.net

Ryan Johnsey was introduced to fox hunting very early in life, born into a horsey family in Northern Virginia.  After whipping in at the Loudoun Hunt for seven years, Johnsey, 26, left …

Surviving Tough Times: Maintaining an Active Membership in Our Roller Coaster Economy

By Linda Bering

If your hunt club’s home country is in an area where there are a limited number of potential foxhunters, competing equestrian and other athletic activities, as well as economic challenges—you may find yourself wondering how to keep your traditions alive.

Everywhere we turn, we encounter talk of decline during the current economic recession.  Jobs are lost, many are unemployed or at best under-employed, families must cut back on …

2011 Ann Eidson Horner Foxhunting Scholarship Awarded to Emily B. Cornelius

Emily B. Cornelius, recipient of the Horner Foxhunting Scholarship, with Karen Kressenberg as they prepare to go cubbing with the Hillsboro Hounds.

The Ann Eidson Horner Foxhunting Scholarship was recently given to Emily Cornelius who, as a result of this award, will be hunting this year with the Hillsboro Hounds in Tennessee. Emily is a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University and a member of Cedar Hills Pony …

The One That Got Away

By Autumn Clarke

Autumn Clarke aboard Tobey. Photo by Kit Paryzek

We jumped the staff coop on that crisp October day, and turned left into Ramsey’s woods; hounds had yet to really strike on a line. Curse the clear skies, curse the wind. It’s only been twenty minutes or so, and it’s still cool out, so maybe we’ll get lucky.

We followed hounds and huntsman into the woods, and …

Record Entries at 9th Annual Junior North American Field Hunter Championships

Champion 12 & Under, Ava Plumb riding Willie, Cheshire Hunt

Story and photos by Lauren Gianinni

The brainchild of Douglas Wise, MFH Old Dominion, and Iona Pillion, Blue Ridge, the Junior North American Field Hunter Championship has grown steadily in its nine years of encouraging young enthusiasts. Qualifying meets were hosted in the northern region by Andrews Bridge Foxhounds, Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds, Amwell Valley Hounds and Elkridge-Harford Hunt; in …

Pony Club Adds Foxhunting Discipline

USPC now recognizes Pony Club member with certificates, pins

By Linda M. Hagerman

When Pony Club was founded in the 1920s in Great Britain, its two primary goals were to educate children to become competent horsemen and teach them to confidently ride in the sport of foxhunting.   The original Pony Club was founded by foxhunting enthusiasts who recognized the need for skilled instruction for all children interested in horsemanship and riding.  Pony Club …

The View From Down Here: The Blessing of the Llamas

The Tennessee Valley Hunt’s Opening Meet for 2011 was held for the first time in our new hunt country up in Greeneville, TN.  For those of you not from East Tennessee – that’s closer to Virginia than to Knoxville.  But I didn’t mind the extra drive.  It’s such a nice open and rolling country that’s much different from our steep, wooded hills closer to Knoxville.
There …

Bijou Springs Hunt Celebrates Juniors

October 23 was the first junior hunt of the 20011 season for the Bijou Springs Hunt.  The Lazy K 11 Ranch northeast of Kiowa, Colorado was experiencing beautiful Indian Summer weather with balmy temperatures and the cottonwood which border the Bijou Creek were gleaming gold.

The warm temperatures, however, were not conducive to great scenting as Huntsman Nancy Mitchell and 9 ½ couple of her most dependable hounds set out …