Foxhunting Life with Horse and Hound

The Masters of the Golden’s Bridge Hounds (NY) have announced the appointment of Yolanda Knowlton as Joint-Master.

Knowlton is a longtime horsewoman who has evented, shown, and foxhunted. She has been a hard working member of Golden’s Bridge Hounds for many years, has run the hunt ball, the annual auction, and has served as Hunt Secretary.

“Yolanda lives right in the hunting country and knows all the landowners,” said Golden’s Bridge MFH (and MFHA President) Ed Kelly. “She has earned it and will be a great asset as Joint-Master.”

With her appointment, Knowlton joins Golden’s Bridge Joint-Masters Eugene O. Colley, Edward W. Kelly, Peter D. Kamenstein, S. Mackintosh Pulsifer, Kenneth Silverman, and Bruce D. Colley.

Posted October 5, 2011

Sometimes you’re completely thrown out, but persistence has it’s reward! Jim Duggan hit the jackpot with this shot of the hunted coyote. Note the distinctive markings on the coyote’s front paws. They’ll be looking for him again! Jim tells it this way:

                                                                                             Photo by Jim DugganThe Golden’s Bridge Hounds (NY) were hunting a North Salem fixture on October 4, 2011 with fourteen-and-a-half couple of their Penn-Marydel hounds. Masters Gene Colley and Ed Kelly were leading the field, and the chase lasted for over an hour in perfect hunting weather. I picked a viewing spot from where I could see 180 degrees and still be well hidden under the shadow of a tree and by a stone wall. The hunt went far afield, and then the coyote made a U-turn and started my way. He broke covert and started right at me. He stopped once to look back in the direction of the hounds. By that time my face was covered by the camera so I didn't have to make any movement to give my hiding place away. He kept coming on the line right to me until he heard the camera shutter going off at a rapid pace and just veered right-handed across my stone wall about twenty feet in front of me. Great enjoyment, to pick the right spot for a change! The hounds soon came to the scent and had a merry chase for another half hour or so. By then I guess the coyote had had enough. He put it in high gear and left the area...for now. Picking up hounds was a labor of love, as they had scattered all over the countryside trying to pick up the long gone coyote.

Ed Kelly is elected president of the MFHA. Jim Duggan photo

The Annual Meeting of the MFHA was held Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Union Club in New York. A foot of snow had fallen on the city Wednesday night, yet when I arrived at Pennsylvania Station on Thursday, the north-south avenues were completely cleared. To be sure, the east-west streets were plowed only one lane wide with cars totally buried under snow on both sides, but the taxicabs were out doing "business as usual" and commerce carried on!

Edward Kelly, MFH of the Golden’s Bridge Hounds (NY), was elected president of the Association and commences a three-year term. Kelly succeeds outgoing president G. Marvin Beeman, MFH of the Arapahoe Hunt (CO). Jack van Nagell, MFH of the Iroquois Hunt (KY), was elected First Vice President and thus stands in line to become president after Kelly completes his term of office. Tony Leahy, MFH and huntsman of the Fox River Valley Hunt (IL) and the Cornwall Hounds (IL), was elected second vice-president thereby stepping into the line of succession to the presidency in six more years.