Foxhunting Life with Horse and Hound

Nicolas Hartung and wife Ann with two of their lurchersNick Hartung, former huntsman and farrier, passed away on May 17, 2012 at his home near Staunton, Virginia. Nick suffered respiratory disease commonly referred to as “Farmers Lung” in his native England.

Nick was a farrier of great repute, commuting to Maryland for most of his business around the Pimlico Racetrack. Previously he had been professional huntsman for the Goshen Hounds (MD) for eleven seasons.

Nick started his hunting career with the New Forest Buckhounds in England. An opportunity developed in The States with of an offer of employment from Clayton Emig Doing, MFH of the Antietam Hounds in the panhandle of Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. The hunt’s name was taken from that defining epic battle during the American Civil War. Nick came to Antietam as kennel huntsman and first whipper-in.

After a season there, Nick moved on to be kennel-huntsman for Richard Moran, MFH at the Middletown Valley Hounds in Maryland, where he stayed for six seasons, before taking up the horn at Goshen.

He will be greatly missed by his many friends, and especially at the helm of the twice yearly lure coursing events held at his home at Five Thorns.

Posted May 21, 2012

Penn-Marydel Champion Mount Carmel Mandolin with (l-r) kennelman Nancy Morris and handler Allen Forney  /  Karen Kandra Wenzel photoFor thirty-seven years now on the “first Sunday after the first Saturday in May,” foxhunters from the Mid-Atlantic region have gathered to display and compare the results of their breeding programs for the past year. Initiated by Dr. Roger Scullin, MFH, Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds (MD) in an effort to better prepare young hounds for the *big* shows in Virginia and Bryn Mawr, the Maryland Foxhound Club Puppy Show has grown to now having representatives from nearly all Maryland packs, both recognized and private, several Virginia packs, and many from Pennsylvania. This year the show even attracted hounds from as far away as New York state. In all, nearly two hundred hounds were entered.

Foot staff (l-r) are Tom Pardoe, MFH; honorary whippers-in Ande Kinder, Liz Lavine (front), MacKenzie Taylor (behind), and Dr. Frank Becker; and Robert Taylor, MFH and huntsman.   /  Frankie Pardoe photoPerhaps nothing is more important to the perpetuation of foxhunting than public relations. Consequently, when a prominent member of the local agriculture community contacted the Goshen Hounds and invited them to participate in the “First Annual Lisbon Ole Fashion Horse Parade,” the response was immediate. “Count us in!”

Jeanne & Allen Forney / Karen Kandra Wenzel photoHow often do we get the opportunity to celebrate the seventieth birthday of a foxhunting legend while he (or she) is still an active and constant contributor to the sport? A large group of friends---Masters, huntsmen, and foxhunters--- representing most of the foxhunting clubs in central Maryland did exactly that on Sunday, April 10 at the Potomac Hunt in Barnesville, Maryland.

Second Installment

Betsy and friends escape frozen Virginia for a week of hunting in warmer climes. We bring you Installment Two of her daily blog, exclusive to Foxhunting Life.

(l-r) Whiskey Road Field Master Geri Rapp, Fairfax Hunt members Ray Moffett, and PetraProbably seventy-five riders in the field this morning from the Batesburg fixture. Whiskey Road hosted a stirrup cup and snack before the meet after which huntsman Joseph Hardiman moved off with the mixed English and Penn-Marydel pack, east towards the cow field adjacent to the fixture.

Hounds struck immediately, coyote, probably, a brace or possibly a leash, and split into two or three groups. Hardiman went with one group, Master/whipper-in Lynn Smith with another, and (seemed like) Master David Smith and the main field with still another.