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Written by Norman Fine
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Donald V. Little, MFH of the Myopia Hunt in Hamilton, Massachusetts, died on February 29, 2012, three days after a fall from his horse while competing in the Masters Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Don was in his seventies—an all-around sportsman with interests in foxhunting, polo, show jumping, Thoroughbred racing, and sailing. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he lived most of his life on Boston’s North Shore, hunting and playing polo at the Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton. He also enjoyed hunting with the Piedmont Fox Hounds in Virginia—a hunt with close family ties to Myopia.
He was captain of the Myopia polo team from 1968 until 1981 and served as MFH of the Myopia Hunt—one of America’s oldest hunt clubs—since 1989. He also served the MFHA as a Director for the New England District.
Don was a pilot, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and the youngest air commander serving in the Strategic Air Command.
Active in the world of Thoroughbred racing, Don founded the well-known Centennial Farms racing partnership that campaigned Rubiano and Belmont Stakes winner Colonial Affair.
At the time of his death he was an investment manager at UBS.
Posted February 29, 2012 |
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Remembrance
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Written by Norman Fine
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 Michele Doucette photoDonald V. Little, MFH of the Myopia Hunt in Hamilton, Massachusetts, died on February 29, 2012, three days after a fall from his horse while competing in the Masters Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Don was in his seventies—an all-around sportsman with interests in foxhunting, polo, show jumping, Thoroughbred racing, and sailing. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he lived most of his life on Boston’s North Shore, foxhunting and playing polo at the Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton. He also enjoyed hunting with the Piedmont Fox Hounds in Virginia—a hunt with close family ties to Myopia.
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Latest
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Written by Norman Fine
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Huntsman Robert Howarth has been working his way south. He will carry the horn at the Blue Ridge Hunt in Virginia this year, arriving after a season hunting hounds at the Myopia Hunt in Massachusetts and before that the Hamilton Hunt in Ontario. Howarth will succeed Dennis Downing, now completing his eleventh season at Blue Ridge.
British-born Howarth started his professional hunt career as whipper-in at the Belvoir at age sixteen. After two seasons at the Belvoir he moved on, as is the custom of those in hunt service in England, and whipped-in at several other hunts for the next fifteen years.
He then went to the Holderness as huntsman and carried the horn there for eleven seasons. After twenty-seven seasons of hunt service in England, Howarth emigrated to Canada to hunt hounds at the Hamilton Hunt and then moved on to Myopia.
Howarth, who is steeped in the breeding of the Old English foxhound from his experiences at the Belvoir and the Holderness, will take over a pack of modern English and modern English-American crosses bred for the past eleven years by Blue Ridge Master Linda Armbrust.
Blue Ridge is still seeking to hire a professional whipper-in for the 2012-2013 season.
Posted January 6, 2012
 Helen Laverack photo
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Hunt Reports
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Written by Story and photos by Helen Laverack
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 Myopia's hunt kennel with its weathered shingles on Boston's North Shore evokes old New England.Robert Howarth is the new professional huntsman at the venerable Myopia Hunt located on Boston’s North Shore. Robert, originally from England and the Holderness Hunt, arrived at Myopia from the Hamilton Hunt in Ontario. He brought with him Liberty, an Old English foxhound which he bred whilst at the Holderness. I recently visited Robert and got to see Liberty again whom I walked as a puppy.
During my visit, I thoroughly enjoyed helping in Myopia's prestigious hunt kennel, with its red and cream decor, chandelier, and hounds peacefully resting in their lodges to the sound of the classical music!
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Latest
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Written by Norman Fine
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Were he alive today, famous cavalry officer General George Patton would be appalled that a high school student in his old home town could be suspended for riding a horse to school. Hamilton-Wenham High School is, after all, in General Patton’s old hunting country, home to the Myopia Hunt since 1882.
High school senior Dan DePaolis asked his parents if he could ride their horse to school for Spirit Week. He dressed as a knight and had a friend and classmate act as his squire. The classmate walked on foot, holding the horse by the bridle, but the trio was allegedly accosted in the school parking lot by the assistant principal. The school official told DePaolis to get off the horse and remove the animal from the school grounds.
DePaolis’s father, who was nearby to supervise the boys and the horse asked what the problem was. The assistant principal allegedly said that bringing the horse onto school property was the equivalent of bringing in a loaded firearm.
Despite the fact that DePaolis was a good student who had never before been in trouble, he was suspended for two days and his friend was suspended for one day as an accomplice. Neither was allowed to attend the school dance on Halloween weekend. Many in that horsey community have voiced their support for the DePaolis family.
See a video of Dan DePaolis on YouTube. Read more details in Sam Trepani’s article in the Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle.
November 2, 2010 |
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