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Here’s a traditional old hunting poem of unknown origin, probably often sung in the pub. I run across it every so often in the literature, and I don’t know why I never published it before in Foxhunting Life. I always enjoy it, especially the cocky, swagger of this tough old hound, as he describes himself to you.
Melody '95: a survivor / Illustration by Rosemary Coates
From The Hound Intelligence Series, published by Hounds Magazine (UK), edited by Deirdre Hanna, illustrated by Rosemary Coates. Click to purchase the 333-page collection.
Brazos Valley Melody (Deep Run Butler ’91 ex Mission Valley Gamely ’92) was an English bi*ch―half fell hound and half Modern English―whelped by huntsman Tommy Jackson at the Mission Valley Hunt (KS). Butler, Melody’s sire, was all fell blood, top and bottom of his pedigree, from the Eskdale and Ennerdale kennels in Cumbria. This is a storied foot pack with rugged hunting territory in England’s Lake District on the English-Scottish border. Gamely, Melody’s dam, was Modern English with bloodlines back to the Hamilton and Ottawa Valley Hunts in Canada.
Tommy drafted Melody, heavy in whelp, to Sandy Dixon, MFH and huntsman of the Brazos Valley Hounds (TX). Melody had been bred to Mission Valley Nero ’95, an American dog hound with mostly Penn-Marydel blood. The handover occurred at the end of the 1995 Central States Hound Show, which both hunts were attending. For the journey home to Brazos Valley, Melody was put into a travel kennel with the rest of Sandy’s hounds that had been at the show.
Sandy Dixon continues the story of an extraordinary journey.
Maiden Hurdle Race, second division: Gostisbehere (Graham Watters up) leads the field over the last fence and is first at the wire. / Douglas Lees photo
Old Dominion Hounds (VA) held their spring Point-to-Point races once again in springtime! What’s unusual about that?” one might ask. Last year, Old Dominion was the first of the Virginia hunts to stage their spring races in the autumn, after Covidstopped our lives in March. Warrenton’s point-to-point last year on March 14th, its usual time, was the last of two spring races (Rappahannock on March 7th) until Old Dominion gave horsemen a day of racing on September 12th followed by Blue Ridge on September 19th. Without spectators, however.
So this spring has been a welcomed return to semi-normalcy. We’re not completely there yet, but we’re close enough to consider this spring special...and to appreciate it as such. The turf was good and entries were healthy enough for the ten-race card of hurdle, timber, and flat racing.
The Art of Wearing
Aidan O'Connell wearing his Frazer-made charcoal grey hunting tails with Prussian collar and Prince of Wales cuffs and champagne boot tops hunting with the Orange County Hounds in Virginia / Noel Mullins photo
I have some great memories and so many amusing stories of traveling to different countries to hunt and report on foxhunting with Frazers tailor shop’s most prominent client: Aidan ‘Suntan’ O’Connell. I captured images of Aidan wearing bespoke tailoring in all aspects of the sport and at social events in Europe and the US as he has perhaps one of the most complete bespoke wardrobes that I know of. He also wore a ponytail with a velvet bow that he grew during a period of contemplation in England.
Cattistock (UK) Joint-Masters in 1936: (l-r) Tally Ruxton and A. Henry Higginson
A family ignores the instructions of the Master and huntsman as he draws for a fox. Nieces of the family continue to forge ahead, despite the huntsman’s requests that they stop when he stops. The wife fails to get out of the huntsman’s way as he tries to get to hounds, so he barrels on through and knocks her off her pony. The wife and her niece continue to hunt kickers with red ribbons in the tails that have already injured field members and their horses.
The Master and huntsman, in this case, is A. Henry Higginson, an internationally-known American Master, huntsman, and breeder of English foxhounds. In 1930, he was engaged by the Cattistock Hunt Committee (UK) to serve as Master and huntsman in their hunting country in England. His breeding and training program have improved the pack and the sport, and his contributions are recognized and appreciated.
The family, in this case, is John Budden and his wife, Diana. The Buddens are landowners in the Cattistick hunting country. They maintain important coverts on their land and keep them safe for foxes by barring gunners. To make matters more difficult, Budden is a close personal friend of Higginson’s English Joint-Master, Tally Ruxton. Both Budden and Ruxton were military officers in The Great War.
For your horse's safety, here's a reminder that springtime is a good time to take stock of your horse trailer and have it inspected by an expert. We asked an experienced dealer for her recommendations.
River Valley aluminum side and rear loading tag-along
"One of the first issues to address with trailer owners and buyers is horse safety and comfort," says trailer dealer Donna Martin, co-owner of the Ruckersville, Virginia-based Blue Ridge Trailers. Martin said most people who have started to research their options know they should compare trailer sizes and floor plans to the size of their horses. However, she noted that there are several other angles to consider, too.
“While you certainly want to have enough space for your horse to feel comfortable, you should also prioritize light and ventilation, as well as how the horses will stand and balance themselves,” she advised. “How you intend to work out of the trailer also is an important consideration.”
Last fence in the Open Hurdle Race (l-r): Noah And The Ark (Gerard Galligan up) is 1st; Compass Zone (Sean McDermott up) is 2nd; #1, Mr. Sarinana (Bernie Dalton up) finishes 3rd. / Douglas Lees photo
Two weeks after kicking off the spring point-to-point season in Virginia, the Warrenton Hunt ran a second day of Point-to-Point Racing at the Airlie racecourse. Eight races were on the card this day, Sunday, March 28, 2021, compared to just five for the opener. Four hurdle races were added, three of which were well-filled and one was split into two divisions.
Book Review by Dulany Noble, MFH
Paving Paradise, A Paradise Gap Novel by J. Harris Anderson, Blue Cardinal Press 2020, Paperbound, $17.95
What a fun read. And a fun ride! Paving Paradise is the third book in a series by J. Harris Anderson that takes place in the idyllic hunt country of Crutchfield County, Virginia. You do not have to read the first two books to enjoy this one, but it might take you a few chapters to keep all the characters straight.
On the plus side, having read this one, you will be on familiar terms with the characters―a bonus―when you decide to read the first two books, as I must now do.
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