The Sunday Wedding Hunt
Filed under: 2009-2010,Hunt Reports — goneaway2 @ 8:40 pm
Today we had a fun time hunting for four short hours, or so it seemed to me, with 8 couple of hard driving hounds and 12 dedicated riders who all said they love to watch our hounds hunt. Also, we were celebrating the marriage of Terry and Grover. The weather was perfect being cool, partly cloudy and damp. Everything went great except for poor ole Silver* who sustained some serious injury by dropping down into an unforeseen ditch.
Hounds had three long galloping chases with deer popping out everywhere. Hounds were stopped one of those times as they were coming out on a doe. Their voices had started out choppy and never changed much. I was suspicious from the start when I heard Soldier open first. Dedicated Earl and committed Kate were on Rt. 601 to turned them back. We collected all after waiting a while for Allison to come on. We hunted Wallis farm all along Crane Creek, over the log rail jump into Robinson’s woods, over the coup at the bottom( thanks to Michael for removing the downed limbs) and out into the fields where they struck hard, fast and solid.
Now this was some beautiful music. Absolutely right on! Kaptain was the owner of this fox and red he must have been though none of us ever viewed. Our pilot ran the same way as the blessing fox. We had another terrific gallop and we all thrilled to hear them through the big hardwoods, down and across the creek, through the cedar stump field, around and around in the pine woods and finally out to Rt. 601 where the whips worked hard to stop hounds from crossing. We need to open that area especially as permission has been granted.
Next we drew some of the area around Robinson’s front and back fields with no luck until we were headed in.  They took off below the graveyard down at the creek with heads held high, heading back across the Wallis Farm. Totally a picture of a coyote chase. Again we had another hard gallop back to the cedar stump field. I stopped hounds when they were crossing the Coleman Rd. as they were hot and tired and heading back to Rt.601. Cheryl led the field, keeping first flight in just the right spot time and again. Judy was on the outskirts “just in case”. And Michael finally broke his maiden today on Jordan. Other riders were Susan, Jenner, Gretel, Kay, Terry, Grover and Emily, our only junior. The exceptional hip clippings were of hearts, bells and joined rings. It was a day to remember.
Back at the trailers with all the hounds (yeah!) uncollared and rewarded with biscuits, horses sponged off and riders relaxed, we had our fill of the most delicious tailgate prepared by Jenner and others. What a day! Thanks to the whips for an excellent job as Gretel duly noted as well. Earl will need some sympathy as Silver* was wounded on the last run.
*Silver is a hard driving, gray truck of distinguishing character without which I would be mostly lost on some lonely, cold days. Thanks Earl!
It was a fabulous day, and congratulations to Terry & Grover! What a way to spend your honeymoon…hunting with the Stonewall Hounds. Maybe we can sell honeymoon hunting packages to other newlyweds..hahaha!
I enjoyed having such good horse and hound people in the field, following over coop and hill and muddy dale. Everyone did a great job, horses and riders alike. Some great hound music was heard in Luella’s bottom field, just wish we had seen it like MK did at the Blessing.
Hope you all come back again soon!
It was a great day. We had such a nice ride and listening to the hounds on the first run. I was hopeful that the fox would turn my way in the cedar stump field and i would get to see it, no such luck.
Oh well there’s always next time. So sorry to hear about Silver, hopes he’s feeling better soon.