Given my short time in the scheme of things with RFH, I've lost count of how many spectacular views of Wiley foxes giving us and the hounds a spectacular day of sport and endless stories to retell that always must seem like "fish stories" to the layman. This time last year, in the very spot of my line of site I recall seeing "Reynard" narrowly escape one of our hounds in hot pursuit a mere feet from his brush as witnessed by second flight where minutes earlier first flight witnessed him hiding behind a deer to disguise his scent and throw them off only to be discovered and make a break for it across this very field with a hound in hot pursuit! Had it not been for a whip forcibly deterring the hound, I think that Reynard's number would've been called that day. Other days I can recall numerous instances of him circling around us, sitting behind us or hounds in the covert, or tag teaming us with another 
not originally hunted fox, to then cross the road and then decide he wasn't done with his games yet only to turn around and run back toward us to give one last horah and spectacular run. Or perhaps accounts of why "holy view" really is a misnomer for "hole-ly view" which some of us have unfortunately found out the hard way. My stories are just isolated glimpses of the adrenaline fueled adventures that keep us chasing no matter the unforgiving climate conditions as experienced over this weekend (1/2/10). I look forward with the inception of this blog to hear from all of you, RFH members and non, about your fox and foxhunting related adventures over the years. Particularly those who hunted in the early and mid-twentieth century and are technologically-adverse or just haven't taken the time to commit your foxhunting memories to paper for future generations. Storytelling such as this is critical moving forward with ever shrinking territory and reduced membership. I am hoping to stimulate interest in younger generations of riders by using a contemporary medium such as this to capture their attention and function as an educational tool. Foxhunting is more than a generally perceived observance of an archaic aristocratic tradition, or for those that "don't show." Rather, it is a demonstration of the most harmonious athletic partnership between horse and rider who are stewards of the land and revel in basking in the awe of watching a pack of hounds work as one against the curve balls that scent can throw. As our venerable co-MFHs, Leo Erb and Jimmy Paxson, would say "If you think that you know scent, then you don't know shit!" I look forward to using this blog in the coming year to catalog the memories/ideas/insights/suggestions of all of you as well those who may not be with us in the years to come whose own experiences are invaluable to our foxhunting future.
not originally hunted fox, to then cross the road and then decide he wasn't done with his games yet only to turn around and run back toward us to give one last horah and spectacular run. Or perhaps accounts of why "holy view" really is a misnomer for "hole-ly view" which some of us have unfortunately found out the hard way. My stories are just isolated glimpses of the adrenaline fueled adventures that keep us chasing no matter the unforgiving climate conditions as experienced over this weekend (1/2/10). I look forward with the inception of this blog to hear from all of you, RFH members and non, about your fox and foxhunting related adventures over the years. Particularly those who hunted in the early and mid-twentieth century and are technologically-adverse or just haven't taken the time to commit your foxhunting memories to paper for future generations. Storytelling such as this is critical moving forward with ever shrinking territory and reduced membership. I am hoping to stimulate interest in younger generations of riders by using a contemporary medium such as this to capture their attention and function as an educational tool. Foxhunting is more than a generally perceived observance of an archaic aristocratic tradition, or for those that "don't show." Rather, it is a demonstration of the most harmonious athletic partnership between horse and rider who are stewards of the land and revel in basking in the awe of watching a pack of hounds work as one against the curve balls that scent can throw. As our venerable co-MFHs, Leo Erb and Jimmy Paxson, would say "If you think that you know scent, then you don't know shit!" I look forward to using this blog in the coming year to catalog the memories/ideas/insights/suggestions of all of you as well those who may not be with us in the years to come whose own experiences are invaluable to our foxhunting future.(Thank you Janice Thompson for your dedication to capturing our adventures with your artistic eye while car following, photo taken 11/6/09)
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