From Race Track to First Field

Al's been doing great this year. He's hunting first field now and getting braver every week. He stands at the checks like a pro, worries a bit at reversals but keeps his cool and slaloms through the trees with the best of them. He's getting much lighter in my hands as he's learning that his job now is to stay in the back and be a gentleman. This is not the Derby. We had a great day at Station Road a couple of weeks ago. There was a tricky combination over a fallen tree coming out of the stream and we took it beautifully. The scenting conditions were great in the still air and misty rain. Sir Reynard was seen fleeing over a hill and the hounds worked at finding him again for quite some time until eventually sending him to ground in a rocky hill face.

Here we are with Orange County during the Junior Field Hunter Championships Qualifier. We brought down a Junior and enjoyed a gorgeous day of hunting. Those ring-necked hounds are something else! Their stamina and game was a sight to behold.

 

Roxy was diagnosed with severe arthritis this fall. She was on the mend after an IRAP treatment and then got her shoulder caught on an exposed gate hinge. She's almost recovered from that so I hope to take her out to hunt at some point this year. This photo is from a hunter pace back in Missouri. Maryland is closer to home but I sure miss everyone back in St. Louis!

Work on the house is coming along. I haven't had a change to paint anything more than drywall and trim recently. Some day I'll get back to it and post something other than horse pictures.

New Dreams

Well hello, gorgeous! Al Amir is the newest addition to my family. He had suffered a minor tendon strain in his last race and his trainer decided to retire him sound to another career. Al is 16.2 1/2hh and six years old. After his lay up he'll be in training to be a fox hunter and I'd like to start eventing as well. He's a big-boned boy with a ton of potential. He's pretty laid back for a fresh OTTB but he does have his explosive moments. For now he's on stall rest with hand walking twice a day. Getting up at 5am is a whole lot easier when there's a tall, dark and handsome man whickering for your attention! More photos of Al here on Photobucket.

Fine Art

Below are some examples of my acrylics on canvas. The first two were done as gifts for close friends of mine. I was asked about commissions at the time and I refused since I didn't have the time between my job and riding. Now that I have the time off I'd be willing again to consider doing a commissioned work.

I've started some work in oils and look forward to posting some finished art soon.

Lucy 22" x 28"

Kate 22" x 28"

Roxy & Lucian 36" x 48"

Tally Ho!

After months of frigid weather and mud that has cancelled the hunt for weeks we finally got a break. There was even a small patch of blue sky fighting through the clouds this morning! You don't know how welcome that was.



The hounds worked well even in the poor scenting conditions. They chased a gray fox for awhile and seemed to be picking up several other trails. Keeping them in sight meant several hours of slaloming through trees, galloping down roads, jumping fences and waiting patiently while they cast about for the scent. This is only my first season of fox hunting, and for the uninformed, no we don't really kill anything. Usually the hunts aren't this fast but the field was small today, only myself and one other very good rider (not counting four Whips and the Huntsman), and the hounds were on a line for most of the time. These are my favorite hunts, and my horse's favorite, too. Roxy loves to run. We both do. There is nothing quite like the feeling of the wind whipping against your face as the grounds blurs by in a thunder of hoof beats. There is no greater trust than that which a rider places in their horse navigating a tricky piece of ground at speed. All of this against a background of gorgeous country and the music of 30 foxhounds in full cry streaking across a field.

The footing was actually very good in spite of the steady rains we've had. The harvested soybean fields were just frozen enough to stay firm and not too hard and the only mud to be had was near the bottom of the valleys where the runoff had washed through. We covered 13.1 miles, most of it over the same ground several times. I think the foxes have learned that the cliff near the natural bridge is a great place to confuse the hounds. It was nearly the same pattern they ran at our Opening Hunt.

If you've ever thought about trying out fox hunting, please contact the Secretary of your nearest hunt. In general I've found everyone to be so welcoming and helpful. I thought it would be difficult to join or maybe snobbish but that hasn't been my experience at all. It's the most fun I've ever had on a horse!