Ok, so I haven't been on the forum much lately due to my job situation (lack of one, actually and spending all my time trying to find one!) but I did have an amazing opportunity last weekend that I just had to share. I've been riding for 20 years, and did some hunter paces, but never really got into the whole foxhunting scene. Well, I was up in NC last weekend and my mom invited me to go to something called the Blessing of the Hounds for the local foxhunting group. Apparently they do this for the opening hunt every year. So, I went, and let me say, it was the most perfect thing to do on a beautiful fall day!! My only regret is that I really wanted to be there on my horse instead of on foot, lol!
So, anyway, it goes like this. They invite the public (friends, etc) to come and enjoy the opening day with the members of the hunt. The first thing they do before taking off is the blessing of the hounds. The houndmaster and whippers-in bring out the hounds (OMG...36 gorgeous American Foxhounds...I was drooling!) and an Episcopalian (sp?) priest does a blessing to the hounds, riders, and horses. The prayer he did was just beautiful...I was so moved.
Next, the riders and dogs take off and the rest of us pile onto haywagons and follow the hunt through the woods and fields. One rider stayed with us and led us around. We couldn't stay with the whole group of riders the entire time because we were limited to where the tractors and wagons could safely go, but the scenery was spectacular, the foliage was in all its autum gorgeous colors, and the people on the wagon with us were so super nice. We sat with a retired veterinarian/horse trainer who was full of really cool, interesting stories. At several points we would have to stop because the riders were approaching, and once we stopped in this very narrow clearing and one poor girl came careening around a corner, horse out of control, and the poor thing was knocked off right beside us by a low-hanging branch. She was okay, thank goodness.
We stopped for a good 45 minutes at one point to take a break. Oh, the wagons were stockpiled with breakfast goodies (danish, muffins, etc) and drinks. But we had to stop, apparently, for the "real" drinks to come out...hehe. People started cracking open coolers full of beer, bloody marys, and mimosas.....at 10:30 in the morning! I was flabbergasted! I was afraid to drink anything because there were no "bathroom breaks" and I wasn't about to go in the woods with a bunch of strange men around, lol. Oh, and a couple times we stopped when the riders caught up to us, and some of them started busting out flasks from their saddlebags! I just never knew...hehe!!
The absolute coolest thing was when we stopped in the middle of a really big, open field. The dogs had not found a fox, so they had a rider do a "drag," which is just like it sounds...a rope with a cloth soaked in fox scent drug along the ground. He did a big, winding path around and through the field, all of which was in view from our wagons. About 1 minute later, we heard the hounds approaching. All I can say is it was simply amazing to watch 36 dogs work in a pack following a scent like that. I mean, it was really mindblowing. They would run in a line, then double-back and regroup, then take off again, barking and obviously communicating to each other vocally and physically....just amazing.
Anyway, I thought it was so cool, and thought maybe some of you might have a group near you who does something similar. If they do, GO! It's awesome!! I definitely want to go again next year!