Spotless horses, with braided manes; meticulously turned out riders wearing shining boots and scarlet coats; happy hounds sniffing and rolling; and the exchange of greeting –  this is the stuff of the fox hunting tradition. The Opening Meet of the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt was replete with traditional pageantry and plenty of fellowship. While fox hunting has been portrayed in many movies and recently, on the show and movie, Downton Abbey, this event was authentic and highly anticipated.

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“Opening Meet” is  the first formal event of the hunt season and marks the beginning of the season. The Meet took place on December 22. “It’s wonderful to be out again, and all together!” said Gretchen Kuney, who was going to lead the third field.

To toast the Opening of the Season, a “stirrup cup” was served. The pre-ride refreshments were served to the mounted riders and included port, sherry, brandy as well as small pastries.

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True to tradition, the Masters welcomed the members and their guests in their remarks and gave the annual Christmas gift to Huntsman, Neil Amatt. As Neil accepted the gift, the hounds (more than 30) gathered around him. The Huntsman was accompanied by his adorable two-and-a-half year-old daughter, Zara, on her small pony.

The Masters, Huntsman, and “field” moved off at eleven o’clock. After an exhilarating day of riding and hunting, a potluck “breakfast” was held at Overbrook Farm that evening.

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Fox hunting dates back to the sixteenth century in England when fox was considered vermin that threatened farmers’ livestock.  According to the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, Englishman, Robert Brooke was the first to bring his pack of hounds and his horses to America in 1650. The red fox was imported from England to the eastern seaboard America in the seventeenth century. In America, Thomas, sixth Lord of Fairfax established the first organized hunt group in 1747.

In the United States today, the fox is a more and more a protected and revered member of the tradition as coyotes threaten the countryside. The sport today, is often called “fox chasing” inasmuch as a view of the fox makes for a great day of “hunting.”

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Having hunted for more than twenty years, there is something magical about the crisp air, the crunch of leaves under eager hooves, the song of hounds as they catch a scent, and the brilliant tones of the Huntsman’s horn. There are starts and stops, jumps over coups and stone walls, gallops across open fields, and some patient waiting. Riding to hounds is not for the fainthearted. It requires bold equestrian skills and physical fortitude. There was nothing I enjoyed more than cantering through trees in the woods like a slalom course, when I would duck behind my horse’s neck and let her see her way around each tree. Often, we emerged with scratches and snags on my breeches.

Tally-Ho! – To fox viewing and to riding another day.