KA BOOM!
We were smoking from the get go 
We hunted from the kennels this weekend. It’s our smallest fixture and the viewings have been few and far between the last several times we’ve hunted there. Not on Sunday! We had been hunting about 5 minutes when Professional Whip Bre O viewed a big, furry coyote. She halooed and then let Huntsman Dave know on the radio and the hounds broke loose in a big way voicing as they gave chase. Thor a young hound on his 3 hunt! was the lead hound and hot on the coyote’s tail, about 10 yards behind. The field was in pursuit.
We started with 12 riders and then had some attrition. One rider had difficulty stopping her horse, twice. Lauren Kundert put on her best imitation of Annie Oakley and galloped up and helped stop the rider. She was very grateful. Her horse is a nice horse and has hunted multiple times. I had a really nice horse that hunted for years and one time he just ran off with me. It took a huge field and a big circle for me to stop him. Not sure why they sometimes flip over to the Dark Side. Lauren asked me if she did the right thing by going after her. I said if you make the decision to go after, you must have a fast horse and the courage to run fast enough to actually catch the horse and stop it. Otherwise, you are just chasing the horse and making the situation infinitely worse. So not for the faint of heart.
Anyway, back to the chase. The rest of the field is galloping hard across the snow covered fields behind Huntsman Dave and the hounds. I can hear Bre on the radio keeping us up to date on what is happening. How is she galloping along, holding her radio and talking clearly?!? She views three times that day!
We eventually have a loss and we stop to take a quick whoopee wagon break. It’s such beautiful day that riders are shedding coats, scarves, ear covers.
I wore my helmet cam. Here is a fun video =)
Brit V-G has a guest with her. A whip with Radnor Hunt in PA. She is amazed that we are galloping across these fields covered in snow. ‘Aren’t you worried about holes? You can’t see anything!’ She was also amazed at how big our country was. We told her to come to Burwell if she wants to see big country!
We start hunting east to Big Jim’s field. We make our way to the Honey Hole and the hounds are voicing here and there. The hounds start voicing and I hear MFH Dave K on the radio that he is Keith’s Draw (He’s named that area after you, Keith!) and heading east and that he has viewed the coyote. Then I hear him saying the coyote has crossed the east road heading east. As we are galloping along I see road whip ex-MFH Steve Evans taking his hat off , point south and is halooing. We gallop up and he tells Huntsman Dave that the coyote has just crossed the road (that’s that road Dave was talking about) and running hard to the east. Unfortunately, we didn’t have permission much farther east than that first field, so Huntsman Dave had to the call the hounds off.
whip Helen Smith
We hunted home without anymore excitement, but did I mention what a beautiful day it was!
Here’s a fun video of us jumping a coop and Sam Moran managing to stay on!
Nancy Evans provided lunch and it was wonderful! Lasagna, salad, garlic bread, a variety of desserts
mince meat pies made by Helen Smith
This weekends hunt has been canceled due to the forecasted bitter cold.
Tuesday we are having a fun night painting at the Corky Canvas. $35 dollars. You can buy beverages there, I will assign appetizers to everyone by Saturday. This is the picture we’re going to paint
This a fund raiser. Corky Canvas will donate $12 for everyone person that comes. So far we have 32 people. Maximum is 45. Let me know if you want to come and have fun!
Stay warm and have a great week! Thank you Krista Brown (she had SO MUCH FUN riding with Bre as a quasi whip), Helen Smith and Lauren K for your pictures
Carine and Indie