Hunting at Persia

First some unfinished business. I forgot to mention that Nancy Evans was one of our whips yesterday and it was great to see Terri Combs out riding yesterday. She had one hip replaced in ’14 and the other’15. She was back in full form, riding first flight with her big, beautiful bay horse!

Today was the third day of hunting and once again the weather was spectacular. A bit brisk to start-frost on the windshield-but the sun got into full stride and did her job as the day developed.

5 riders were awarded a Gold Star  for hunting all three days: Huntsman Dave (naturally), whipper-in Bre (of course), hard riding woman: Mary Curran, tougher than steel: Holly Barrett (she damaged her tailbone a month ago and toughed her way through all three days!) and moi.

I thought of Ted Crosbie today and Rick Lester. Ted said that the greatest viewing and chase he ever had was at Persia. Rick just loved every part of hunting. They would have been over the Super Moon today. Gone too soon, but not forgotten. I dedicate this hunt to them.

Huntsman Dave, whipper-ins MFH Dave K, Bre O, birthday girl Brit Vegas, and 18 riders, including the 4 guests that Becca Fellman brought with her (Thank you!) One guest was a older rider who was very game, I saw her later using a cane to walk around! You Go Girl!

Huntsman Dave led the field quietly towards the east, it was a smart way to ease our new guests into their first hunting experience. He was also trying to get towards the easterly side of the Persia country and then start hunting with wind in our faces. The hounds were very well behaved, staying packed up until he gave them permission to start hunting.

As we’re having a leisurely stroll through the bean field, talking and laughing (really practicing our hunting skills) when BOOM, woDDl’tln, nuj tlnqu’ ghaj coyote Sup! That’s Klingon for: BOOM, up jumped a big, huge coyote!

He was probably 50 feet from us!!! Running hard to the north, the hounds erupted in FULL CRY! Two hot bitches, Livery and Jessen are nipping his heels. “Come on handsome-we could make beautiful babies together!” He probably felt that he might not be able to perform under that kind of pressure….

Mary C and I are riding side by side and we had the BEST VIEWING! and we kept viewing-and viewing-and viewing. As we are galloping along (It’s so awesome riding a great horse!)we were laughing out loud as we said over and over ‘still viewing’, till he went through a waterway and the hounds had a loss. As they’re milling around, Keith R shouts out ‘There he is! Up on the terrace!” The wind was blowing, the ground is so dry, the scent was lost =(  As we crossed the waterway, I led the group across and at the last minute notice a giant hole to the left, Indie stumbled in another hole. Everyone was following right behind me when suddenly Mary C’s horse fell into a huge hole, Mary tumbled off. She did hit her head pretty hard, but scrambled up and said she was ok. I ran after her horse and I thought I had it cornered in a fence line, when he scrambled over a downed barb wire fence, sustaining some small nicks. Thank Goodness our new Whoopee Wagon person, Wendi Hutton (her daugher, Kelsey is a new junior member) jumped out of her vehicle and caught him. Keith R who had galloped with me to help out, helped pony Mary’s horse back.

What a fabulous run! Mary said it was the BEST viewing she had in her 20 years of hunting!

Huntsman Dave gathered the hounds and carried to an open field where we could have a WW break and wait for the gate group to catch up. Since they didn’t have a radio and I couldn’t reach anyone by phone, Keith R galloped back to the gate group to lead them through the opening in the fence that Mary’s horse had created.

We hunted home, nothing was found-except for some happy landowners who were glad to see us out hunting.

Becca Fellman had bagels and lox (fillet of brined salmon), cream cheese, capers, sliced tomatoes, onions, a variety of chips and some sort of delicious dessert. We all sang happy birthday to Brit Vegas-she said goodbye to her 20’s

Congratulations to Huntsman Dave, the NHH hounds and all our staff for showing us GREAT Sport!

Next weekend we are traveling to the beautiful Tipton Country. We can’t wait to see you Tom and Lyse!!

Have a safe and wonderful week.

Carine/Indie

NHH Honorary Secretary

photo credit: Wendi Hutton

photo credit: Wendi Hutton

Anne Marquardt, Mary Curran, Carine Stava Photo credit: Wendi Hutton