It really was just meant to be a fun weekend in September 2007 with my sister Jann, good friend, Bev and our horses. We hauled our horses up to Red Rock Hounds north of Reno, NV to participate in a hunter pace – basically a timed trail ride with some fences to jump enroute.
I had no idea how Preston's and my life would change after that weekend. Actually, Preston had no idea his life was changing until about 4 months later......
Jann and I had recently re-connected with a childhood friend from back east. Lynn Lloyd had been in the Reno area for close to 30 years where she had started the “world-famous” Red Rock Hounds in 1980.
We weren’t sure about the actual hunt part, especially me. I didn’t know how my show hunter would take to the exuberance of the hunt field. But what harm could come from a hunter pace?
Well, none actually, unless you consider the radical 180-degree turn my life took at the end of that 8 mile loop up and over the sandy hills and sage brush and through the meadows and streams of the breathtaking Ross Creek Ranch in the Red Rock valley north of Reno. As we galloped across the finish line we could’ve been winning the Triple Crown for all the smiles we had on our faces and the thrill we felt. No, we didn’t win anything in the hunter pace. But we won something much more important that day; the renewing of an old friendship and the introduction to a stunningly exhilarting sport and a group of people that truly feed my soul and heart.
We did join the hunt the next day and, no, my show hunter didn’t grasp the concept very well – or, to be honest, not at all. But in spite of the whirling dervish of a ride Nathan gave me, I knew I had found something I wanted to pursue.
Imagine the indescribable feeling of being one with your horse as you gallop across the landscape (non-horsepeople, you have no idea what you're missing!) that is wide open and virtually free of human habitation. You mingle with wildlife as you go up and down the hills and valleys. The hounds that accompany you are amazing to watch as they work together to cover every inch of ground with their noses looking for that special scent. There’s the sound of horn that is used by huntsman to communicate to the hounds – one person in complete unison with dozens of hounds. Then there’s the coyote that flirts with the hounds – daring them to spot him or catch his scent. And, if they do – the merry chase is on! The hounds break into full bay in pursuit of the clever coyote until he gets bored with the chase and ducks into a hole or leaps to a high perch to lose his scent to the hounds. The “field” of people and horses follow as closely as possible to the hounds. All the while you are sharing this invigorating experience in the company of your closest friends and family.
At the end of the run we all stop to take a breath. The hounds happily gather around the huntsman with big grinning smiles and lolling tongues. The horses catch their breath and take a cool drink. The humans refresh from the flasks we all carry. The camaraderie between the people, horses, hounds, the wildlife and the beauty of the open space is unsurpassed. We love this sport, the wildlife, the hounds and horses and the land that is so special. We are all conscious of the sensitivity to the balance of nature – always careful to minimize our impact where we hunt. Always respectful to the wildlife whose home we are passing through for the day.
Let me clarify something about the term “hunt”. I often receive quizzical and sometimes disapproving looks when I mention that I am an active fox/coyote hunter. Let me be very clear. The term “hunt” is not to be mistaken for “kill”. Perhaps we should modify the terminology to be “chasing” rather than “hunting” as that is much more descriptive and typical of what the sport entails. We are hunting for a scent and the actual physical presence of a coyote (or fox if in other geographical regions) – not with the intention to kill. So, please do not judge my sport by what your assumptions are. Keep an open mind and I think you will find that fox hunters are a group of people whose goals are very much in unison with environmentalists and animal welfare advocates.
Llynn Lloyd, Master of Red Rock Hounds addresses the Fox Hunting naysayers quite eloquently in a recent interview published in The Chronical of the Horse. When asked "If you could sit down with an anti-hunting representative, what's the one thing about your sport you'd want to try and make them understand?" Lynn replied, "That hunting is actually a huge part of our soul as a human being. In general, no matter how deeply it's buried in the mind, we are hunters. And that the fun thing about mounted hunting is that we have all the fun of the chase without necessarily ending the life of the quarry."
This sport that grabbed me has also drawn in my sister Jann, my husband, Preston and several other friends. We are now a family of fox/coyote hunters.
Preston became "hooked" several months later when we went with Red Rock to a joint meet in Ridgecrest, CA. He went along for the ride without a horse. As we were driving home after a fun-filled 4 days he told me that he didn't want to be standing on the ground any longer. It didn't take me long to find him a great mount in Baxter. Less than 6 weeks later he joined his first hunt.
During the past 2 years we have had the priveledge of hunting on some of the most beautiful land in Nevada and California as well as a memorable trip to the traditional hunting territory of Virginia last year.
We are just starting our 3rd year as members of Red Rock Hounds. At the commencement of our 3rd season I found myself on the ground due to a riding injury several days before Opening Day. It's been a long 6 weeks but next week I should be back in the saddle. I can already feel the wind on my face as we take off in pursuit of the hounds......
Tally Ho!!
