Hunting Saturday October 12th, 2008 - 8:30AM
Valley Green Farm (Bridlespur Kennels)

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell (Max)

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht (Camo), Gene Deutsch (Gus), Lee Deutsch (Belle), John Korenak (Rocky), Deborah Daugherty

First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster)(on Lark), Eddie Beyers (Padi), Leslie Ayers (PT), Margaret Engle (Maurice), Ron Ausman (Toby), Leslie Granger (Lucy)

Second Field: Anne Hoagland (fieldmaster), Armand Hoffstetter (Kaiser), Janelle Allton, Gigi Harrow (Festus), Deb Hogan, Shelby O’Leary (Doc), Mackenzie Bussard (Bert), Joy Yates (Smoky)

Junior Field: Lei Ruckle (fieldmaster, Ronnie), Geri Washausen (Floyd), Elise Vandover (Poppy), Beverly Stevens (Courtney), Amanda Torrini(Mescal)

16 couple hounds including 4 puppies

GPS readings 8.31 miles - 1hr 36 minutes moving, 1 hr 6 minutes stopped. Moving average 5.4 mph. Max speed 18.1 mph. Total time 2 hrs 42 minutes.

Lunch/Brunch – Provided by Mary Hensel and Ron Ausman. Preparation by Vicky O’Leary. Italian Beef sandwiches with other dips, chips and good stuff.

The forecast was for warm weather so coats were waived by the masters in favor of polo shirts. The temperature was 70 when we started and 82 when we finished. It was really warm considering most of the horses already had winter coats coming in. The barometric pressure was rising and there was no wind. The grass is still green and all the leaves are still on the trees. Some of the leaves are starting to turn colors. It was a beautiful day.

There were a couple of new horses in the field, Elise Vandover came riding her horse Poppy. Also Margaret Engle, the previous Bridlespur Huntsman was hunting with us today.

We headed down the hill and toward the road to the creek crossing. We came across the creek and Eleanor worked the woods to the North of us. The hounds started speaking in the woods but it was determined not to be coyote or fox so they were stopped. From there Eleanor went down by the creek and crossed. We took a crossing a little farther down and headed up the hill toward the hog farm. We worked that area and then headed toward the “Road to nowhere”. We thought we heard speaking over in the valley and Eleanor brought the hounds down the ravine and we headed toward Tim Brown’s place. We had a pretty good pace and continued working our way East. At this point it was pretty hot and there did not seem to be any scent. Eleanor gathered the hounds and we headed back toward the club house. First field jumped three coops and my young horse was great over the coops. Unfortunately we were and hour and a half into the hunt before I figured out that she was much better behaved if she could be in front of Maurice.