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November 8, 2009
Dayton-area club
keeps tradition alive with local fox hunt
By Loren Genson
Gazette Staff Writer
More than 25 members of the
Miami Valley Hunt club met at Wayne Upton’s Frankfort farm
Saturday to carry on the British tradition of “Riding to the
Hounds.”
Though much of the effort
made for the hunts is designed to carry on a centuries-old
tradition, the riders said the camaraderie and fun keeps them
coming back for more.
"For those of us who love to
ride, it doesn't get better than this," hunt master and founder
Phyllis Heck said.
Heck and her husband, Jack,
were approached by a colleague, Dr. Peter Coggins, who proposed
a fox hunt in the Dayton area. Since the group's founding in
1959, the hunt has continued to move out of the Dayton area in
search of land to use. Although Upton's farm in Frankfort is
only about 750 acres, short of ideal 1,000 acres, the group uses
his property often for events, along with other sites in
Champaign, Licking, Delaware and Preble counties.
"It's just great to have them
out here, it's certainly a neat thing to watch," Upton said.
The hunt members gather early
to dress in their formal wear and ready their horses. Saturday,
Michael Uecker offered his thoughts while his thoroughbred,
Gent, was being prepared.
"He's ready to go today,"
Uecker said as he brushed Gent and readied him for the hunt.
"He's actually 24 years old, but don't tell him that."
The Miami Valley Hunt insists
on a "no kill" hunt, with the overall goal being to enjoy the
sport. There are 28 foxhounds who follow the scent of foxes and
coyotes.
"We don't want to kill them,
because then they won't be out here to hunt next time," said
Master of Fox Hounds Carolyn Uecker, who is a retired Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel.
Fox hunting originated in
Great Britain as a way to control the fox population and protect
lambs, but it has not been a blood sport in the United States.
As preparation for the hunt,
some members also take small sips of Stirrup Cup, a traditional
drink offered before a traditional fox hunt. Carolyn said the
drink is a port or sherry, but it also can be cider or whatever
else is available.
"It's a tradition, a sip
before we go," she said.
The group has other
traditions, too. The hounds (don't call them dogs) give tongue
or speak -- they never bark. And the hounds never wag their
tails, instead they feather their sterns.
"It's just the traditional
way the British would say it, and it sounds kind of snobby, so
it's fun," Heck said.
Perhaps the reason so many
enjoy the hunt is because it brings family and friends together,
and age isn't a factor. Riders can range in age from 7 to 75,
Uecker said.
"There's a great camaraderie
out there. It's fun, but with a purpose," she said.
To learn more about the Miami
Valley Hunt, visitits Web site at www.MVHunt.net.
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