Foxhunting and land steward s

by Beth Hester necessitate large swathes of open land. Well “If you don’t think ahead, aware of the various threats to open land in the The Backstory it’s impossible to stave off commonwealth, I was inspired to explore the the bulldozers coming intersection between foxhunting, and land Several autumns ago during a research-related conservation initiatives in selected areas of the tour, I traveled the scenic byways of Clarke, across the fields.” piedmont region. Does foxhunting exist Fauquier, and Loudoun counties, taking side because of open land, or, does open land –Dr. Jack van Nagell Current President of trips to explore the region’s treasured network MFHA & Joint-MFH, Iroquois Hunt, KY continue to exist because of foxhunting and of largely unpaved, rural roads. Loudoun other field sports? e answer is both. It’s an County alone has approximately 300 miles of savoring the illusion that the landscape was interdependent relationship. these extraordinary passages, including the slowly unwinding before me. ere were no Beaverdam Creek Historic Roadways Dis - dreadful strip malls, tacky housing develop - Foxhunting in Virginia trict. I drove around for miles admiring the ments, or ‘improved’ roadways that didn’t Today—Pressures and traditional dry-fit stone fences, the archi - improve anything. But, I realized, all this open tecturally appropriate structures, and the land isn’t an accident. Partnerships stunning fall foliage. I basically had the roads I was in hunt country, where equestrian Currently, there are 29 hunts in Virginia, more to myself. ere was the occasional pickup pursuits and field sports are entrenched in the than any other state, including Kentucky— truck/horse trailer combo, and a handful of culture, and where field sport participants and which is surprising to many peo ple. Divided drivers who were probably running errands, landowners will fight for their sport, and for into two districts, the major ity of the hunts are leaf-peeping, or heading out to various farm thoughtful land management practices that located in the Piedmont. To get some initial markets, field trials, and wineries. I wasn’t so help to preserve the countryside way of life. perspective on the state of foxhunting in much traversing the rolling countryside as Foxhunting and point-to-point events Virginia, I turned to Lt. Col. Dennis J. Foster,

©Elizabeth Sutton

32 e MFHA is also responsible for enforcing the Territory Policy, which is key to the MFHA’s existence. In the very early days, d ship traditions are alive and well. there were numerous hunts all competing for permission to hunt on someone’s land. at competition resulted in conflicts between hunts and disgruntled landowners who often U.S. Army (ret.) who is Executive Director, got tired of their attempts to get permission. U.S. & Canada, of the Masters o f Dennis explains: “For example, one hunt Foxhounds Association (MFHA). is would wine and dine all the farmers around organization headquartered in Virginia is another hunt’s kennel, and pretty soon you responsible for qualifying each hunt, had no place to hunt and upset landowners ensuring all abide by strict codes of conduct, who sometimes because of it wouldn’t let and stringent organizational rules. e anyone hunt. e MFHA helped to change MFHA encourages and recognizes land all that.” conservation efforts through the sponsorship When the MFHA was first formed, of two major conservation awards: there were only three rules: u e Hunting Habitat Conservation u All member hunts were assigned Award: to recognize those foxhunting territory boundaries exclusively theirs to r

e clubs, individuals, and organizations hunt. Compliance with this rule takes t s e

H that have made significant and the pressure off landowners from other

h t

e enduring contributions toward the hunts that want to hunt on their land. B

© preservation of rural countryside and its u No other member hunt could hunt in In Middleburg, the fox is everywhere. Below, a flora and fauna. another member’s territory without scene from the Bull Run Joint Hunt, crossing the u e District Conservation Award: to permission from the landowner and the Robinson River. Left, a lovely view of the pas - toral Farmington Hunt Foxridge Conservation recognize conservation efforts in the member hunt. Easement in Albemarle County. various MFHA districts, and to inspire u e MFHA provided a hound regis- future land conservation efforts among tration so that serious breeders could members of the foxhunting family. improve the breed.

©Liz Caller

33 n u o d u o L

s t i r s i e V

m f m o u y S s y e t h t r a u o C C © The Hunt and Hound Review, Middleburg Christmas Parade John Birdsall responds to the call, Tally Ho.

I asked Dennis to weigh in on the current mecca for foxhunting and equestrian sport exchanges that often take place during hunts: foxhunting scene: “First, it is good to dispel enthusiasts. Fox hunts and other events keep “Many people who move to our region of the the elitist label that foxhunting seems to have. land in and around Middleburg open. Large Piedmont come to love the land and the rural Fox hunters are not rich bastards. e fact is, concentrations of foxhunters have migrated way of life through foxhunting. ey may any enthusiast of any sport will do whatever is to the area over the years. e fact that fox - have moved here specifically to foxhunt and necessary to pursue that interest. Fox hunters hunters and hound enthusiasts exist has a then decided to purchase land to both come from all walks o f life.” beneficial collateral impact on the region and preserve, and hunt over. While out hunting, Indeed. I suppose that if I were to tally anyone who appreciates the aesthetics of open much of the conversation centers on how to the funds I’ve spent over the decades on land.” preserve open land and provide for wildlife. shotguns, shells, clay, fly rods, line, reels, tying Another important factor impacting Once people become aware of the multiple materials, high-end optics, field guides, out - large parcels of land are tax situations. Taxes ways they can aid land preservation efforts, door clothing, travel, watercraft, and other often compel heirs to sell off parcels of land, they begin to implement good conservation gear, I would find that I could have acquired breaking it up into a mosaic of smaller pieces practices.” a small estate with enough money left over to which then become horse farms, farmettes, ough it is difficult to say with certainty outfit and maintain one or two fine horses. It’s vineyards, etcetera. While these new incar - exactly how many acres of preserved land in a matter of perspective. nations can contribute in positive ways to the the Virginia Piedmont have a direct Dennis continues: “e survival of maintenance of a ‘working landscape’, and correlation to foxhunting or equestrian foxhunting in Virginia, as well as other field don’t always disrupt the viewshed, the pursuits, conservation easements have proved sports, depends largely upon local and federal contiguous areas of open land once conducive to be the most robust tool currently available government entities. Attitudes toward growth for equestrian pursuits ceases to exist. to ensure protection of a property. Every differ from county to county. For example, In Virginia, because of specialized easement, every preserved parcel of land Fauquier County considers itself to be conservation organizations like the Piedmont makes a contribution. Rex Linville, land primarily agricultural, and the local govern - Environmental Council (PECVA), and the conservation officer, PECVA, shares his ment is conservation-minded when it comes Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF), perspective: “e key thing is that by to open space and keeping urban sprawl resources exist to help landowners navigate preserving land from development we have within limits. By contrast, Loudoun County, estate issues and explore the benefits of made sure the land will always be available for being so close to D.C., is under a great deal of donating land via conservation easements. rural activities like hunting, agriculture, pressure to develop more of the county. e Not surprisingly, these preservation organi - recreation, and scenic enjoyment. When the landscape in Loudoun looked very different zations have staff and field coordinators with land becomes ‘lost’ to development, those 20 years ago. e foxhunting culture around strong ties to field sports, foxhunting, and options no longer exist. I would argue that in Middleburg is so ingrained in its fabric that rural culture, and also understand the one way or another, all protected rural land it’s the main reason more land hasn’t been connections. Kristin Jones, assistant director benefits the hunt by preserving options for the given over to development. Middleburg is a of easements for the VOF, explains the future.”

34 u VIRGINIA WILDLIFE u WWW.HUNTFISHVA.COM Preservation Profile established woodland, and planted more new woodland and hedgerows than those who did Virginia foxhunter, Farmington Hunt not, despite the equal availability of subsidies. member, and PECVA board member John Voluntary habitat management appears to be Birdsall came to foxhunting after being important for biodiversity conservation in introduced to the sport by his wife, Britain, and similar activities globally, may Charlottesville native Mary Scott Birdsall, benefit from considering their utility as when they were both students at UVA. He’d incentives to conserve additional habitat on been an active quail hunter in Florida during private land.” his youth, and working with canines was In an article covering news of the 2011 second nature. Fifty years after first engaging in Farmington Hunt/Birdsall award, Norman foxhunting, he says that the sport has become Fine wrote of foxhunting: “Arguably no other a part of his DNA. e Birdsall family placed sporting culture has done as much to preserve their first property in conservation easement in land and natural habitat.” Given the large 1984 and since have donated over 1,700 in tracts of land needed to pursue equine sport, r e t combined acres across multiple easements. s and the passion that foxhunters have for their e H • Birdsall is considered a driving force for h way of life, this may well be true. t e open space conservation in his region, inspiring B © Beth Hester is a writer and freelance photographer others to consider land donations. When asked Morven Park, Leesburg, is home to the about the current state of conservation around from Portsmouth. Her passions include reading, Museum of Hounds and Hunting. shooting, kayaking, fishing, tying saltwater flies, the Farmington Hunt region in Albemarle and tending her herb garden. County, Birdsall shared the following: “Much has changed since 1984. Much land which was In our efforts to protect open land and open to foxhunting has been lost to intensive preserve the countryside way o f life, we’re not develop ment. ere was a dramatic accelera- so different from our counterparts across the RESOURCES tion of donated conservation easements post- pond. After all, our ancestors brought to the u Masters of Foxhounds Association & 2000 when the commonwealth created the East Coast of America both their hunting Foundation: www.m fha.org pres ervation tax credit, and I believe that absent traditions and their hounds. An important u The National Sporting Library & Museum that particular tax credit, far more land would study completed in 2003 by scholars at the (Middleburg): www.nationalsporting.org have been lost, perhaps to the extent that Durrell Institute of Conservation and u The Horse in Virginia: An Illustrated History , foxhunting would not have survived in western Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, by Julie A. Campbell (see review on pg. 41) Albemarle. I’m obviously grateful for what has concluded: u The Museum of Hounds & Hunting of North been accomplished, and I do think that there “We found that landowners parti - America at Morven Park (Leesburg) is an evolving mindset to preserve. Even so, I cipating in field sports maintained the most www.morvenpark.org and www.mhhna.org can’t help recalling the bumper sticker that reminds us that farmland lost is lost forever.” In 2011, e Farmington Hunt and J.B. Birdsall received the MFHA Hunting Habitat Conservation Award. Other award winners and their contributions can be viewed on the MFHA website.

Looking Forward: Tack & Tactics ough a land conservation mindset is part o f foxhunting culture, and hunt organizations by and large have members who, each in their own way, champion preservation causes, success going forward will depend upon landowners n o t t

and field sport enthusiasts of all varieties u S

h adopting a triadic approach: creating con- t e b a

servation easements on their own land, z i l E

participating in outreach and education efforts, © and direct political action. The Farmington Hunt takes place on conservation easement land.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 u 35