2009-2010 SEASON, ISSUE 3 New Market Middletown Valley Hounds FEBRUARY 2010 FROM THE CHAIRMAN’S DESK As I sit down to write my was a winner and we hope to to do the same again this Inside this issue: column for the third issue of repeat this social event again. year. So we are looking for- this year’s As we move into ward to your very lively partici- Master’s Message 2 “Kennel Notes” Your participation 2010, our events are pation in the bidding. If you it seems as if is critical to the also some of the most can’t attend the Hunt Ball but Voice of the Horn 2 there is always important of the year, would like to bid on items, we future of our Cleveland Bay Hunt 3 one consistent Club... both from a social and will also be accommodating theme: the time fund raising perspec- proxy bids. New Members 4 certainly does tive as well as the Elections – We have recently fly by! Already we are into the business“‘New’ operations seems of to the announced our Nominating Club Contacts 5 second month of the New Club.be theYour operativeparticipation is Committee for Hunt Commit- Year and while Mother Nature critical to the future success of tee (Kevin Bowie, Meredith Foxhunter’s 5 has been giving Reynard a ourword Club: in so many Paulsen and Kathy Wilt). Monologue break by curtailing our hunting Huntways; Ball –especially You have had Since this is an even year, days, this time of year is per- youras invite we now head for a intocouple of there will be four seats up for haps one of the busiest for the weeks, so hurry on and send election this year. Simultane- Hunt Committee. in yourthe RSVP!! 2009-2010 Seating is lim- ous with their important delib- We closed out 2009 with ited; youseason…” don’t want to miss erations, the Hunt Committee two significant events: this night. This is that once a is in the process of making Hunt Directory – The spiffy year special night out on the Master(s) nominations. Our By 2009-10 Directory was pub- town; the perfect excuse for Laws require that we publish lished mid November. This you ladies to go out and buy a our nominations 30 days prior Mike Moreland, Hunt handy little publication would- new gown (yes, you have my to the annual meeting, and we n’t come about if it wasn’t for permission!!) and us guys to are striving to be ahead of that Committee Chairman the huge efforts of a great dust off that dinner jacket or schedule. group of volunteers, whom we scarlet tails! Saturday March Annual Meeting – Our an- tion and enjoyment. If you are have detailed on the first 6th is the date, cocktails 7-8, nual meeting is scheduled for looking to add one more new page. Please make sure to dinner 8pm and dancing until Sunday May 2 nd at the Club year’s resolution to your list, I pick up your copy from the midnight. Location will be at House, starting with our amaz- challenge you to get more Club House and thank these Holly Hills Country Club. ing pot luck dinner at 6pm with involved with YOUR Club, people for their hard work. I Silent Auction – The much the meeting to follow at 7pm. everyone benefits and later as keep my copy handy and use awaited Silent Auction will This is the most important time 2010 passes us by, you will it all the time to reference a take place at the Hunt Ball as of the year to get informed on reflect back and be glad you member’s contact information usual. Back by popular de- all the Club’s activities and did! or to look for a vendor from mand will be a small live auc- hear from the Masters, the Mike Moreland one of our advertisers. tion for some of our most se- Chairman and the Treasurer Hunt Committee Chairman Holiday Shopping Spree and lect and popular items. This is as they give their annual re- Wine Socia l – For those of the most important fund rais- ports to the membership. For you whose hectic holiday ing event of the year, so we our voting members, it is also Puppy Naming Auction schedule kept you away, you desperately need your help in time when you perform your Scattered throughout the really missed a treat! There donating items or services to revered civic duty of voting for newsletter, you will find was lots of yummy food and the auction. Look for details on Master(s) as well as the open pictures of the “T” litter wine being served and the how to donate in our emails or Hunt Committee seats. puppies, their auction Club House was jammed just contact me. We have bro- As you can see, we are off winner, and name. Thank packed with vendors selling ken all records for the past two to a bang with 2010, numer- you for your generosity lots of great items. Seems like years in a row and we are ous activities under way and and creativity! this evening weekday format setting a very aggressive goal many things for your participa- Master Kate and Heather NEW MARKET-MIDDLETOWN VALLEY HOUNDS NM-MVH.COM FEBRUARY 2010 Page 2 2009-2010 SEASON, ISSUE 3 MASTER’S MESSAGE BY KEVIN CURRAN, MFH VOICE OF THE HORN BY ROBERT TAYLOR, HUNTSMAN What a challenging season only been because of the The festive season is tradi- this has been weather wise. I weather, but parking and land- tionally a huge hunting time in wish I could say our owner concerns. We also can- the "old" country, especially hounds were lean from so celed a hunt because of a Boxing Day and the New Year's much hunting. I wish I could hard crust of snow that would Day meet. No matter how bad say the horses are getting so have damaged the hound’s the weather or the head, it was fit that they are hard to han- paws. unthinkable not to go out on dle. Unfortunately, that is not The Masters of Foxhound those days. So, when I saw the case this season. The old Association strongly recom- those beautiful online videos of foxhunters used to say "get mends that Masters insure the Middleburg Hunt parade in Robert Taylor, Huntsman out all you can before Christ- safe hunting conditions for its the snow, it brought back fond Photo courtesy of Richard Leonard mas, because the weather members. With the ground as memories. Mind you it also re- may not coop- frozen as it has minded me of those not so good Well enough to tell the stories - erate after." been, not only is it recollections, when as a 12 year every word of them true and no This season, dangerous for the old, one was expected to be exaggeration! after our fabu- horses but a fall there on every occasion. Here we are in 2010. Thank- lous Junior would likely result in Dad would talk about the fully there are those who make Hunt on No- broken bones of "good old days" and the weather correct decisions on our behalf vember 28th, rider and/or horse. we hunted through. Humbug! so that the rush of hunting blood Mother Nature Mike Moreland, Trifle The Masters have There was no such thing as "the to our heads does not set us in has all but done all we can to good old days". What about harms way. Hunting this season, shut us down. keep the hounds going out leaving the kennels on horse, for my part, has been most The Northern Virginia when deemed appropriate. with hounds, for a 10 mile hack memorable and exciting. To Hunts canceled for three We will be adding by-days to a distant meet in the rain or take my canine charges out with straight weeks because of whenever possible during the snow. Hunt in the opposite di- a group of people who appreci- rock-hard frozen ground. Poto- remaining season. rection, away from home, say ate what they do, is indeed, mac's monitor said that hunt- It has been very frustrating another 5 miles and manage to exhilarating. What better place ing was canceled indefinitely for the Masters to cancel two stop the hounds just before dark to be, as often as we can do it. until the weather and footing joint meets with DeLaBrook with no field left. Still raining or To arrive home safe and sound, improves. I don't know who is and one with Fairfax Hunt. snowing, trudge the reverse way all of us, is a prime goal. So far, more frustrated this season— Also frustrating is the many home in the pitch black. You this season, we have been out the Masters, the Staff, the improvements we have added realize that there was no horse/ more than most packs. Our membership or the hounds. to our St. James fixture of hound transport for staff. Still, hounds continue to provide us Our cancellations have not which we have not hunted this there was the very frequent with excellent sport. I am de- season due to cancellations. pubs that dad and the whip wel- lighted. The week of writing this BUT...the hay still comes comed—outside of course, as has seen me hunt 3 times with out of the loft, the farrier still we still had hounds and horses. the two packs. My horse and I in arrives on schedule, feed That is when young that time have fallen 3 times store runs still continue like Robert tasted his first sweet because of the ground condi- clockwork and horse blankets sherry, or was it a hot toddy? tions.