The Washington times., 1932-03-30
VIRGINIA HOLDS
HOSP|TABLE
HUNTS
By HARRY COSTELLO


country, in Farquier county, Va,
where horse, hound and horn are
sporting emblems, and where
hunting and hospitality are
synonymous, horseflesh is of
course (as a hunting historian
has said), a sine qua non of rid
ing to hounds. Nowhere in the
world, it seems, does the quality
of the saddle horse average
higher.
Two days in the Cobbler Hunt
country, and it's contiguous hunt
areas of Piedmont, Middleburg
and Orange, treasures one that re
Is, indeed, in the heart of a sports
mans paradise.
First of all, abundant kindness
and courtesy awaits the visiting
chronicler of sporting events.
Then, the high quality of sport,
even at hunter trial, reflects tc
a decided degree the unremitting
regularity of these hunt events
which has played such an i'm
portant part in the successful re-
vival of one of Americas oldest
hunts-the Cobbler.
Heyday is Here
This chonicler's first rendezvous
was at Rose Hill, historical
estate across whose fields roamed
MoSeby with his guerillas. The
hostess was Mrs. George H.
Slater, who is quite definite IN
her statement that the heyday
of Virginia hunting is here.
From Rose Hill we move on to
the trial course, which stretched
over "Ashleigh," estate of DR..
Edmund Horgan, and "Waverly," !"
estate of Benjamin McCarty, two
and half miles of beautiful and
natural hunt country, visibility
perfect from our point OF
vantage, testing at the outset
where a snake fence looms about
200 yards from the start.
There were 40 entries, and 36
accepted the issue, there being
two class trials, the first for
horses which had hunted the
season to the Cobbler hounds, the
second for horses which had
hunted more than one season to
the Cobbler hounds.
The trials we're most interest
ing, with John Rawlings, Of
Rectortown, flashing some bril-
liant riding, and imported Cap
tain Snuff. stout-hearted son OF
Briar Marcus and Yvonne B,
very much at home turning a
neat 4:25, despite the impost OF
about 200 pounds in the person
of Waugh Glascock, for II years
M. F.. H. Piedmont Hunt.
Back To Festive Board
All in all, jolly good fun, in
vigorating sport, with much SKILL
fine courage and excellent horse
flesh, despite the fact that a
bitter breeze, and biting wind
blew boisterously across the
course. at times making the
lightly clad bit uncomfortable.
After the trials, back to the
festive board at Rose Hill, where
the charming hostess, Mrs. Slater
entertained. The usual post
prandial discussion over the quail
tiles of rival horses, historical
resumes of an historical country,
witty stories of the chase, verbal
accounts of glorious runs in days
gone by. Members of The Cob
bier Hunt seem to have a keen
appreciation of the clubs relation
to sporting history, and yet one
is disappointed that these great
modern hunting days Of Virginia
have no sympathetic Interpreter.
These Cobbler- Mid dleburg-Pied-
mont Orange hunt countries, with
their old homes, remarkable roll
ing land, snake fences and stone
walls. not to mention their sports
men and Sportswomen, and their
remarkable horses, lend them
selves admirably to the romantic
narrative of the hunt in all its
phases. One finds difficulty in
discovering announcer uu1lC COulIViS
which presents fox-hunting rec
ord comparable to them. Their
story should be written.
That Sporting Spirit
Two days in the Cobbler-Pied-
mont Orange Middleburg zone
stimulates the sporting spirit. The
style of mount seems all it's own,
as near as this chronicler can
see. with outstanding weight car
riers omnipreSent.
The greatest thrill to the chron-
icler came when the extraordi-
narily popular General Billy Nit
chell instantly recognized him as
a veteran of the little known
Archangel (RuSSla) portion of the
American Expeditionary Force
during the World War.
Back to Washington and the
drab things of work after two
days in the sporting country of
Cobbler-Piedmont-Orange Middle =
burg is indec. a comedown.