The Washington times., 1933-12-01
Bath County Hunt Revival
" Is Described by NJ. F. H.

jumping on the fox hunts, al
though every now and then
fox will break to the open coun-
try through fenced fields.
We have had some interesting
runs The prize run of the sea-
son probably was one day in
February of '33, when a fox was
jumped a little after 6 a. m. The
field was close behind the hounds
all morning; a large part of the
time in view of the hounds and
several times of the fox. At lis
p. m. the hounds lost, the field
gathered together and ate a few
sandwiches and discussed calling
! it a day. Just as we were about
to turn back a hound gave tongue,
and we saw a tired fox going
across field. We finally ran the
fox TO earth at 3:15 in the after
noon.
Another day the hounds were
cast over the various farms just
below Hobby Horse Farm. That
day five foxes were put up
There was no kill, as each time
the fox turned and went to the
rock slides on the Warm Springs
Mountain where he got away
from the hounds. Foxes were
jumped, however, and there were
some fine bursts in the fields
of Hobby Horse, Virginia Hot
Springs Company'S nursery, the
Smith farm and others.
Occasionally, during the season,
the hounds have been taken off
to other countrysides at the
invitation of the farmers. Over
on Meetings. Ridge we have
had some good runs.
Difficult This Year
Of course, progress in 1928
was easy, because almost any.
thing we did was better than
what had gone before. For the
season of 1884 it is going to
be difficult to make as much
relative improvement. However.
the hounds themselves have been
greatly improved by wedding out
and by new purchases. Further.
more, many young hounds bred
by the Hunt itself are to be
entered. AS far as the drags
are concerntd, more panels have
been built, the hounds will be
better and the drag man more
experienced. For fox hunting,
both huntSman and hounds have
had a great education, know the
country much better, and also
the habits of these mountain
foxes. The staff of our Hunt
expects that fox hunting this
year will be more of a feature
and more successful than in
1898.
Everyone about the valley has
been interested and the fields
have been drawn from all quar-.
tiers. When dragS or hunts have
been held on the Jackson River
Farms there usually has been a
Hunt breakfast at Fassifern, Ell
ther given by some friend of the
Hunt, or arranged as a Dutch
treat" by the whole field and by
spectators, of which there always
are many.
There have been other Hunt
breakfasts given by those who
have supported the hounds, both
in the Horseshoe or Warm
Springs Mountain and in some
of the places farther off. On the
whole the activities of the Bath
County Hounds have been essen
TALLY those of amateur huntsmen
tremendously interested in horses
and hounds, and loving the sport
for the sake of the chase.
It is, of course, still rough
country, and a test for both
hounds and horses, but tn a t
makes it all the more interesting
To keep a well-mannered pack
in open fields, with small patches
of woodland, is difficult enough,
but if you can ride a pack of
hounds six miles to a meet, over
woodland paths full of all kinds
of game, without disastrous riot,
and then have them jump a fox
in a forest with practically no
paths and keep the pack together
and running to the line, you can
feel that you have really accom-
plished something in the man
agement of both the hounds and
the horses following them.
nv TTT