Evening star., 1941-03-16
BY BARTON PATTIE,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

WARRENlON, va, Mdrcn 10
The Englishman's cherished sport
of riding to hounds may be closed
to him by war, but the colorful fox
hunt of the squire is assured trans
planted life in Virginia with faith
full attention to all its centuries-old
traditions.
Virginia's hunting country, which
sprawls over an area a hundred miles
long and from 20 to SO miles wide
just southwest of Washington, is
a land of rusticating moneyed folk
and expansive estates.
1t is a country much like the
English shires, rolling acres of
pasture land. clean woodlands and
very few plots under plow. The fields
are separated by broad stone walls.
post-and-rails, snake fences and
some wire, which has been paneled
at intervals.
These are essentials to fox hunt
ing, since a willy big red may stage
a cross-country marathon of some
10 to 20 miles before slipping into
his earth, leaving the hounds never
called dogs by the fox hunter)
voicing their disappointment and
the riders with no brush never
called a taiD for a trophy.
Early settlers of Virginia, pre-
dominantly English, brought with
them the love of the motherland
for a hard ride behind fast pack
of foxhoupds. They imported blooded
horses and gave attention to breed
ing so that some of Americas best
horses today can be traced to Eng
lish thoroughbreds brought to Vir-
ginia before the Revolution.
George Washington a Fan.
George Washington, described as
a daring and skillful rider in the
hunt, was proud of his stables and
hounds.
After the Revolution, hundreds
of packs thrived In Virginia and
fox hunting became an important
feature of plantation life. Then came
the Civil War, leaving aristocracy
impoverished and big estates desc
late or split into small farms.
Formal fox hunting with its scar
let-coated riders on blue-blooded
hunters, the organized pack. the
master, the whippers-in and the
mellow horn all but disappeared in
Virginia for about 40 years.
Then one day in 1905 wide at
tention was focused on this then
somewhat down at-the-heel section
of the State by an international
contest between American and
English foxhounds won by Ameri-
cam staged in Loudoun County by
Harry w. Smith. now 73-year-old
horseana expert of Worchester.
Mass. Some of the natives contend
that it would have happened any,
how, but the fact remains that this
event marked the beginning of
revolutionary changes in the pros
perity and complexion of Northern
Virginia.
Snowbound sportsmen in the
North began to investigate and
found that this hunting country
of the Washingtons, Fairfaxes,
Randolphs and Carters-of Jeffer-
son, Madison and Monroe-could be
made a fox-hunters' paradise.
The infiltration of the Northern
Blue into the GRAY was on. There
was some grumbling here at the
outset, but it subsidized as delapidated
estates rose Phoenix-like to their
antebellum grandeur.
Eighteenth century show places
were restored. Rambling new manor
houses and stables began to dot
the countryside. The long-neglected
turf, much Of it rich bluegrass, began
to take on manicured appearance.
Northerners Bring Prosperity.
Real estate doomed. Construction
and improvements brought soaring
tax receipts to the counties Court
houses were renovated and new
public schools built.
The historic old town of Middle
burg was taken over completely by
the hunting set.
Fox hunting swiftly became a
uidJOl AiuuSIiy, lcpIcSellOills Ill LII
vestment by newcomers to the State
of millions of dollars in estates and
breeding establishments. Employ
ment was given to trainers, grooms
and stablemen and to thousands of
servants. recruited mostly from the
Blue Ridge foothills.
The landlords now include men,
bers of such families as the Melons,
Du Points, Morgans and Whitneys.
Blended with the F. F. VS. are
members of the first families of New
York. Pittsburgh. Chicago and ST.
Louis, social register folk who have
expended fortunes in patterning
here horsy, station wagon life
The natives gradually adjusted
themselves to the changing social
scene and were ready for anything,
but in 1914 a dazzling, gold-plated
venture into squired elegance left
them gasping.
Edward M. Weld, a cotton broker,
Joined the Warrenton hunting
colony and purchased North Wales,
built on a Lady Fairfax grant in
1773. He used this landmark, with
IFS Serret roOrns for hiding from the