The Hildegard Neill Ritchie “Joys of Foxhunting” writing contest is held annually by the U.S. Pony Clubs in memory of Hildegard Neill Ritchie, founder in 1958 and District Commissioner of the Colorado Springs Pony Club (Colo.) for 30 years.

Ritchie was also the regional supervisor of the Colorado (now Rocky Mountain) region for 12 years and hosted regional Pony Club camps on her ranch for more than 20 years. She served several terms as a USPC Governor and received the USPC Founders Award in 1989. She hunted with the Arapahoe Hunt (Colo.) and loved the sport, so she worked tirelessly to encourage Pony Clubbers to follow hounds whenever possible.

The contest is open to all D- or C-rated Pony Club members. The first place winner receives $200, the second place winner receives $100, and the third place winner will receive $50, all to be spent on foxhunting dues, capping fees, Pony Club camp, or a related activity.

Peter Winants, former editor of the Chronicle and director of the National Sporting Library in Middleburg, Va., judged the competition. Now retired, he lives on a farm in Rectortown, Va. He is the author of five books on foxhunting, steeplechasing and sporting art and an avid hunt follower.

“I knew Mrs. Ritchie, and in fact hunted with her several times when she came East to enjoy sport. I feel that she’d be proud of ‘her’ contest, and that she’d agree with me that this year’s winner–Sophie Ruff–has given an excellent description of what foxhunting means to her,” said Winants.

FIRST PLACE
Untitled Essay
Sophie Ruff

As Molly begins to fidget, practically shaking with anticipation while I remove her sheet, I calm her. I hear the tooting of the huntsman’s horn and leap on my pony. I cannot believe that I am really here. Yes, after foxhunting pony after pony for three seasons, moving from hilltoppers to first flight, I am in Lynchburg, Va., 500 miles away from my home in New York, about to ride out with the fabled Farmington Hunt. As I trot over to join the first flight Field Master, I catch a glimpse of the sleek and excited foxhounds. They look overjoyed to be leaving the kennels and off on another hunt! Just 10 minutes later they are on the scent. We gallop toward our first two jumps of the day: three-foot coops only a stride apart!

Thinking back, I fondly reflect on my journey to this momentous day. How did I get there? Only two and a half short years ago, people would have thought me crazy to even dream about riding with the hounds, let alone actually doing it. Back then, Peaches the pony took me on my very first foxhunt. Not just an ordinary pony, Peaches is the “bombproof” lesson pony that many a young foxhunter took out for the first hunt. I was both bewildered and amazed by my very first hunt adventure. Thank goodness for Peaches. She made me feel perfectly safe, so I did not get nervous or scared. She took me over the trails and through mud and water, never missing a beat. I knew that day that foxhunting would have a permanent place in my riding life.

Of course, all ponies are not like Peaches, and even she has her own little quirks. Along with Peaches’ safe demeanor came the habits of a lazy lesson pony. Soon, I was ready for, shall we say, a more “energized” mount. And so my search for the perfect pony began. I hopped from pony to pony (probably 20 in all) in my mission to find a true hunting partner. I remember Puddles, the bucker; Milo (let’s not even talk about Milo!); and the list goes on and on. I was awash in a sea of ponies, becoming more and more frustrated as the search went on. And then Molly, the pony I now know and love, came into my life! After the long process of trial and error, we found each other. Molly (Good Golly Miss Molly) is the perfect all-around mare.

When Molly and I first hunted, she did not have a clue what she was doing. She pranced about and reared whenever the hunt changed direction. But I knew I was lucky to have a horse who tolerated hunting, even if she did not enjoy it yet. Then, after only five or six hunts, something “clicked” and Molly seemed to be getting the hang of things. She slowly started to understand what was going on and stopped rearing and fidgeting as much. From our humble hilltopping beginnings, Molly and I grew together into solid first flight hunters.

A day out hunting is one thing, but riding at 90 miles an hour with one of the Rombout Hunt whippers-in is another! My first experience hunting with staff was with Suzie Cannavino, Rombout’s MFH. Boy, is she something. I’ll never forget galloping across the field thinking, “This is the fastest I’ve ever gone!” And of course, let’s not forget our crazy professional whipper-in, Stephen. If riding with Suzie was fast, then this was furious! We rode through ponds, galloped on roads, jumped road guardrails, and had an all-around fantastic time. At one point, Molly jumped over a huge pile of rocks, which Stephen’s horse just walked across, and I fell off, unprepared. Stephen just kept going. Did he even know I fell off? Oh well; I just got up, dusted off, and caught up with him. And then there is Steve Solomon. As the Joint Master, Steve is more than just a whipper-in. He taught me more about agriculture, land, organic farming, horses, and of course, hunting, than I will ever learn from any book. I remember thinking, “Hey, he should do a Pony Club unmounted meeting.”

So when Lisa Winkler, my thrill-seeking trainer, started planning for a long weekend of hunting in Virginia, I jumped at the opportunity, which brings us back to where my story began. The next four days come and go (sigh!) too fast as we prepare to return home to New York. On Friday and Sunday, I rode with Oak Ridge Hunt Club. We even climbed our first mountain! Twice! It was funny listening to MFH Rita Mae Brown laugh as we turned around and saw the same trees again, or Lisa and Matt squishing me between their horses. And I’ll really never be the same again. Unlike the competitions I do, foxhunting is about having fun without failures. You don’t get eliminated if you fall off. Instead, you laugh at yourself and write a poem for the hunt.

I kiss Molly goodbye as she goes up the trailer ramp and tell her how wonderful she has been on this fantastic journey. I know by her face that she is satisfied with our trip and can’t wait to do it again. With Molly tucked in for her ride home, I could not help but think back on how hunting came to be a part of my life in the first place. Suzie, Vincent, Lisa, Steve, and the rest of the Rombout Hunt welcomed me–and my Pony Club friends–into their special world, a world born of tradition and filled with excitement. In fact, my rich and varied experience over these last days makes me want to ride with every foxhunt in the United States. Who knows; maybe one day I will. I cannot imagine my life without the thrill of the hunt, and of course, my Molly.

Sophie Ruff is a 12-year-old C-1 from Running Fox Pony Club, New York/Upper CT region and a junior member of Rombout Hunt in Clinton Corners, N.Y. Sophie has been riding for about five years and loves mounted games, eventing, and foxhunting. She also plays piano and oboe.

SECOND PLACE
Keeping Balance
Sarah Green

One dreary morning I woke and went downstairs to prepare for the morning hunt. I will not let the damp, cloudy day hamper my good mood. Down to the kennels I went, to get my hounds ready for what would be a great day of hunting. I decided to take out 10 couple, which included six of my favorites: Chaser, Lefty, Fracet, Paris, Ogden and Archie.

Hannah, one of my whips, had tacked up our horses for the day and led mine over to me. We left the kennels and went down to the trailer parking where everyone would be waiting for our arrival. As usual, the field was mounted and ready to go; they were excited as well. Sue, my other whip, met up with us at the trailers.

“Let’s go,” I said, and picked up a brisk trot. We went down the first hill on a trail through the woods. The smell of the pine and cedar trees was refreshing and I hoped the scenting would be as wonderful. We jumped the first coop of the day and headed into a field. Chaser picked up the scent of a grey straight away; I knew this would be a great day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very strong and the line was long.

I moved the hounds along; we had a nice gallop and jumped two stone walls across a dirt road into the next field. The hounds hit immediately on a strong line. We galloped on and there was excitement in the air. We headed across the field to a coop that was downhill. The grass was slick and suddenly there was a fall of horse and rider. The horse popped up and galloped off towards the front of the pack. Everyone in the field was attending to the rider, and my whips were not in sight, so I told my Field Master to keep his eye on the hounds. I pressed my heels into my 3-year-old filly and galloped her up to the loose horse; this would be another test in her training. I found a good time to move up alongside the horse and was able to catch it quickly.

I was proud of my young mount, Hard Copy. She is quick to respond, shows great form over fences, and is very sensible, making her one of the best horses I have ever had the pleasure to ride. After catching the loose horse, I dismounted to check the horse’s legs, and everything seemed to be just fine. I then led the horse back to his rider, who was thankfully not hurt.

In the meantime, the hounds had actually been on the line of a coyote and have been brought back by my whips, Sue and Hannah. We then decided to call it a day and head back to a hunt breakfast. All the members were talking, laughing and telling jokes about the day’s wild ride.

The member who fell came to me and apologized for causing such a commotion and ending the hunt a bit sooner than planned. I said we have to keep everything in life in balance; the fact that no injuries occurred to horse or rider made it a great day. The hounds would run the line another day.

Sarah Green is a 12-year-old D-3 from Wintergreen Pony Club, Old Dominion Region. Sarah has been in Pony Club for three years but is a new member to Wintergreen Pony Club. She foxhunts with Oak Ridge Fox Hunt (Va.) and has just completed her first season. She has two ponies that she hunts, events, rides in games and trail rides. Her favorite, Stuart Little, competed in the Junior Field Masters Chase last spring.

THIRD PLACE

Foxhunting Fun
Erin Kelly

In the soft light of the early morning,
There’s a slight sound of
something stirring,
A hound, a horse, and rider
have beaten the sun,
And thus another great
foxhunt has begun.

Boots, coat, whip, and tack,
Into the trailer are earlier packed,
Load up a horse, Load up a hound,
And off to the hunt, all safe and sound.

Trucks and trailers pull off the road,
And everyone hastens to unload,
While the Field Master does a headcount,
All’s excitement begins to mount.

There’s much to do and caps to pay,
If we are to start soon today,
Hurry! Hurry! We must get done,
For soon will start all the fun.
Hark! The Master will speak,
“One with a red line is who we shall seek,”
The Whipper-in calls “All on! All on!”
With a cloud of dust, the field is gone.

Horses trot down a long ride,
While hounds easily match their stride,
Pads, hooves, sterns and tails,
Horses and hounds leap over rails.

As the sun rises high in the sky,
Comes the hounds’ open cry,
The Huntsman shouts, “Tally Ho! Tally Ho!”
The field gets ready and off they go.

“Hold Hard! Hold Hard!” Is the given call,
We’re on the wrong scent,
’tis a babble after all,
The horses are tired and so are we,
Let’s call it a day and go back to the meet.

While untacking none are sad,
Though incorrect was the scent we had,
For it was fun; we’ll do it again soon,
We’ll come along and hope you do, too!

Erin Kelly is a 14-year-old D-2 from Fort Caspar Pony Club, Rocky Mountain Region. She rides two horses, named Duke and Ben. She particularly enjoys dressage and sometimes show jumping, and is also a member of 4-H where she rides Western occasionally. She has never been on a foxhunt, but would like to try it sometime.