Foxhunting is not a sport of individuals. The hounds hunt as a pack, the field follows in a group, and the staff work as a team to keep it all going. A great day of hunting depends on so much more than one individual’s experience. It happens when the foxes give merry chase, when the hounds run and speak true, when the field and staff get to revel in the day.

But, as we see in this year’s Hunt Roster issue, when you get right down to it, it really is the individuals that make the sport work. Hunting may be a group effort of hounds, horses and people, but in each group of participants, there are standouts who raise the bar for everyone.

Kat Netzler, in our lead story, writes of Shakerag (Ga.) huntsman Rod Swanson (p. 8), who has devoted more than 40 years to hounds and hunting. He’s one of the true characters of the sport, having shaped the Shakerag Penn-Marydels into a formidable pack. Swanson’s dedication to his hounds is matched only by his enthusiasm for sharing his sport with others, especially young hunters. He’s one of many hunt staff in the United States, but he’s one who’s made a significant impact on many lives and the sport in general.

Sandra Carnet tells the tale of the legendary Gilhooley’s Ghost (p. 16), a horse who served Roger Leithead for many years not only as a stalwart partner in the hunting field, but also as a safe, reliable mount for his children’s competitive efforts. That one great horse can ignite a foxhunter’s passion for a brisk fall morning, just as that one recalcitrant or rebellious horse can make a day in the field a nightmare. We should all be so lucky as to come across a horse such as Gilhooley in our lifetimes–one that makes a day behind hounds such a joy.

Then, Caitlin Rollins writes of the star hounds of certain packs–the ones whose cry the huntsman trusts, whom all the hounds honor, and who provide unfailingly great sport (p. 26). The average field member of a hunt might have to make an effort to get to know the individual hounds, but spending time acquainting oneself with them pays off enormously. Each hound has just as much character and personality as each field member. Get to know them, and you’ll find yourself following the voice of a trusted friend over hill and dale, not just the anonymous cry of a hound.

Every foxhunter has snapshot memories of brilliant days, of Reynard darting out right in front of the field, of an infamous run. But it’s hard to carry a camera in the field to document those moments for posterity. Enter hunt photographers such as Bill Gamble (p. 42), who forgo the high-speed action and choose instead to document it. If your hunt has one such artist, intent on capturing the essence of a great day behind the hounds, you’re very lucky. In the olden days, foxhunters had to rely on painters such as Richard Newton Jr. (p. 34), whose art took much longer to produce.

Every hound, staff member, field member and horse contributes to the day’s sport, for the good or the bad. Keep this in mind on your next day out, and say thanks to the huntsman who directed the day, give your horse a pat, and cheer on a hard-working hound. Hunting may not be a sport of individuals, but it’s each individual that makes it so special.

Molly Sorge