Source: Four Winds Foxhounds (Southern District)
Purpose: Give veteran foxhunters a safe and rewarding way to continue foxhunting for as long as they wish.
How it Works:
Five years ago, Four Winds Foxhounds longtime MFH Carol Stanley added a feature to their hunt. They impishly call it “The Elite Flight,” and it’s become very popular with hunt seniors who don’t want to ride in first or second flights but want to keep hunting.
Carol explains, “Our Elite Flight is not a place for inexperienced riders or green or fractious horses. Our members are seasoned riders who have hunted for 20, 30, 40 years or more, and who can take care of themselves.” The “youngsters” are in their 60’s and 70’s, and many have chosen this flight to be more kind to their hips, knees, and bodies overall. Five to ten members join the flight on a typical hunting day.
They don’t canter, but skill and knowledge of the territory pay off. “We’re good at staying with hounds and the action,” says Carol. They know where all the gates are, and often a mounting block has been strategically placed.
But it’s not all about them. They are connected via radio with the team upfront and often assist by being “eyes and ears” at the edge of a covert. Other valuable services are staying with an injured rider, helping someone home who needs an escort, or helping to get a horse home who has lost a shoe. Beyond the hunting field, time has shown that Elite Flight members tend to be among the most generous financial supporters for immediate and long-term hunt needs.
After a hunt, the flight gathers with the rest of the field for whatever nourishment and entertainment is arranged. This a great opportunity for camaraderie, review of the day’s hunting, and for other hunt members to absorb hunting lore from the veterans. As Carol says, “Though we are a separate flight from the others, we remain an integral part of our hunt. And it’s comforting to feel the respect the other hunt members give us veterans!”
She sums it up with, “Our Elite Flight is a wonderful way to keep going with the sport, and our members tend to be generous contributors of financial support and priceless hunting wisdom.”
To learn more about Four Wind’s success with their Elite Flight, the MFHA would be pleased to connect you with Carol.
For more information, contact the MFHA at 540-883-0883 or office@mfha.com
Entries posted with “Notes” are for information and education and represent the views, opinions, conclusions, recommendations and experiences of the submitting parties. Their inclusion does not constitute endorsement or warranty by the MFHA of the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the postings.
