When most people think of fox hunting, they probably think of landed gentry in England, red coats, top hats and shiny horses following a sleek pack of tri-colored hounds. Although formal hunts in the USA may present a similar picture, a variety of everyday horse owners can enjoy riding to hounds in different sections of the Southeast.
Fox Hunting In Virginia
Hunt clubs currently number 27 registered with the MFHA (Master of Fox Hounds Assoc.) in Virgina. Of these, some with the most history formed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A few of these are:
- Deep Run in 1887
- Blue Ridge Hunt in 1888
- Loudoun Hunt in 1894
- Middleburg Hunt in 1906
- Bull Run in 1911
- Rappahannock in 1926
- Princess Anne in 1927
While fox hunting in America began in Virginia and Maryland before the revolutionary war, the first red foxes were brought over to the colonies around 1770. Colonel George Washington is said to have fox-hunted with Mr. John Evers of Hempstead, NY, who brought a pack of hounds along with horses and servants from England.
