Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill hosted the Woodford Hounds fox hunters' annual Blessing of the Hounds. This traditional event featured the blessing of the hounds, riders and the fox and was followed by the first meet of the formal season. It is a grand event where riders wear formal hunting attire with fox hounds alongside.
While no fox was released, Shaker Village does have wild foxes on their property, though none were truly hunted. In America, fox hunting is also called 'fox chasing,' as the purpose is not to actually kill the animal but to enjoy the thrill of the chase.
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The huntsman, often the same person as the kennelman, is responsible for directing the hounds in the course of the hunt.
The Huntsmen usually carries a horn to communicate to the hounds, followers and whippers in.
The Woodford Hounds website posted this about this annual event:
Centered on the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill (“Shakertown”) in eastern Mercer County. It consists of approximately 4,000 acres. The Shaker property is mainly rolling pastureland with large fields bounded by stone walls. There are also very steep wooded gorges where Shawnee Run Creek and its tributaries run down to the Kentucky River. Jumps are primarily stone walls with some coops. Very well foxed with reds, grays and coyotes.
Mounted hunt followers typically wear traditional hunting attire. A prominent feature of hunts operating during the formal hunt season (between late October and the end of March) is hunt members wearing 'colours'. This attire consists of the traditional scarlet coats worn by huntsmen, masters, former masters, whippers-in, other hunt staff members and male members who have been invited to wear colours as a mark of honour. The coats are also known as Pinks. Ladies generally wear coloured collars on their black or navy coats. These help them stand out from the rest of the field.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear
1 comment:
remember how we were trying to run through the parking lot to make it on time? Crazy!
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