The history of foxhunting in America is rich and colorful. Colonel Robert Brooks came to North America and settled in Maryland in 1650. He brought his hounds with him from Great Britain. His was the first pack of foxhounds in North America. As the colonies grew, so did the sport of foxhunting. By 1775, foxhunting was a somewhat organized sport. In 1835, the first American military hunt club was formed at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. There were 76 known organized hunt clubs in North America by 1904, and the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America (MFHA) was founded in 1907. Since then the sport has grown steadily in popularity. Today, it still adheres to strict rules of protocol established centuries ago. The organized hunting club, whose season runs from September to March, has been fairly well standardized. Its hierarchy consists of the Master of Foxhounds, the huntsman, the whippers-in, the hunt secretary, and the members of the hunt, or field. Today there are about 140 such hunts throughout the United States and Canada registered with MFHA.
To those watching a foxhunt for the first time, it looks like an excuse to get dressed up in odd clothing and chase hounds about the countryside with a group of friends on horseback. MFHA’s definition is, “Foxhunting is the sport of mounted riders chasing wild quarry with a pack of hounds. It is a union of humans and animals in the beauty of nature’s setting. Man is an observer mounted on a horse, the vehicle that allows him to follow and observe the hounds as they hunt the fox. The scenario unwinds before the foxhunters’ eyes and ears with the sound of the huntsman’s hunting horn as hounds give chase. The fox or coyote maneuvers, circles
and runs through the country cunningly evading the hounds.”
“An excellent place to start to learn important information on foxhunting is surfing the Masters of Foxhounds
Association of America’s website, www.mfha.com.
House Mountain Farm currently hunts with Cumberland Mountain Hound,(Jamestown, TN). This club hosts regularly scheduled hunting events beginning in the fall, over winter and into spring. Trailering, horse rentals and coaching is available to any Cumberland Mountain Hound events. Please contact Liz for dates/details/scheduling.
CMH welcomes folks new to the sport and encourages them to try hunting with them. House Mountain Farm has many well trained foxhunters for people to ride. Call 865-687-8159 or email Liz at lizfox5555@live.com for more information!
