Over the (Brandywine) River and through…
Sunday, January 15 2012
Late Autumn in Chester County was punctuated by crystalline days, an errant snow and unrelenting weekly rains. Staff and hounds continued to leave the kennels three mornings a week to pursue Mr. Fox. One morning a hard frost covered the Doe Run Valley, every tree, blade of grass and fence rail, with silver. Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds meets every Thanksgiving morning at 11:00 at the Kennel Lawn. The “field” of riders grows to twice its size from the week before, enlarged by students home on break from college, friends and family in from out of town. Non-riding members of the community are encouraged to come out, meet the hounds and watch the hunt take off from the hill overlooking Plantation Field, home to a major Three Day Event competition. The crowd arriving to watch is so large that traffic control is warranted. Some spectators come prepared for a tailgate party.
Autumn in Cheshire Country
Wednesday, December 07 2011
A Visual Recap of Foxhunting in Cheshire Country, Autumn, 2011 –::– Opening Meet, Formal Hunting, Runnymede Tuesday, November 1, 2011 Formal Hunting moves to 11:00 A.M. in November from 9:00 the previous month. Riders met at St. Malachi Church to park their vehicles and hacked to the Meet at Runnymede, about a mile away, down the hill and a long driveway, along a creek ruled by a venerable Blue Heron. The Joint Masters, Huntsman and Whip, wearing Pinque for the first time this season, are joined by the Field (the riders following the hounds) on the lawn of Runnymede. Runnymede is known for its broad, open fields and sloping terrain, punctuated by fences with gates and coops, with creeks emptying to the Doe Run, and eventually to the Brandywine River. –::– Byrd Road, Webbs Woods Saturday, November 5, 2011 The Meet at Byrd Road encompasses a large woods, Webbs Woods, and is flatter than Runnymede, with many foxes. The Meet is close by the Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton. Cheshire encourages family participation and many children join their parents on the hunt