Pony Club Meet - Another hunt of note was the Pony Club Meet of Dec. 15th. As it turned out, we were mobbed - had to be 60 or 70 riders, and a slew of tally ho wagons. Four Pony Clubs were represented, with the youngest rider being 6 years old. It was a very fun-filled, eventful day from the very start. Right off the bat, a lady fell while mounting and her horse ran wild for about 20 minutes, holding-up our start. The youngest rider was age 6. Then, while hacking to the first cast, before we ever crossed the driveway, Nancy Andrews came off on the first jump, when her horse hit it and flipped. Luckily, she suffered only a broken wrist, which didn't stop her from riding in the tally ho wagon the rest of the day with her arm iced and sipping the champagne - for medicinal purposes, of course! When hounds entered the 2nd woods, they circled and set up a tremendous cry, which echoed and really sent the shivers up you - it was glorious music indeed. Luckily the entire Field was in the woods and were able to enjoy and appreciate it. Afterwards, the Pony Clubs, provided a scrumptious hunt breakfast for all of us.: The season's weather had not been cooperating until late December, when the thermometer dropped, and suddenly, we have had more sport than ever before.

Boxing Day Raccoon??? The temperature dropped & began in the 30's. It was brisk & wonderful. We had a great turnout - about 50 people, at least 25 of them riders. Bob's horse had colic, so he was religated to whipping-in from the Mule. While hacking to the 2nd cast, the hounds found a dead raccoon. No they did not kill it. Mac had thrown it into the woods several days before. It was really funny, though some may have considered it a bit morbid. As they tugged & relayed it all over the place, we couldn't get hold of it to get it away. I remember at one point by Long Pond about 5 hounds had it and circled with it all over the place. Then one would drop it, another grab it & run with the whole pack in full cry after them. Suddenly, it would be flipped in the air and another hound would grab it and off they'd go again. After about 15 minutes, Bob finally got the poor, tattered creature away from them when they began fighting over it.

Wed. Jan. 9, 2002 - A really crisp morning - (heavy frost and 24°) with a little rain this week - proved promising and proved right. The frost was really lovely and felt like a winter wonderland - steam rose off the ponds and billowed from the horses nostrils and off their bodies. It was intensely stimulating. The hounds were wired. We barely got them down to the parking area, where they targeted several spots of scent, and began circling and screaming, Bundles shrill cry exciting both hounds and humans. From the first cast, we had loads of voice. As Welfare exploded out in front and zeroed in straight to the first kill, we had an exhilarating run, which turned out to be the first of many good runs that day. As we were collecting hounds at one point, would you believe they found that dead raccoon from Boxing Day? Now in a really sad state, I dismounted, snatched it away from Brutus before they got too cranked-up, & hurled it on the roof of the Land Rover. It was pretty rank, a smell I had to live with on my glove for the rest of the day… The hounds ran & spoke the entire day. I had such a stitch in my side from the gallops, that by the time we got to the kill, I was gasping out loud. It was fun to watch the various hounds take the lead on the runs. Ammo didn't miss a beat. Usually our lead hound, the cool weather spurred some of the others up front. On one, Showman targeted the kill, wheeling back as soon as he overran, with Limelight beside him. It looked like something out of a cartoon, with the enticing odor hooking them back in mid-air. On the 4th cast, hounds struck & spoke, looping at 2 very definite spots - all of them screaming in full view of everyone. A truly exhilarating day - great job, Jim! (i.e. our fox)

And Jan. 2nd??? Maybe we shouldn't mention that one, but all present will never forget all that voice reverberating through those woods while Field enjoyed sights and sounds from the Perry Plantation ruins. Staff ran their poor horses' legs off trying to keep up with those lightening-fast hounds!

Misty Morning Hounds 9243 SE CR 2082, Gainesville, FL 32641 (352) 375-0800 info@mistymorninghounds.com