Frazers Tailors to the Foxhunting Fraternity Destroyed by Fire

Story and photo by Noel Mullins

After hunting with the famous Scarteen Hounds in the village of Hospital in County Limerick, Ireland recently I decided to visit the workshop of William Frazer to take some photographs. Little did I know that they were to be the last images taken of these famous tailors, as four days later the shop was destroyed by fire. Not only did Michael and Elsie Frazer loose all their precious stock of bolts of melton cloth for hunting jackets, cavalry twill material for riding britches, material for waistcoats but also a collection of hunt buttons of packs all around the world of foxhunting. Suits and casual jackets were also part of the Frazer collection as well as ladies skirts and slacks.

Hunting Across the Big Pond

Photo and story by Karen Custer Thurston

Ian Klye, Master of The Northern Hunt Club in Tasmania, must have thought I was deaf as a post. I had repeatedly asked him the same question because I couldn't wrap my mind around what he was telling me.

My daughter and I stood among the eucalyptus on this far-flung island, south of mainland Australia. We felt honored to see the hunt's hounds and talk with Ian about Tasmanian-style hunting. Although not a horsewoman, Rachel had agreed to take part of our holiday for this sortie to meet hunt folk whom I had found online. Anna Hayward, hunt secretary/treasurer, invited us to visit her and asked me to speak to the hunt members as part of a fund-raiser for their coffers.

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All-Florida Meet Wrap-Up

 By Sharon Russell

South Creek Fox Hounds of the Tampa, Florida area recently hosted their Eighteenth Annual All-Florida Meet. Over the years, foxhunting enthusiasts from across the continent as well as Europe have participated, and SCF has enjoyed the company of several hunting icons including Aiden O'Connell and Jim Meads. Masters Robert Pelio of Palm Beach Hounds, C.R. and Carole Stanley and John Stanley of Four Winds Hounds were the honored guests this year. SCF and their guests hunted 3 different fixtures over the course of 4 days.

Photo by Jim Sykes

Festivities began with awWelcome party hosted by Barbara Phethean, Joint-MFH, and Jack Phethean, ex-MFH. Team roping was featured as attendees sat ringside, enjoyed plates of Cuban food and speculated on upcoming hunting. Thursday morning dawned cool with amateur huntsman, Sarah Fox,  casting 12 couple of crossbred hounds. The hounds worked hard, trailing through palmetto and high scrub. They struck on a coyote in a stand of planted pine but the quarry was soon lost as he high-tailed out of the territory.

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Foxhunting Quiz: 

Question:

Which English actor and film star is an MFH in Ireland?

a) Ian McKellen

b) Daniel Craig

c) Jeremy Irons

d) Alan Rickman

 For the answer, click here. 

Technology Elevates the Foxhunting Performance Trial

By Jeb Blount 

As riders emerged from the woods onto Quaker Road, so much steam was rising from their horses it was as if a dense fog had suddenly fallen on the crisp Georgia morning. Just moments before, the hounds had crossed the same road at full cry heading southeast. Quaker Road is a sunken through-way built by original Quaker settlers in the 18^th century and today serves as a main north-south artery that connects much of the vast Belle Meade hunt country to a spider web of trails that crisscross pine groves, hay fields, creeks (that sometimes seem more like rivers) and even a daunting ravine known as the "Grand Canyon" that would be more familiar to those living in the Appalachians than in East Central Georgia.

We galloped north on Quaker Road then east onto the shoulder of paved Wrightsboro Road and finally ran parallel to the line on the north flank. Through the woods, in the distance, we could see and hear the hounds working. The music was beautiful and the energy in the air was palpable.

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Lewis Hall McCurdy Remembered

By Andrea Garret

Popular foxhunter Lewis Hall McCurdy, of North Alabama, died February 28th after an accident at the Belle Meade Performance Trials. Lewis was a whipper-in at Mooreland Hunt and Full Cry Hounds; he also took the horn at Full Cry when needed. He was an avid polo player and all-around sportsman. In addition to a phenomenal game sense and hound sense, which made him a gifted whipper-in, Lewis was an amazing horseman, often riding through woods and brush so thick that you would swear a rabbit couldn't get through. He was also a skilled welder and made many of his friends decorative wine racks, he made lovely hunt whips-doubly treasured by those lucky enough to own one, and could even sew, once in his own words "when I was a poor vet student" making his beloved wife Nancy a ball gown.

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The View from Down Here

The Huntsman's Horse

Photo by Gretchen Pelham; story by Ziggy Pelham

Ziggy, the Huntsman's Horse

It's official: I have reached the pinnacle in any Hunt Horse's career--I am now (finally!) the Tennessee Valley's HUNTSMAN'S HORSE! Yes! So all of you scoffers who said that a 12.1 hand pony could not be a hunt horse, much less the Huntsman's Horse, go to the back of the field with that orange ribbon in your tail that means "I'm so stupid!" 

In February, Kurt Krucke, our professional huntsman, found his horse had gone lame when it threw a shoe. So that woman, Gretchen Pelham, MFH, offered him her mount. She was riding my pasture mate Phillip, who is a 14.1 � hand black pony. So Kurt finished the hunt on Phil, and Phillip came home thinking he was Hugh Jackman. The jerk. Just because Phil is such a tall and dark pony doesn't mean that he is better than me. I was very miffed that evening and would not come up for my evening mint tea and oat berry scones. Gretchen can go hang herself for such an offense to my character. 

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Nine Foxhunting "To-do's" for March and Early April

Prizes sponsored by:

Dover Saddlery ($100 gift certificate)

Thehorsestudio.com (fabulous leather halter!)

TF Gauntt (foxhunting themed art and gifts)

And others!

2) Submit your calendar photos! Yes, it's time to start on the 2012 Calendar. Specifications are available on our website.

3) Send your melton and your tweed to the dry cleaners.

4) "Like" Covertside on Facebook.

5) Purchase something from one of our advertisers. Tell them you saw their ad in Covertside or on E-Covertside.

6) Give your horse a big pat and a rest for a season well done.

7) Contact us about advertising in the Hunt Roster and Directory. Discounts expire on April 1.

8)  Clean and oil your hunt bridle for storage.

9) Purchase your copy of A Centennial View (below) before they are all gone. 

PROPERTY  

Linden View: This custom built home of more than 5,800 Ft2 offers 5 bedrooms, 4 � baths, a beautiful pool, extensive custom stonework, and multiple porches to take in the expansive views. 4 stall center-aisle barn and board fenced paddocks. Extremely convenient to Old Dominion, Blue Ridge, and Piedmont Hunt Fixtures. 1 hour to D.C. $799,900 Don Skelly 540-406-1370 or dskelly@farmandestate.net. Frank Hardy, Inc. Realtors, Piedmont Office. 

Designed by a horseman,new 3 BR & 3 Ba house attached 5 stall center aisle, feedroom, wash stall, hay loft and tack room with bath & washer/dryer. Two beautiful ponds, Thornton River frontage 3 board fenced paddocks, and 37 acres. Jay Miller www.piedmontsir.com Piedmont Sotheby's 540.675.1675

Retiring MFH offers 16.3 ac horse farm in central NC convenient to Chapel Hill, Durham, RTP and Red Mountain hunt country. 4-BR, 4-bath cedar home, 5-stall barn, hot tub, FP, 3 ac. stocked pond, 60' lap pool and total privacy make this a resort. Two 10 ac adjoining tracts also available. $725,000. Bruce Dalton, (919) 732-7098. wphealth@embarqmail.com
For details see webpage. 

Innisfree: This 58 ac. property offers endless views of the Bull Run Hunt Country, a 5 stall center-aisle barn w/wash stall, board fenced paddocks, 4 bay machine shed, 3 BR house. Ride-out on thousands of acres of protected land. $599,900. 

Don Skelly  (540) 406-1370 or dskelly@farmandestate.net. Frank Hardy Inc. Realtors, Piedmont Office www.farmandestate.net.

Highland Glen: This 40 acre is at the center of the action. Located in the Warrenton Hunt and within 1/2 hour's drive of Bull Run, Casanova, Keswick, Old Domionion, and Rappahannock Hunt fixtures. Lovely, open 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home, 10 stall barn and a large riding ring. 7 board fenced paddocks, all with water. $749,900 Don Skelly 540-406-1370 or dskelly@farmandestate.net. Frank Hardy, Inc. Realtors, Piedmont Office. 

E-Covertside classifeds work. Reach 7000 dedicated foxhunters through this email and our website, www.ecovertside.net. 

Contact publisher@covertside.net

or submit and pay online at our website. 

Did you know?

MFHA now has a Junior Subscribing Membership. For just $10, juniors can receive e-covertside, Covertside magazine, invitations to MFHA events, and more. 

Click on the ad below to subscribe.

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