Issue 03 |Summer 2021
Full Cry
Newsletter from The Tryon Hounds
Summer 2021 - Issue 3
The 2021 hunting season is about to begin! This season opening newsletter includes our Tryon Hound member survey results in addition to hunting attire tips and etiquette information for our many new members - enjoy!
Upcoming Events
Event Dates:  
September 4 – Season Opening “Beach Dance Party”
September 11 - First day of Cub Hunting
October 10 - Fall Hunter Pace (10/17 rain date)
November 6 - Barn & Art Tour
November 25 - Opening Day - Thanksgiving Day Pitch-in
December 18 - Christmas Hunt Tea and Party
March 19 - Last day of Hunting
March 19 - Hunt Ball
April 3 - Spring Hunter Pace (4/10 rain date)
April 23 – “The Traditional Tryon Brunch” at TRHC Hunter Derby
                   
Game Nights:
September 14 - Bingo Night
October 12 – Dice Games Night
January 11 - Card Games Night
February 9 - Word Games Night 
Tryon Hounds Covid-19 Policy
Effective, August 8, 2021 Tryon Hounds will follow the guidance of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services with regard to Covid-19 during the 2021-2022 Hunting and Social Season. At this time each member of Tryon Hounds has a responsibility to familiarize themselves with the state’s recommendations and to make their own decisions about their personal behavior.
NCDHHS's current restrictions and recommendations can be found here: https://www.nc.gov/covid-19/current-restrictions-recommendations
Foxhound Spotlight by Beth Blackwell
Tryon Rigsy 2020 (DOB 4/2/2019)

Rigsy is the largest of the “dirty dozen”. This is the name I have given our litter of 12 out of Tryon Rhythm (aka Yesterday) and Red Mountain Bumper. They are as impressive in personality as they are in size! Rigsy is named after the Joint Master for Red Mountain Hounds, Garry Riggs, who gave me Bumper. We started walking Rigsy out with the pack three weeks ago and he took to it like a fish in water. He has already walked the kennel trail off lead with the group and has a great attitude about being with the pack. Rigsy is a very friendly hound and is a maniac for a cookie. Kaitlyn is considering carrying a bag of cookies instead of her whip this season! 

At ten days old their mother had surgery and we had to bottle feed them every two hours. Rigsy got his fair share and was nicknamed “Hoss”. Sometimes when walking in the kennel I get a quick glimpse of him and do a double take. He looks so much like his father Bumper, the hound who was loved by his huntsman and despised by his whippers-in…rest his soul.

Watch for Rigsy in the starting lineup this season. He will be hard to miss!
Tryon Hound Member Spotlight
Roberta McKinney - Honorary Secretary
Roberta started riding as a child, took a break after a bad car accident injury and then started up again in her late twenties. She met Dean on a trail ride in the Carolinas where they became fast friends, eventually marrying and moving to Caroland Farms which is where the couple became familiar with Tryon Hounds. They became social members in 1994 and then elected to become riding members the following year. Who knew that Tennessee Walking horses would make such good hunt horses! Dean and Roberta were valued members of the hunt and as a result were awarded their “Colors” in 1997.
 
Fox Hunting Etiquette and Attire
Etiquette
Rules applied to hunting field conditions are merely applied common sense and applied politeness. Most people who break them do so either through ignorance or lack of control of their horses. The following is a list of rules which we expect everyone to faithfully adhere to when hunting with the Tryon Hounds.
Fox Hunting Attire
Formal Attire
Rat-Catcher Attire
There is a long-established, specific, and honored convention among foxhunters concerning dress – correct attire for the occasion. Although the variations are generally minor, each hunt actually prescribes its own hunting attire – for the Hunt Staff, or the men and women whom the Masters have invited to wear the Hunt’s buttons and colors, for other adult members of the Field and for juniors following hounds.
Tryon Hounds Membership Survey

The Membership Committee conducted a survey of the Tryon Hounds’ current, past and prospective members in August of last year to gather insights and information on topics the Board identified as strategically important to the organization. The survey initiative was based on the tenet that membership-driven organizations are most successful when their members’ input is valued, and the leadership takes effective action to build on successes and address challenges. The survey established significant data and comment on those subjects and many others.

The Membership Committee prepared its formal report on the survey results to the Board in October. Due to Covid restrictions and scheduling challenges, the Board and the Masters were not able to meet until earlier this spring. On March 28th, the Board and the Masters met for several hours to review the findings and identify action plans on several key topics including Membership Growth, The Foxhunting Experience, Membership Engagement and Social Events, and Financial Matters. You may view the full report to the membership here. The Board thanks the Membership Committee for its hard work to develop and produce the survey. We appreciate the members’ participation to voice their concerns and aspirations about their hunt and we look forward to improving the Tryon Hounds experience for all of our members, staff and volunteers.
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