Hunts, hunter paces....fall is a busy time!

To busy to blog, it would seem, it's been a month! :)  Ah well, this will be a bit long..it's like three posts in one! :)

• The Blessing of the Hounds was held on October 1st and was a wonderful hunt.  The footing has been dodgy, and that day was no exception, but we were careful and had a great ride.  Here I am giving the big girl a kiss at a check mid-hunt.  It *was* muddy, now that I think of it....muddy enough for me to tie her tail up!

The hounds, huntsman and whipper-in at the check.

• October 10 found us hauling up to Milton Mills, NH for the third and final Hunter Pace of the Wentworth series.  It was a fine day, if not a little warm.  We managed to get only a little lost, but regardless had a great time.  Here's Daatje saddled and ready to head out.

And here she is on the trail

Some of the lovely fall scenery we were able to witness.

Daatje chillin' at the trailer afterwards.



• Last Saturday brought us to Rochester, NH for a meet at Prodigue Farm.  This farm is my all time favorite fixture and last Saturday lived up to all my expectations!  We traveled 9 miles, had many, many good runs through the open fields and finished the hunt with a "balls to the walls" Gone Away up the hill to stirrup cup.  Life does not get much better than that!

Warming up the hounds

 Stopping at a check in the Blueberry Woods

 The only shots you'll see of Daatje are her ears!  I guess I'm the only one in the field with the impossible urge to take pictures while riding. :)

 A pilot was flying a small plane above us the entire hunt.  Here we're all watching him stall his engine and do loop-d-loops!  Made me queasy just watching!

 The best seat in the house. :)



Here's a couple of videos of one of the runs taken back to back to back.....

Part 1

Part 2

(Well, there was a part 2, but blogger wouldn't let me upload it.  I'll try again later...bummer too 'cause it was the coolest of the three...)

Part 3

Daatje has been so incredible this season!  Foot perfect barefoot (less is more when trimming), no back soreness whatsoever (I love you Nickers Saddlery!), strong and willing over the fences (see items 1&2), TONS of energy (Natural Vitamin E)....what more could I hope for? :)

This Saturday we're headed back to Rochester to hunt at the Myhre Equine Clinic.  I've not yet hunted from that fixture, so this will be a first for us!  After that, we're back at Prodigue following up the next day with the Myopia Fall Hunter Pace.  That is definitely not to be missed.  The highlight of our season is yet to come though.....

The All New England Hunts Joint Meet, save the date....November 12th.  I will most definitely be blogging about *that* hunt in a timely fashion. :)