Рита Браун - Out Of Hounds

Cynthia Skiff Canehunts Crawford’s outlaw pack. Crawford has gone through three other huntsmen but Cynthia can handle him. Sam Lorillard helps, too.

Cindy Chandlerowns Foxglove Farm, one of the Jefferson fixtures. She’s a good friend and a good foxhunter.

Freddie Thomashas run her small accounting business for years and is a CPA in her early forties. She is a good friend of Alida Dalzell. As the IRS grows insanely complex as well as being deeply unfair she has grown to hate her work, but she cares for her clients so she hangs in there. She rarely talks about her profession. She is a good rider, a very sensible person.

Manfredo Sabatini, “Gigi,”had made a fortune producing and distributing premier plumbing appliances. He and his wife are completing Showoff Stables and are new to the area.

Elise Sabatiniis much younger than Gigi. She rides, he does not but he gives her whatever she wants. She likes people and horses.

Carter Nicewonderhas the best of everything. He’s middle-aged, a good rider. His business is buying and selling antique jewelry. He has an eye for what will make a woman look good and he has terrific contacts.

Buddy Cadwalder,like Carter, has connections among the rich, old money and new money. Cadwalder is a great, old Pennsylvania name, so no door is closed to him. His business is buying valuable antique furniture. He and Carter are friends, working with some of the same people.

Catherine Clay-Neal,one of the directors of the Headley-Whitney Museum in Lexington, Kentucky, rides sidesaddle hunting with Jane Winegardner, MFH, “O.J.” Revitalizing the museum with like-minded people has been a labor of love.

Parker Bellprobably never did anything out of love but he works hard at Showoff Stables.

Father Mancuscois the new Catholic priest at St. Mary’s. An avid foxhunter, he was delighted to be assigned to Virginia where, like so many priests, he has to cover a lot of territory, not only his parish.

Sally Taliaferro, pronounced Tolliver,is the new Episcopal priest at Emmanuel Episcopal in Greenwood, Virginia. She, too, rides and has made friends with Father Mancusco. Both face many of the same problems.

Kathleen Sixt Dunbarinherited the 1780 House, a high-end antiques store, last year. She’s becoming part of the community. Her Welsh terrier, Abdul, helps at the store.

THE AMERICAN FOXHOUNDS

Lighter than the English foxhound, with a somewhat slimmer head, they have formidable powers of endurance and remarkable noses.

Corais the head female. What she says goes.

Asais the oldest hunting male hound, and he is wise.

Dianais steady, in the prime of her life, and brilliant. There’s no other word for her but brilliant.

Dasher,Diana’s littermate, is often overshadowed by his sister, but he sticks to business and is coming into his own.

Dragonis also a littermate of the above “D” hounds. He is arrogant, can lose his concentration, and tries to lord it over other hounds.

Dreamboatis of the same breeding as Diana, Dasher, and Dragon, but a few years younger.

Hounds take the first initial of their mother’s name. Following are hounds ordered from older to younger. No unentered hounds are included in this list. An unentered hound is not yet on the Master of Foxhounds stud books and not yet hunting with the pack. They are in essence kindergartners. Trinity, Tinsel, Trident, Ardent, Thimble, Twist, Tootsie, Trooper, Taz, Tattoo, Parker, Pickens, Zane, Zorro, Zandy, Giorgio, Pookah, Pansy, Audrey, Aero, Angle, Acesare young but entered. The “B” line and the “J” line have been just entered, are just learning the ropes.

THE HORSES

Keepsake,TB/QH, Bay; Lafayette,TB, gray; Rickyroo,TB, Bay; Aztec,TB, Chestnut; Matador,TB, Flea-bitten gray. All are Sister’s geldings. Showboat, Hojo, Gunpowder,and Kilowatt,all TBs, are Shaker’s horses.

Outlaw,QH, Buckskin, and Magellan,TB, Dark Bay (which is really black), are Betty’s horses.

Cardinal Wolsey,TB, Flaming Chestnut, is Gray’s horse. His red coat gave him his name, for Cardinal Wolsey.

Iota,TB, Bay, is Tootie’s horse.

Matchplayand Midshipmanare young Thoroughbreds of Sister’s that are being brought along. It takes good time to make a solid foxhunter. Sister never hurries a horse or a hound in its schooling.

Trocaderois young, smart, being trained by Sam Lorillard.

Old Busterhas become a babysitter. Like Trocadero, he is owned by Crawford Howard. Sam uses him for Yvonne Harris.

Pokerfaceand Corporalcarry Ronnie Haslip. If a guest is a strong rider, Ronnie will lend Pokerface. They are good horses.

THE FOXES Reds

Aunt Netty,older, lives at Pattypan Forge. She is overly tidy and likes to give orders.

Uncle Yancyis Aunt Netty’s husband but he can’t stand her anymore. He lives at the Lorillard farm, has all manner of dens and cubbyholes, as well as a place in the mudroom.

Charlenelives at After All Farm. She comes and goes.

Targetis Charlene’s mate but he stays at After All. The food supply is steady and he likes the other animals.

Earlhas the restored stone stables at Old Paradise all to himself. He has a den in a stall but also makes use of the tack room. He likes the smell of the leather.

Sargeis young. He found a den in big boulders at Old Paradise thanks to help from a doe. It’s cozy with straw, old clothing bits, and even a few toys.

Jameslives behind the mill at Mill Ruins. He is not very social but from time to time will give the hounds a good run.

Ewaldis a youngster who was directed to a den in an outbuilding during a hunt. Poor fellow didn’t know where he was. The outbuilding at Mill Ruins will be a wonderful home as long as he steers clear of James.

Mr. Nash,young, lives at Close Shave, a farm about six miles from Chapel Cross. Given the housing possibilities and the good food, he is drawn to Old Paradise, which is being restored by Crawford Howard.

Grays

Cometknows everybody and everything. He lives in the old stone foundation part of the rebuilt log-and-frame cottage at Roughneck Farm.

Inkyis so dark she’s black and she lives in the apple orchard across from the above cottage. She knows the hunt schedule and rarely gives hounds a run. They can just chase someone else.

Georgiamoved to the old schoolhouse at Foxglove Farm.

Grenvillelives at Mill Ruins, in the back in a big storage shed. This part of the estate is called Shootrough.

Grislives at Tollbooth Farm in the Chapel Cross area. He’s very clever and can slip hounds in the batting of an eye.

Hortensiaalso lives at Mill Ruins. She’s in another outbuilding. All are well constructed and all but the big hay sheds have doors that close, which is wonderful in bad weather.

Vi,young, is the mate of Gris, also young. They live at Tollbooth Farm in pleasant circumstances.