Рита Браун: The Tell-Tale Horse

Marion Maggioloowns Horse Country. She’s a vital member of the horse and foxhunting community. She’s known for her good works, her vision, and her marvelous sly humor.

Garvey Stokesowns Aluminum Manufacturing. He’s a decent rider and hunts when he can.

Lorraine Rasmussendates Shaker Crown. She’s in her late thirties, quite attractive, and learning to ride.

THE AMERICAN FOXHOUNDS

Sister and Shaker have carefully bred a balanced pack. The American foxhound blends English, French, and Irish blood, the first identifiable pack having been brought here in 1650 by Robert de la Brooke of Maryland. Individual hounds were shipped over before that date, but Brooke brought an entire pack. In 1785, General Lafayette sent his mentor and hero, George Washington, a pack of French hounds whose voices were said to sound like the bells of Moscow.

Whatever the strain, the American foxhound is highly intelligent and beautifully built, with strong sloping shoulders, powerful hips and thighs, and a nice tight foot. The whole aspect of the hound in motion is one of grace and power in the effortless covering of ground. The American hound is racier than the English hound and stands perhaps two feet at the shoulder, although size is not nearly as important as nose, drive, cry, and biddability. The American hound is sensitive and extremely loving and has eyes that range from softest brown to gold to sky-blue. While one doesn’t often see the sky-blue, there is a line that contains it. The hound lives to please its master and to chase foxes.

Corais the strike hound, which means she often finds the scent first. She’s the dominant female in the pack and is in her sixth season.

Dianais the anchor hound, and she’s in her fourth season. All the other hounds trust her, and if they need direction she’ll give it.

Dragonis her littermate. He possesses tremendous drive and a fabulous nose, but he’s arrogant. He wants to be strike hound. Cora hates him.

Dasheris also Diana and Dragon’s litter mate. He lacks his brother’s brilliance, but he’s steady and smart.

Asais in his seventh season and is invaluable in teaching the younger hounds, which are the second A litter and the P litter. A hound’s name usually begins with the first letter of his mother’s name, so the D hounds are out of Delia.

THE HORSES

Sister’s horses are Keepsake,a Thoroughbred/quarter-horse cross (written TB/QH by horsemen). He’s an intelligent gelding of eight years.

Lafayette,a gray TB, is eleven now, fabulously athletic, talented, and eager to go.

Rickyroois a seven-year-old TB gelding who shows great promise.

Aztecis a six-year-old gelding TB who is learning the ropes. He’s also very athletic, with great stamina. He has a good mind.

Shaker’s horses come from the steeplechase circuit, so they are TBs. Showboat, Hojo,and Gunpowdercan all jump the moon, as you might expect.

Betty’s two horses are Outlaw,a tough QH who has seen everything and can do it all, and Magellan,a TB given to her by club social director Sorrel Buruss. Magellan is a bigger and rangier horse than Betty was accustomed to riding, but she’s now used to him.

Matador,a gray TB, six years old, sixteen hands, is a former steeplechaser. Sister buys him.

Sybil Bancroft Fawkes owns two TBs, Postmanand Bombardier,a fellow with great good sense.

THE FOXES

The reds can reach a height of sixteen inches and a length of forty-one inches, and they can weigh up to fifteen pounds. Obviously, since these are wild animals who do not willingly come forth to be measured, there’s more variation than the standard just cited. Target;his spouse, Charlene;his Aunt Nettyand his Uncle Yancyare the reds. They can be haughty. A red fox has a white tip on its luxurious brush, except for Aunt Netty, who has only a wisp of white tip; her brush is tatty.

The grays may reach fifteen inches in height and forty-four inches in length and may weigh up to fourteen pounds. The common wisdom is that grays are smaller than reds, but there are some big ones out there. Sometimes people call them slab-sided grays, because they can be reddish. They do not have a white tip on their tail, but they may have a black one, as well as a black-tipped mane. Some grays are so dark as to be black.

The grays are Comet, Inky,and Georgia. Their dens are a bit more modest than those of the red foxes, who like to announce their abodes with a prominent pile of dirt and bones outside. Perhaps not all grays are modest or all reds full of themselves, but as a rule of thumb it’s so.

THE BIRDS

Athenais a great horned owl. This type of owl can stand two and a half feet in height with a wingspread of four feet and can weigh up to five pounds.

Bitsyis a screech owl. She is eight and a half inches high with a twenty-inch wingspread. She weighs a whopping six ounces and she’s reddish brown. Her considerable lungs make up for her stature.

St. Just,a crow, is a foot and a half in height, his wingspread is a surprising three feet, and he weighs one pound.

THE HOUSE PETS

Raleighis a Doberman who likes to be with Sister.

Roosteris a harrier and was willed to Sister by her old lover, Peter Wheeler.

Golliwog,or Golly, is a large calico cat and would hate being included with the dogs as a pet. She is the Queen of All She Surveys.

SOME USEFUL TERMS

Away.A fox has gone away when he has left the covert. Hounds are away when they have left the covert on the line of the fox.

Brush.The fox’s tail.

Burning scent.Scent so strong or hot that hounds pursue the line without hesitation.

Bye day.A day not regularly on the fixture card.

Capper.Nonmember who pays a fee—a cap—to hunt for that day’s sport.

Carry a good head.When horses run well together to a good scent, a scent spread wide enough for the whole pack to feel it.

Carry a line.When hounds follow the scent. This is also called working a line.

Cast.Hounds spread out in search of scent. They may cast themselves or be cast by the huntsman.

Charlie.A term for a fox. A fox may also be called Reynard .

Check.When hounds lose the scent and stop. The field must wait quietly while the hounds search for the scent.

Colors.A distinguishing color, usually worn on the collar but sometimes on the facings of a coat, that identifies a hunt. Colors can be awarded only by the master and can be worn only in the field, or with scarlet tails by men at a hunt ball, again on collar or facings.

Coop.A jump resembling a chicken coop.

Couple straps.Two-strap hound collars connected by a swivel link. Some members of staff will carry these on the right rear of the saddle. Hounds are always spoken of and counted in couples, and since the days of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt, hounds have been brought to meets coupled. Today, hounds walk or are driven to the meets. Rarely, if ever, are they coupled, but a whipper-in still carries couple straps should a hound need assistance.