Rockbridge Hunt New Briefs, 2009

These are periodic bulletins sent by email from the Honorary Secretary, Hugh Brown, to the membership.

December 1
November 13
October 30
October 15
September 28
September 9
September 7
August 27
August 13
August 3
July
June
May
Executive Committee

December 1, 2009

1. Milestones

In mid-November, Rockbridge Hunt member Pete Whitlock celebrated his 80th birthday. Although he has not hunted much recently, Pete has been a member for a long time and has served as President on the Executive Committee as well as Field Master on the Hunt staff. Due to scheduling conflicts, we've set aside New Year's Day for a birthday celebration. Glenmore Hunt will be joining us for a joint meet which is especially appropriate as Pete has been a member there as well.

We do hope you can join us for the celebration. Please make reservations with Carol Atwood, carol@broadviewranch..com or 540-463-1000, by Wednesday, December 30. Stan and Kathy Eichelberger will be in charge of the meal and I'm sure they'd appreciate some help (bergrbnch@aol.com).

2. Hunting with Friends Old & New

Deer season hasn't slowed down the Rockbridge Hunt! We've had lots of fun hunting with friends old and new over the last several weeks. We hosted a junior meet on November 15 and welcomed 10 juniors to our field. Several of those juniors made the trek over Afton Mountain to join us from the Oak Ridge Fox Hunt. The next weekend, we travelled to joint meets with the Bull Run Hunt (November 21) and the Rappahannock Hunt (November 22) and enjoyed great hunting and terrific hospitality.

This Saturday (December 5), we've invited members of the Oak Ridge Fox Hunt who aren't traveling to their joint meet with the Red Rock Hounds (NV) to join us at Montafon Farm as the formal season resumes. Following that, members of the Stonewall Hounds will join us for a joint meet on December 30 and we are planning a breakfast that day, also at Montafon Farm. Many more chances for making new friends and renewing old friendships await us -- joint meets with Glenmore and Farmington are on the horizon!

3. Hound Sponsor Program

Thanks to the generosity of 38 individuals, families and clubs, the Hound Sponsorship Program for the 2009-10 Hunting Season has raised $4,150 toward the care, feeding and medical attention of our pack. Every dog and bitch of the fifteen couples entered and hunting has been sponsored for the entire year, and there is additional funding for several semi-retired veterans who can no longer go out regularly and young hounds still on probation. Sponsors include hunting members of the Rockbridge Hunt, land-owner members, social members, former members, Pony Clubs, the Master of another hunt, and people who can best be described simply as good friends of our Hunt and hounds. A complete listing of sponsors and their hounds is on the Rockbridge Hunt website. At the beginning of the regular season, we have already received $3,650 in sponsorships and expect the remaining $500 to come in during the second half of the hunting year. Most sponsors have already received lovely head shot photographs of "their" hounds and certificates of sponsorship featuring full-body pictures, all taken by David Bolen. (People who have not picked up their documents should contact Lu Dooley.)

Two sponsors deserve special recognition, and the Hunt has designated them "Patrons of the Hounds of the Rockbridge Hunt for the 2009-10 Season". Janet Wynot and Helen Young, of Bent Mountain, have long been members of the Hunt and hunted regularly for decades. Although they no longer ride out with us, Janet and Helen have maintained their ties to the Rockbridge Hunt and take a lively interest in its membership and pack. We are deeply appreciative of their loyalty and generosity to the Hound Sponsorship program.

Support for the pack definitely helps the Hunt cover the not-inconsiderable costs of properly caring for the hounds that make our sport possible. But we also hope that each sponsor, carefully watching the efforts and accomplishments of his or her special hound, will learn more about how fox hounds work and, thus, come to enjoy hunting even more. And, sponsorships probably should be considered investments, since the bragging rights on some of our best hounds are worth far more than their annual fees!

Thank you to everyone who participates in the Rockbridge Hunt in this particularly meaningful way. -- Lu Dooley
Thank you Lu for all your hard work in coordinating this highly successful program for us!

4. Capping Certificates

As you may know, last spring when it became obvious that a substantial dues increase would be necessary, the Executive Committee decided to give dues-paying members a certificate entitling a guest of their choice to cap once without fee. It is our hope that the certificate will be used to bring a potential member out hunting. Please read it and fill it out appropriately. If you cannot open it or print it, just let Cindy or Hugh know and we'll figure out an alternative. We do appreciate our members' support of the Rockbridge Hunt and we hope you've been able to enjoy the outstanding season we've had so far. The Executive Committee and the Staff have been truly overwhelmed by the efforts of the membership to help the Rockbridge Hunt gain a sound financial basis. Certificates were emailed on November 30, so if yours got lost in the Cyber Monday e-traffic, let us know.

5. Rockbridge Hunt Calendars

Everyone needs at least one wall calendar, so Louise Golian and Lucy Turner have been working hard on a 2010 calendar featuring members and friends of the hunt! The price will be $20 each ($23 if you'd like it mailed to you). Louise will have samples at upcoming hunts and they'll be available in time to slip under the Christmas tree. Reserve one now by contacting Louise at Louisegolian@aol.com or 540-377-9212 or wait to get one at a meet. Either way, you don't want to miss out on this unique calendar (and help out the hunt in the process)!

6. RH Merchandise

Looking for a gift for your favorite RH member? There are now pictures of available hunt merchandise on our website http://www.rockbridgehunt.org/. Click the RH Merchandise link on the main page to see pictures of shirts, caps, jackets, etc. To purchase items, contact Kathy Ponder at katgryponder@yahoo.com. Mail checks to Kathy Ponder, 115 Sallings Mt. Rd., Glasgow, VA 24555. Please add $6.00 for postage if you need items mailed to you. The Ponders are also exploring another option for ordering logowear through the Cafe Press website. Watch for details!

7. RH Puzzler

Back by popular demand -- for those with a few minutes to spare, try to solve this puzzle.

8. Dates for your calendar

2009
Dec 30	Wednesday	Joint meet with Stonewall Hounds	Montafon Farm
2010
Jan 1	Friday	New Year's Day Meet and joint meet with Glenmore Hunt	Kennels at Hunt, Inc.
Jan 2	Saturday	Joint meet at Glenmore Hunt's New Year's Meet	TBA
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
Apr 18	Sunday	Landowners' Luncheon	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
TBA		Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
TBA		"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

9. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology & Etiquette -- Holloa

Holloa -- Pronounced "holler." A scream to denote that a fox has been sighted.
(Variations - View Holloa, Halloo or View halloo)

Excerpt from Sketch of a Fox Chase in American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine
Now let your huntsman throw in his hounds as quietly as he can, and let the two whippers-in keep wide of him on either hand, so that a single hound may not escape them; let them be attentive to his halloo, and be ready to encourage or rate, as that directs; he will, of course, draw up the wind, for reasons which I shall give in another place. Now if you can keep your brother sportsmen in order, and put any discretion into them, you are in luck; they more frequently do harm than good: if it be possible, persuade those who wish to halloo the fox off to stand quiet under the cover side, and on no account to halloo him too soon; if they do, he most certainly will turn back again . . .

10. RH News Briefs are archived on the RH website under Newsletters in the Archive section.

11. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

November 13, 2009

1. Open Executive Committee Meeting

The Executive Committee held an open meeting on Tuesday, November 10. Eight Rockbridge Hunt members attended the meeting in addition to the Executive Committee members. Some highlights of the meeting included:

Treasurer's Report
Our Treasurer, Louise Golian, reported that dues collected so far this year have already exceeded the amount we budgeted. Capping fees collected so far this season have nearly reached the budgeted amount already. This is great news!

Membership Directory
Hon. Secretary, Hugh Brown, put together a membership directory and distributed printed copies at Opening Meet. There are some more copies of the directory at the Tex Tilson Lodge. Hugh has received some corrections and is anticipating more. He will email the directory out again soon to the membership with these corrections. Additions and corrections should be given to Hugh.

Rockbridge Hunt Ball
Kathy Eichelberger is working with the Natural Bridge Hotel on the menu for our annual Ball on February 20. Kathy is pleased with her interactions with the hotel management. It is not too early to start thinking about donations for the Silent Auction. The auction will be coordinated by Laura Jarvis and Hugh Brown. Please start thinking of things you could donate for this critical fundraiser.

Capping Certificates
Last year, when it became clear that a fairly large dues increase was inevitable, the Executive Committee decided to give riding members a Capping Certificate that they could give to a prospective member as a way to drum up interest in the club. Certificates will be e-mailed out soon.

Canine Influenza
Dr. Kathy Eichelberger and Dr. Lauren Keating have been to a meeting about an equine virus which has "jumped" to dogs. This virus has been found within 30 miles of Lexington. It is extremely contagious, airborne, and has an 8% mortality rate. Dogs shed the virus 3-4 days before showing symptoms and are usually sick for 3 to 4 weeks. There is a vaccine available and Lauren and Kathy have started vaccinating our pack. The hounds received their first round of vaccine today. The vaccine will not prevent the virus completely, but would keep the hounds from getting extremely ill, and they would probably be ill for about a week. Thank you Lauren and Kathy!

Birthday Celebration
We will be celebrating long-time RH member Pete Whitlock's 80th birthday at our New Year's Meet at Hunt, Inc. This is a joint meet with the Glenmore Hunt and Pete was a member there for a number of years. Even if you aren't riding, do come and celebrate Pete's birthday as well as the New Year. Happy Birthday Pete!

2. Virginia Hunt Week Review

Overall, participant numbers were way down this year for Virginia Hunt Week. We hosted hunt week at Windward Farm on Friday, October 23 with 36 people riding (2 from Reedy Creek Hounds, 4 from Glenmore Hunt, 2 from Golden's Bridge Hounds (NY), 27 from Rockbridge Hunt, and 1 guest of the landowner.) We had a great hunt that included a short, fast chase. A wonderful breakfast followed in the Windward Farm barn. Thank you to Laura Jarvis and Hugh Brown for coordinating the Stirrup Cup and Breakfast and for providing the meat and drinks at the breakfast. Thanks also to food donors Kathy Eichelberger, Louise Golian, Anne Howard, Blair & Erica Jones, Lauren Keating, and Cynthia Secker. Cathi Ecklund, Anne Howard, Erica Jones helped with decorations. Helping Laura and Hugh with setup and cleanup were Cathi Ecklund, Cindy Morton and her sister Sue Banks, and Kathy & Gary Ponder. Very special thanks to our hosts Gerri Wenz & Bob Wicklund for allowing us to hunt at Windward and to have the breakfast in their beautiful barn.

3. Opening Meet

Our annual Opening Meet of the formal hunting season was held on November 7 at Fred and Barbara Burks's beautiful Montafon Farm. Sixteen friends from the Glenmore Hunt joined us for this traditional joint meet. We had 39 Rockbridge Hunt members riding and a number of other guests on horseback and on foot. Following the traditional Blessing of the Hounds by Rev. Phillip Parker (father of RH member Joy Watkins), we had a very nice hunt which included a chase and many in the field had at least one view of a gray fox near the trailer parking area. Congratulations to Cathi Ecklund and Hugh Brown on being awarded their Rockbridge Hunt colors! A very special thank you to Fred and Barbara Burks for hosting the event at Montafon Farm and for providing a wonderful breakfast for us! Thank you to all of the other members who brought appetizers and desserts. It was a great way to cap a terrific day of foxhunting and fellowship.

4. Pictures!

Who doesn't like to see pictures of themselves? (Even secretly?) We have lots and lots of recent pictures on the RH website. Also, Allison Schott took some more great pictures at several of our recent hunts, including Opening Meet. You can view and download her pictures at: http://gallery.me.com/allisonschott.

Pam Stoneburner took pictures at Glenmore Hunt's Opening Meet on October 31. Her pictures are available for viewing and for sale: http://pamtalleystoneburnergallery.exposuremanager.com/

5. Junior Hunt / Bye-day -- Sunday, November 15

We have a Junior Hunt scheduled for Sunday at Hunt, Inc. Capping fees for visiting juniors are waived that day. We'll have a potluck meal after hunting. Attire will be casual. If you're willing to "mentor" a small group of juniors in the hunt field (e.g., occasionally explain what's going on, slow things down if needed) let Cindy Morton know. Time is set for 10 AM but please check the hunt line, 540-462-1113. If you are bringing a guest, please make sure they sign a RH Waiver if they have not done so already this season.

6. Joint Meets

We have upcoming joint meets with the Bull Run Hunt (11/21) and Rappahannock Hunt (11/23). Remember to let Cindy Morton know soon if you are planning to hunt either or both days -- mortonc@wlu.edu. For fixture information and directions and maps and their hunt lines, please check the websites for Bull Run Hunt and Rappahannock Hunt. If you are planning to participate in either or both of the joint meets and need a place to stay in the Culpepper area, you might consider the following:

The Barn at BallyCedars
Over 1,000 square foot, new, private guest quarters with loft bedroom, second/third futon beds available, full bath, kitchenette and large deck. Local television and High speed wireless. 12x12 comfort-stall matted stalls, hot/cold wash, private turnout available. In the heart of BRH territory -- can hack to half-dozen fixtures. Three miles to Commonwealth Park. Three persons maximum capacity. $100 per night for 1-2 Guests, $125 per night for 3 guests. Self-catering. NO SMOKING. $25 per night per horse includes stall, bedding and hay. Email: ballycedars@live.com

7. Loose Dogs

With the potential for the new Canine Influenza Virus to adversely affect our hounds and hunting, we would like to request that members and guests refrain from bringing their dogs to meets. We are striving to keep our hounds as healthy as possible, while we learn more about this emerging health issue for dogs. Thank you!

8. Sick Horses

It probably goes without saying, but it is very important for the health of all of our mounts that we not bring sick horses out hunting. Passing illness from horse to horse could severely curtail our hunting, especially if the staff horses get sick. If your horse is coughing or has a thick, cloudy nasal discharge, please do not bring it to the meet. If it starts coughing while out hunting, please take it home as quickly as is reasonable and safe.

9. Dates for your calendar

2009
Nov 15	Sunday	Bye-day -- Junior Day	Hunt, Inc.
Nov 22	Saturday	Joint meet at Bull Run Hunt	Clubhouse
Nov 23	Sunday	Joint meet at Rappahannock Hunt	Manwaring Gate
2010
Jan 1	Friday	New Year's Day Meet and joint meet with Glenmore Hunt	Kennels at Hunt, Inc.
Jan 2	Saturday	Joint meet at Glenmore Hunt's New Year's Meet	TBA
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
Apr 18	Sunday	Landowners' Luncheon	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

9. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Etiquette -- Jumping

From Fox-Hunting: How to Watch and Listen by Hugh J. Robards, MFH.
When queued at a jump, be certain the rider in front of you is safely over before you jump. If your horse refuses a jump, go back and allow the other field members to jump ahead of you and go on. Everyone wants to keep up with hounds, and it is rude to prevent them from doing so if your horse is being obstinate.

10. RH News Briefs are archived on the RH website under Newsletters in the Archive section.

11. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

October 30, 2009

1. Welcome New Member -- Lynne Gilbert!

A great big warm Rockbridge Hunt welcome to Lynne Gilbert, who lives in Raphine with her husband, Dan. Lynn has trained and competed Arabians in endurance races for 15 years. Although she has participated in several national and international rides, possibly her most notable accomplishment was in 2002. Lynne won the Old Dominion 100 and her horse (the late GM Chagall) was judged "Best Conditioned". She did it riding cavalry style, without any crew or supplies other than those she carried. Lynne is well known to many Rockbridge Hunt members because has participated in our hunter paces and endurance rides. She is company controller for HDT Expeditionary Systems in Fairfield. Please welcome Lynne to the club when you see her.

2. Opening Meet

Our annual Opening Meet of the formal hunting season will be Saturday, November 7 at 10:00AM. This year Fred and Barbara Burks have graciously invited us to hold the meet at Montafon Farm. Our friends from the Glenmore Hunt will be joining us for a joint meet and braiding is optional. Please make reservations for the breakfast with Carol Atwood (H 540-463-1000, M 540-460-5028 or email carol@broadviewranch.com). Fred and Barbara have generously offered to provide the main course and salad for the breakfast. If you are willing to bring an appetizer or dessert, please let Carol know as well. Thank you!

3. Pictures!

We have lots and lots of recent pictures on the RH website. Also, Allison Schott took some more great pictures at our hunt on Wednesday, October 28. We hope we can get Allison to come back for our Opening Meet.

4. Bye-day -- Sunday, November 15

Since we are not able to hunt on Saturdays during deer season (rifle), Cindy has scheduled a bye-day (see educational bits below for a definition) on Sunday the 15th of November and this will be a Junior Day and there are rumors of another special celebration in the works. We'll keep you posted!

5. Open Executive Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Rockbridge Hunt Executive Committee will be open to all members. We will meet on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 PM in the Tex Tilson Lodge. If you would like to address the Committee or have an item to add to the agenda, please contact me, Hugh Brown, and I will make sure to add your item (brownhh@jmu.edu, 540-886-6359).

6. Estabrook Property

Notice to all members - the owners of the Estabrook property adjacent to Hunt, Inc. have asked that we no longer ride or hunt on that property. This decision is not related to anything we have done as a hunt club or as trail riders. We will post signs, but please respect the landowner's wishes that we no longer ride on any part of that property.

7. RH Merchandise

There are now pictures of available hunt merchandise on our website. Click the RH Merchandise link on the main page to see pictures of shirts, caps, jackets, etc. To purchase items, contact Kathy Ponder at katgryponder@yahoo.com. Mail checks to Kathy Ponder, 115 Sallings Mt. Rd., Glasgow, VA 24555. Please add $6.00 for postage if you need items mailed to you. The Ponders are also exploring another option for ordering logowear through the Cafe Press website. Watch for details!

8. Dates for your calendar

2009
Oct 31	Saturday	Joint meet at the Glenmore Hunt Opening Meet	Cottage Hill
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	Montafon Farm
Nov 15	Sunday	Bye-day -- Junior Day	Hunt, Inc.
Nov 22	Saturday	Joint meet at Bull Run Hunt	Clubhouse
Nov 23	Sunday	Joint meet at Rappahannock Hunt	Manwaring Gate
2010
Jan 1	Friday	New Year's Day Meet and joint meet with Glenmore Hunt	Kennels at Hunt, Inc.
Jan 2	Saturday	Joint meet at Glenmore Hunt	TBA
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
Apr 18	Sunday	Landowners' Luncheon	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

9. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology -- Bye Day

From Fox-Hunting by the Duke of Beaufort.
Bye Day. A day's hunting put in that does not appear in the list of appointments.

From the Skycastle French Hounds Master's Report, Fall and Winter 2008.
Bye day training hunts Wednesdays and Saturdays have been very helpful in getting the young entry and other young hounds steady. . . . We owe them all a lot for their time and effort, week in and week out. Soon we'll be starting the 'T' litter hunting in ones and twos with older hounds. Everyone is welcome to join us on bye days. Call Jim Scharnberg or Gillian Wiedorn Tuesday and Friday evenings for times and locations.

10. RH News Briefs are archived on the RH website under Newsletters in the Archive section.

11. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

October 15, 2009

1. The Executive Committee met on Tuesday, September 8. Here are some highlights of the meeting:

The Budget
Things are looking good for our budget so far this year. We have collected nearly 2/3 of the annual dues we are expecting. Our fundraising efforts have been excellent so far this season -- the foxhunting clinic, kick-off party, hound sponsorship program, and hunter pace have all done very well for us. The hound sponsor program has been exceptional. We are grateful to Lu Dooley for her terrific work in promoting this program and bringing in far more in contributions than we had hoped. Thank you, Lu!

RH Merchandise
There are now pictures of available hunt merchandise on our website. Click the RH Merchandise link on the main page to see pictures of shirts, caps, jackets, etc. To purchase items, contact Kathy Ponder at katgryponder@yahoo.com. Mail checks to Kathy Ponder, 115 Sallings Mt. Rd., Glasgow, VA  24555. Please add $6.00 for postage if you need items mailed to you. The Ponders are also exploring another option for ordering logowear through the Cafe Press website. Watch for details!

Habitat
Single fox feeders have now been installed at Windward Farm, Montafon Farm, Broadview, and several have been installed at Hunt, Inc. A number of members have been filling the feeders regularly. We believe a bear has torn one of the feeders apart and Jay Moore is working on repairing it. Members have been bringing scraps and putting them in the freezer at the hunt barn.

MFHA lobbying effort for foxhunting
The Masters of Foxhounds Association is continuing its lobbying efforts to fight off vigorous legislative attacks from animal rights groups. The Executive Committee decided to send a contribution towards this important effort to protect our sport. We would like to contribute more and will consider it again in the spring.

Upcoming Events: Virginia Hunt Week
The Rockbridge Hunt will host the 2009 renewal of Virginia Hunt Week at Windward Farm on Friday, October 23. If you are planning to attend the event, please make reservations with Hugh Brown so that we can make sure there is plenty of food for the tailgate following the hunt. Remember to check the huntline!

Upcoming Events: Opening Meet
Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 7 for our Opening Meet. This year Fred and Barbara Burks have graciously invited us to hold our first meet of the formal season at Montafon Farm.

Upcoming Events: Open Executive Committee Meeting
The next meeting of the Rockbridge Hunt Executive Committee will be open to all members. We will meet on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 PM in the Tex Tilson Lodge. If you would like to address the Committee or have an item to add to the agenda, please contact me, Hugh Brown, and I will make sure to add your item (brownhh@jmu.edu, 540-886-6359).

2. Hunter Pace review

Thank you to everyone who made the fall hunter pace a great success. We had nearly 60 riders including a strong showing from the Rockbridge Hunt and a very welcome group of 13 Glenmore Hunt members and friends. We brought in over $1,800 before expenses! Very special thanks to our hunter pace organizers Gary & Kathy Ponder. They put in many hours of planning, organizing, trail clearing and course marking. Thanks also to our hosts at Broadview Ranch. Many individuals contributed to the success of the day: Cindy Morton (entries), Cathi Ecklund (check-point), Laura Jarvis (hospitality), plus Carol Atwood, Hugh Brown, Bruce Detlefsen, Dick Ford, Sam Ford, and Allison Schott in a variety of roles. And, last but not least, thank you to our food donors, Fred Burks, Laura Jarvis, Kay Morton, Hugh Brown, Cheryl Haas, Joe & Katharine Conner. Thank you all!

Results and pictures are on the website.

3. Hunting Etiquette

Guests
If you are bringing a guest with you to hunt, please try to arrive as early as possible to the meet so that you will have time to introduce your guest to the Master and the Field Secretary, and to complete a waiver. It is the responsibility of the member to see that the waiver is signed and the cap fee paid before the hunt. Remember, our Field Secretary loves to hunt and she needs time to get her horse ready too. Thank you!

Visiting
When visiting other hunts, it is a good idea to bring along an envelope with your name and date on it with a signed waiver and appropriate cap fee enclosed. We would love it if you did this for your guests at home as well.

4. Joint Meets

One of the pleasures of foxhunting is sharing the chase with others. We recently hosted a joint meet with the Bull Run Hunt at Montafon Farm and they brought their hounds and a good sized group down from Northern Virginia. A great time was had by all. Thank you to Fred and Barbara Burks for their wonderful hospitality. If you haven't heard the story about the huntsman (not ours!) and the creek, you need to.

Cindy Morton has worked with MFHs at several other hunts to schedule joint meets where we can visit with and experience their unique hunt countries. We look forward to joining the Glenmore Hunt for their 79th Annual Opening Meet on October 31 and then we have back-to-back joint meets scheduled with the Bull Run Hunt on November 21 and the Rappahannock Hunt on November 22. To celebrate the arrival of 2010, we'll host the Glenmore Hunt here on New Year's Day and then join them for their New Year's hunt on January 2. We're looking forward to lots of great fun and fellowship with other Virginia foxchasers. Thank you in advance to our hunt staff for the extra work that joint meets require. We really appreciate it!

5. Fixture Card

The new fixure card for October 23-January 2 is attached to this News Brief. It will be available on the RH website after October 21. If you have difficulty opening the attachment, please contact Cindy Morton or Hugh Brown.

6. Beautyberry

Did you know that Erica Jones has donated and planted a Beautyberry bush on the grounds at the Tex Tilson Lodge? Look for it next time you are at Hunt, Inc. Thank you Erica!

7. Dates for your calendar

2009
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Oct 23	Friday	Rockbridge Hunt hosts Virginia Hunt Week	Windward Farm
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	Montafon Farm
2010
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

8. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology -- Capping Fee

From Foxhunting in North America by Alexander Mackay-Smith.
The term goes back to earlier days when the Secretary passed his cap and the fee, paid in silver, was dropped into it. W.P. Wadsworth wrote:
"The Secretary will observe visitors in the field and will be attempting to put together the faces he sees with the names on his list of contributors. Do not fail to make yourself known to the Secretary. It is not considered necessary to present your calling card. Your bank will provide you with a printed slip of paper, which, properly filled out and signed, will be a perfectly acceptable substitute."

9. RH News Briefs are archived on the RH website under Newsletters in the Archive section.

10. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

September 28, 2009

1. Hunter Pace.

Our Fall Hunter Pace is right around the corner -- Sunday, October 4 at Broadview. Gary & Kathy Ponder are laying out a very inviting course at Broadview. Riders will start on course between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. All riding disciplines are welcome. Teams will be given an ideal pace in miles per hour or meters per minute when they present themselves at the start line. Teams closest to the ideal time win ribbons in each division. More information is available on our website: www.rockbridgehunt.org/.

This is a very important fundraiser for our club, so please consider helping out in any way you can. How can you help? Here are a few ways:

a. Ride in the pace!
b. Bring a friend to ride with you!
c. Volunteer to watch a gate, help with entries etc. (Contact Gary & Kathy Ponder 540-258-9911, katgryponder@yahoo.com)
d. Donate some food or drink for the lunch (Contact Laura Jarvis, 540-291-3186)

2. Joint Meet with the Bull Run Hunt.

We have an exciting weekend planned for next week! On Saturday, October 3, the Bull Run Hunt will be coming down for a joint meet at Montafon Farm. Bull Run Huntsman Greg Schwartz will be bringing his hounds along for what promises to be a great day. Note: the time of the meet has been changed to 9 AM. There will be a Breakfast following hunting. Please make reservations with Carol Atwood by Thursday, 463-1000.

3. Rockbridge Hunt Kick-Off Party.

Our annual celebration to start the new season was a big hit with over 60 people attending. If you missed it, we had a flask-tasting contest, hound sponsorship, silent auction, and of course, great food and fellowship. And we raised over $400 for the hounds and the hunt! Many people are responsible for making this special event a success. Thank you to Carol Atwood & Susan Richardson for coordinating the party and especially the flask tasting contest. Thank you to Laura Jarvis for having the Tex Tilson Lodge cleaned (and helping with the work) for the party and the season. Laura also coordinated the silent auction at the party. Thank the silent auction donors for their generous contributions. They included Carol Atwood and Broadview, Hugh Brown, Laura Jarvis, Joe Manning, Joy & Andy Watkins. Thank you all! Lu Dooley coordinated our hound sponsor program and all our hounds are sponsored for the fall! And last, but not least, thank you to Fred Burks for providing the BBQ and fixin's for the party. It was a most generous and delicious contribution!

4. RH News Briefs are archived on the RH website under Newsletters in the Archive section.

5. Website Photos

There are lots of new photos on the Rockbridge Hunt website including shots from the Pony Club Clinic, Foxhunting Clinic, and our Kick-Off Party. Special thanks to Cindy Morton and Blair Jones for keeping our website up-to-date!

6. Dates for your calendar

2009
Oct 3	Saturday	Joint meet with Bull Run Hunt	Montafon Farm
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	Broadview
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Oct 23		Rockbridge Hunt hosts Virginia Hunt Week	Windward Farm
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
2010
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

7. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology -- Cubhunting
The time spent hunting prior to Opening Meet, usually from mid-September to late October, used primarily to teach the young entry to hunt with the pack.

Excerpt from Diary of a Fox-Hunting Man by Terence Carroll
Cubs usually begin to explore outside their dens at six weeks old. In play, they ambush, stalk and pounce on each other as kittens do, and by the time they are three months old, are capable of hunting mice and other small creatures. By late summer they are independent, although many maintain loose contact with the family.
. . .
The term cub-hunting is slightly misleading, and may give some people the impression that hounds leap on defenseless puppy-like mites. In fact, by the time hunting starts, cubs are well on their way to being fully-grown.

8. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

September 9, 2009

1. The Executive Committee met on Tuesday, September 8. Here are some highlights of the meeting:

Waivers! Some recent changes in the state laws have forced us to be extra careful about getting waivers signed by everyone involved in horse activities -- this includes foxhunting, hunter paces, horse shows, and trail riding. It even includes those on foot at horse events. Spectators and supporters are now considered participants. Please help us out and sign a waiver at the Kick-off Party or at the first event you attend this season. You can download a waiver from the Rockbridge Hunt website, obtain one from the Field Secretary, or pick one up at the Tex Tilson Lodge. We will be installing a box outside the Tex Tilson Lodge with waivers inside. If you are there trail riding, please do not forge t to have any guests sign waivers. This is purely for the protection of our club and our sport. Thank you!

Open Executive Committee Meeting. We had a great response to our first Open Executive Committee Meeting in August, so we have scheduled the next open meeting for November 10 at 7 PM in the Tex Tilson Lodge.

Rockbridge Hunt advertising poster. Jay Moore has developed a poster describing the Rockbridge Hunt that he has for us to post in feed stores, tack shops, etc. If you know of a visible location where an 8 1/2" x 11" poster could be hung to attract interest in the club, please contact Jay Moore.

2. Fixture Card Changes!

The schedule for Virginia Hunt Week has been released and, as a result, we have had some changes to the Fixture Card. Please check the Rockbridge Hunt website for the latest version. Having trouble finding it? Contact Cindy Morton or Hugh Brown and we'll get you a new Fixture Card.

3. Rockbridge Hunt Kick-Off Party.

Our annual party to kick off the start of the hunt season and to raise money for our award-winning hounds has been scheduled for Sunday, September 13 starting at 5:00 PM at the Tex Tilson Lodge. Flask tasting, hound sponsorship, silent auction, great food -- you won't want to miss it!

4. Trail Clearing.

Many thanks to our final work day crew members who toiled against the Hunt, Inc. jungle on a tropical Saturday morning. Thank you Cindy Morton, Lauren Keating, Anne Howard, Pete Holladay, Kathy Eichelberger, Lu Dooley, David Conner, Hugh Brown and David Bolen.

For those who helped clear trails this summer, we have scheduled the Volunteers' Hunt for Sunday, September 13 at 8 AM at Broadview. Remember to check the hunt line.

5. Foxhunting Clinic.

Many thanks to the many members involved in our fall Foxhunting Clinic at Broadview. We had twenty riders in our September 6 clinic that focused on safety in the hunt field. Special thanks to Alex Bobbitt and Diane Long for serving as clinicians and sharing their riding and hunting expertise. Thanks to Carol Atwood and the Tilson family at Broadview for serving as hosts and donating delicious hamburgers for the lunch. Thanks to Laura Jarvis and Kathy Eichelberger for organizing the lunch, donating food, and cooking up the burgers. Thanks also to the other food and drink donors -- Kathy Baker, Hugh Brown, and Cindy Morton. It was a great day!

At this point, the Educational Committee will be evaluating the program. There is already a date on the calendar for next year (Saturday, August 28, 2010) although that's subject to change. If you're interested in a specific kind of program, please talk to Cindy Morton or Carol Atwood. If you know of a group that would like to learn about foxhunting, do let us know. We are happy to arrange for small clinics or presentations.

6. District MFH Meeting.

Several years ago, the representative from our district (the Virginia district) within the MFHA started hosting an annual meeting for the Masters of the hunts in the district. Over the years we've had an interesting assortment of speakers.

Our district representative has changed from Joyce Fendley of Casanova Hunt to Carol Easter of Farmington Hunt. The annual meeting now includes Masters from all the hunts in both districts in Virginia. Next year, for the first time, the Northern Virgina/West Virginia district representative, Linda Armbrust of Blue Ridge Hunt, will host the meeting.

For the past few years our meetings have focused primarily on legislative issues and the threat from anti-hunting groups. The mou nted foxhunting clubs of Virginia, joined by a few basset and beagle packs, have joined together to hire a lobbying firm specifically to track upcoming legislation. This program has proved extremely helpful. Substantial measures have been taken to make our views known and to work with legislators. In many cases, legislation can have unintended consequences simply because of the language. This kind of situation can usually be resolved but only with timely intervention.

To date, Rockbridge Hunt has not contributed any money toward this program. Every hunt club in Virginia must contribute. At this particular time, we're all facing economic challenges but the lobbying efforts are essential to allow hunting to continue. If hunting is legislated out of existence, it won't matter whether Rockbridge Hunt is bankrupt or solvent.

This is something we need to include in the budget, this year and every year. You may not be aw are that Rockbridge Hunt has also donated annually to the local first aid squads and fire departments. We're a permanent part of the community and we need to be good neighbors. If any of these causes is particularly important to you, consider making a special donation, either to Rockbridge Hunt or directly to the local first responders. As equestrians, we should have a special awareness of the importance of these services.

7. Fox Habitat.

Laura Jarvis has most generously donated a large freezer that has been installed at the barn at Hunt, Inc. Thank you Laura! We would appreciate it if members would save scraps (cooked or uncooked) in sealable plastic bags or other suitable containers. When they are ready, they can be brought to the freezer at the barn to be put out for the foxes.

8. Dates for your calendar

2009
Sept 13	Sunday	Volunteers' Hunt	TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Kick-Off Party!	Tex Tilson Lodge
Sept 16	Wednesday	Cubbing begins	4 PM, location TBA
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	Broadview
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Oct 23		Rockbridge Hunt hosts Virginia Hunt Week	Windward Farm
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
2010
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11	Sunday	MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic (tentative)	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open" Hound Exercise (tentative)	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

9. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology -- Whippers-in
The staff members who assist the Huntsman with discipline and behavior of hounds in the hunt field. They may also assist with kennel duties and hound exercising.

Excerpt from Foxhunting in North America by Alexander Mackay-Smith
No whipper-in can be effective until he learns the country. This means learning the location not only of jumpable fences and gates, but also of every road, covert, ride, jump, swamp, stream crossing, hole and other obstacles. He also must help to establish and maintain cordial relations with the owners and re nters of farms within the hunting country, and he must memorize their boundaries, fences, livestock, crop fields and permanent pastures, their individual attitudes toward the hunt in general and toward riding over their land by members of the staff and field. Such knowledge should be acquired as much as possible during the summer, before the commencement of hunting.

10. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

September 7, 2009

This is Your Invitation to

THE ROCKBRIDGE HUNT KICK-OFF PARTY

to raise funds for our award winning hounds!

Date: September 13, 2009
Time: 5:00 pm
Place: Tex Tilson Hunt Lodge

What's happening :
Pork BBQ, beans and coleslaw. Please bring an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. BYOB, ice and some mixers provided.
Sign up to Sponsor a Hound, organized by Lou Dooley and Cindy Morton
Silent Auction LTD, organized by Laura Jarvis -- a select group of items will be available for bidding
Flask Recipe Contest

No Entry Fee to present your secret recipe. We hope to have at least 10 entries. Please let me know if you plan to enter: carol@broadviewranch.com .
Requirements: Each competitor must provide approximately 1 quart of their secret flask recipe in plain mason jars or container. Competitors may enter more than one recipe.
Tables will be set up with trays of tasting cups of each recipe.
A donation to the hounds of $20 qualifies you to be a judge/taster.
This will be a blind tasting. Each judge/taster will be given 2 poker chips upon entry. Chips will be used to vote for your favorites. The recipe receiving the most chips at the completion of the tasting is the winner. The winning entries will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

We hope to see you there!

August 27, 2009

1. Work days!

As hunt season approaches, the work continues!

Since the last RH News Brief, we've had two more teams of limb trimmers and deadfall clearers attack two areas in our hunt country. Thank you to Cindy Morton, Jay Moore, Diane Long, Laura Jarvis, Cathi Ecklund, David Conner, Fred Burks, and Hugh Brown for clearing up at Hunt, Inc on August 16. Thank you to Allison Schott, Cindy Morton, Jay Moore, Laura Jarvis, David Conner, Fred Burks, Hugh Brown, and Ann Batley for their hard work at West Airslie on August 23.

A lot of trail clearing happens on unscheduled days and we especially thank our landowners who keep the trails on their properties open for us to use. Landowners we've spotted getting their property ready for the season include: Donald Bisallion, Steve and Betty Beck, Dav id Bolen & Lauren Keating, Dan Budi, Fred Burks, Joe & Katharine Conner, Kathy & Stan Eichelberger, Dick Ford, Dick Glenn, Pete Holladay, Cindy Morton, Henry Reiff, Gary Ruley, Gerri Wenz & Bob Wicklund. We are deeply grateful for their efforts and for the privilege of riding on their land.

One more scheduled work day! Saturday, August 29 at 9:00 AM at Hunt, Inc.

Individuals or teams are welcome to help clear at other times and should coordinate this with Cindy Morton.

2. Fox Habitat

Laura Jarvis has most generously donated a large freezer that has been installed at the barn at Hunt, Inc. Thank you Laura! We would appreciate it if members would save scraps (cooked or uncooked) in sealable plastic bags or other suitable containers. When they are ready, they can be brought to the freezer at the barn to be put out for the foxes.

3. Foxhunting Clinic

The mounted foxhunting clinic has been scheduled for Sunday, September 6 at Broadview. Diane Long and Alex Bobbitt will be the clinicians and will be emphasizing control of the horse in the hunt field and dealing with challenging hunting situations (opening gates, cows, water crossing, etc.)  Details about the clinic are available on the Rockbridge Hunt website: rockbridgehunt.org

4. Communications

We are still in the process of changing the old Yahoo email list into two new lists through Google -- a members-only announcements list and a more casual list open to non-members. Many people have already signed up. If you need assistance in getting subscribed to the new lists, please let Cindy Morton know.

5. Puzzler

Just for fun. If you have a few extra minutes, check out this puzzle and have a little fun putting the puzzle together:

6. Dates for your calendar

Aug 29	Saturday	Work Day	9 AM at Hunt, Inc.
Sept 6	Sunday	Mounted Foxhunting Clinic	10 AM, Broadview
Sept 13	Sunday	Volunteers' Hunt	TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Kick-Off Party!	Tex Tilson Lodge
Sept 16	Wednesday	Cubbing begins	4 PM, location TBA
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	Broadview
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Nov 7, 2009	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
Feb 20, 2010	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 11		MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open Hound Exercise	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3, 2010	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

7. Educational bits - courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology -- Coffee Housing
When people are chattering instead of paying attention.

Excerpt from There Goes Charlie by Anne Fleming
Cries came from within the covert. "Yip! Yip! Yip! Yoi on! Yoi on there! Rouse him! Push him up!" A hound spoke and the cry came "Hoic to Juniper!" The riders began to gather up their reins. The Master swung round on the field with a huge bellow. "Will you stop that coffee-housing and let me bloody well listen."

8. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

August 13, 2009

1. The Executive Committee held an open meeting on Tuesday, August 11. Ten Rockbridge Hunt members attended the meeting in addition to the Executive Committee members. Some highlights of the meeting included:

• We are pursuing a number of different fundraising activities this year in addition to the traditional hunter paces, poker rides and Rockbridge Hunt Ball. Of note, we now have an inventory of Rockbridge Hunt logo wear (shirts and caps). Kathy Ponder is developing a website so we will be able to see pictures of items and place orders. Also, we are still collecting Southern States feed bag and supplements labels (we need the proof of purchase label). We get about 25 cents per label. Southern States won't write a check for less than $100, so Cindy Morton saves these up until she has enough. If you would be interested in taking over this fundraising effort, please let someone on the Executive Committee know.

• The Hound Sponsor program is in full swing under the leadership of Lu Dooley. We have already had a number of sponsors sign up. Thank you Laura Arnold, Ann Batley, Hugh Brown, Marie Denton, Stan & Kathy Eichelberger, Laura Grantham, Blair & Erica Jones, Pam Moskal, Gary & Kathy Ponder, and the Rockbridge Pony Club. The hounds appreciate your support! Although we will have a Hound Sponsorship table at the Kick-Off Party in September, people who would like to reserve a specific hound (perhaps the one they sponsored last year) in advance may do so by sending their checks to Lu Dooley at 304 Overhill Drive, Lexington, VA 24450. For information about each hound (and its availability for sponsorship), please check the Hunt website at rockbridgehunt.org -- in the menu on the left, select Foxhunting and then select Hounds.

• President Jay Moore has been developing a poster that we will hang in feed stores, tack shops, barns, etc. to attract interest in the hunt. He passed out samples to get feedback from the group. He will print some 8 1/2" x 11" size and start distributing them soon. If you can think of a location that would be good for hanging a poster, be sure to let Jay know.

• Jay Moore has also been working on building fox feeders. We looked at pictures of the feeder that is currently at Broadview. The feeders will need to be placed somewhere that they can be serviced easily. We would like to put some hay nearby and also some corn to attract rodents and Fred Burks has very generously donated 25 round bales of hay for this purpose. Dick Ford has already placed two bales in Hunt Inc. territory. The feeders themselves are for the foxes - food is put in through the top -- mostly scraps (cooked and uncooked). Jay would like to install a chest freezer in which to store scraps that could then be put into the feeders. He is working with a local restaurant that will give him their scraps in pickle buckets. Carol Atwood will also be able to get scraps from the new slaughterhouse in Lexington. We need some volunteers to help stock the feeders. We probably need to feed about three times per week. Please let Jay know if you'd like to help with the feeder project.

• Gary Ponder shared that we now have our paper copy of the new MFHA insurance. We are saving about $1,200 per year with the new policy. It would be helpful for insurance purposes if we had a list of riding members to give them at any particular time. Gary proposed that we have a start date to membership so that we would have a definite list of members for insurance. One suggestion is to add something to the waiver to show that the person has committed to membership for the coming year. We decided to do this and the waiver has been updated.

• We are currently in the process of changing the old Yahoo email list into two new lists through Google -- a members-only announcements list and a more casual list open to non-members. Many people have already signed up. This is a work in progress. If you need assistance in getting subscribed to the new lists, please let Cindy Morton know.

• Website Review -- we will have a committee review the website starting after the new year. If you are interested in helping out with this review, please contact Hugh Brown.

• Cindy Morton is in the process of scanning historical documents and photographs and adding them to our website (archives). There are some fascinating documents and pictures in the archives! If you have artifacts or photographs from the past that would be of interest to members, please give them to Cindy Morton or Hugh Brown and we will see that they get scanned and returned to you. Thank you!

• Virginia Hunt Week has been scheduled for October 17-25, 2009. The dates have been set but we do not have a specific date that we will be hosting. The hunts will probably be arranged geographically this year. Watch this site for details: http://www.vahuntweek.org/

• Cindy Morton is hard at work on the fall fixture card and will be including joint meets, a western day and junior hunts. It won't be long now 'til we're hunting again.

• For those of you who plan way ahead, we took an advance look at 2010 and started scheduling some of our traditional events. See the Dates for Your Calendar section below for an advance look at next year!

2. Work days!

Before we can hunt, we need to clear those trails! Thanks to the tiny but mighty, limb trimmin', chainsaw swingin', trail clearin' crew who came out on Saturday, August 8 to beat back the bushes at Broadview. Thank you Lynn Williams, Bob Richardson, Cindy Morton, Jay Moore, Diane Long, Kathy Eichelberger, Hugh Brown and Carol Atwood for your hard work on a hazy, hot and humid morning.

Big thanks to those individuals who have been working on our hunt country on unscheduled days. Thank you Joe and Katharine Conner, Kathy Eichelberger, Dick Ford, Pete Holladay, Gary and Kathy Ponder, and Cindy Morton. Individuals or teams are welcome to help clear at other times and should coordinate this with Cindy Morton.

Remaining Work Days:
Sunday, August 16 at 2 p.m., Hunt Inc.
Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m., West Airslie
Sunday, August 30 at 2 p.m., location TBA

3. Clinic

A mounted Foxhunting Clinic has been scheduled for Sunday, September 6 at Broadview. Diane Long and Alex Bobbitt will be the clinicians and will be emphasizing control of the horse in the hunt field and dealing with challenging hunting situations (opening gates, cows, water crossing, etc.) Details about the clinic are available on the Rockbridge Hunt website: www.rockbridgehunt.org

4. Hunting License

Remember to get a new Virginia Hunting License before the start of hunt season. We recommend that you get a state-wide license if you plan to attend joint meets away from home. You can purchase licenses several ways:
• On-line at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/licenses/
• By telephone: 1-866-721-6911 (available Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM, except holidays)
• In person at a local license agents located around the Commonwealth. Licenses are also sold by some clerks of the Circuit Court.
• By mail: simply download and print the proper form from the VDGIF website and mail it to the address provided.

5. Dates for your calendar

Aug 16, 2009	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, Hunt, Inc.
Aug 23	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, West Airslie
Aug 30	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Sept 6	Sunday	Mounted Foxhunting Clinic	10 AM, Broadview
Sept 13	Sunday	Volunteers' Hunt	TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Kick-Off Party!	Tex Tilson Lodge
Sept 16	Wednesday	Cubbing begins	4 PM, location TBA
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	Broadview
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Nov 7, 2009	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
Feb 20, 2010	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel
Mar 27	Saturday	Closing Meet	TBA
Apr 8-12		MFHA Biennial Staff Seminar	Lexington KY
May 1	Saturday	Derby-Day Hunter Pace	TBA
May 12	Wednesday	Annual Meeting	Tex Tilson Lodge, Hunt, Inc.
June 26	Saturday	Poker Ride	TBA
Aug 28	Saturday	Foxhunting Clinic	TBA
Aug 29	Sunday	"Open Hound Exercise	Hunt, Inc.
Oct 3, 2010	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA

6. Educational Bits -- courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Etiquette -- Kicking
When hunting, watch the horse in front of you and do not crowd other horses. If you cannot see the heels of the horse in front you are too close, even in the woods and on narrow trails.

Excerpt from To Win the Hunt by Jane McIlvaine
. . . Here a vixen was found and despite a palisade of foot people, hounds worked like beavers before being blown off. During this period the pounding along paved roads and crowding at gates was formidable. What Yeats said about Dublin seemed apropos. "Great hatred, little room." In Ireland, I learned now, a kicking horse is at a premium, considered extremely valuable for getting one through narrow apertures. Members of the Field come to know the kickers and give them room. Should you get clobbered, it's your own funeral. "You bloody fool," roared one elderly gentleman (with the benign courtly appearance of a Member of Parliament) to a teenage girl riding a cob that was almost knocked off its feet, "Serves you right for crowding my horse!"

"Be my guest," I said to one thruster whose horse actually bit my boot garter and pulled it off.

Ignoring my supposed witticism, the man pushed ahead, almost taking my leg along with the boot garter.

7. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

August 3, 2009

1. Hound Sponsors Needed!

While we all are proud of (and thankful for) our hard working professional and volunteer hunt staff, their combined efforts and expertise wouldn't be worth much if we didn't also have a fine pack of hounds. In fact, without our hounds, the odds of the staff sniffing out anything much more challenging than a skunk are pretty remote!

Fortunately, over the years, David Conner has bred and trained a pack of hounds specifically suited to our territory and quarry, and the Rockbridge Hunt demonstrated the success of his program at the Carolina Foxhound Performance Trials earlier this year, when the pack placed first and Rockbridge Clay was the highest ranked hound.

But the cost of maintaining our pack (feed, vaccinations, flea control, medical attention) has risen, and we now spend about $280 a year per hound. Dr. Lauren Keating contributes supplies and a tremendous amount of time toward care of the pack, but they are still expensive. The sponsorship of individual hounds by members of the Rockbridge Hunt significantly helps to defray these costs. And, following a given hound's performance over the year can make the season particularly interesting for a foxhunter.

For the 2009-2010 season, we hope many Rockbridge Hunt members will again consider choosing and sponsoring a hound. Sponsorship for an entire year is still $100, and half a year is $50. A specific hound may be "reserved" for the whole season, with payments made in September and January, or for only half a year. Sponsors will receive a David Bolen photograph of "their" hound and a certificate of sponsorship.

Although we will have a Hound Sponsorship table at the Kick-Off Party in September, people who would like to reserve a specific hound (perhaps the one they sponsored last year) in advance may do so by sending their checks to Lu Dooley at 304 Overhill Drive, Lexington, VA 24450.

For information about each hound (and its availability for sponsorship), please check the Hunt website at rockbridgehunt.org -- in the menu on the left, select Foxhunting and then select Hounds.

2. Foxhunting Clinic

We are organizing a Foxhunting Clinic at Broadview. If we can arrange the schedule, we'll have sessions with Diane Long and Alex Bobbitt and finish the day with a mock hunt and trail ride. We're still trying to settle on a date but we're aiming for either Saturday, August 29 or Sunday, September 6. We will split into groups and hope to be able to accommodate novice and prospective foxhunters as well as experienced hunters. There will be a small fee. Please check the website for more information.

3. Summer work days are here!

A big Rockbridge Hunt THANK YOU to the first crew who came out to tame the wilds at Montafon Farm. Thank you to Bob Richardson, Judy Mundy, Cindy Morton, Laura Jarvis, Ann Howard, Cathi Ecklund, Kathy Eichelberger, Lu Dooley, Anita Claytor, Fred Burks, and Hugh Brown for coming out to help.

All the spring and summer rain has created a jungle in our hunt country. Won't you consider coming out to help us recover our lovely trails? The remaining dates are listed below and here are some suggestions for volunteers:
Wear work gloves. Leather gloves are preferable for dealing with thorns. Long sleeves are recommended for the same reason. You may want insect repellant.
It will be hot. A lot of the work takes place in the woods but you may want a hat, sunscreen, and/or sunglasses. You may want to carry water with you. We'll have coolers with bottled water on the trucks but you may be working away from the vehicles for quite awhile.
We can provide hand tools but if you have a good set of loppers or pruners, those are useful. If you have a heavy-duty weed-eater, there are places where those are useful.

4. Open meeting

Don't forget the Rockbridge Hunt Open Executive Committee Meeting on Tuesday, August 11 at 7 PM in the Tex Tilson Lodge. All members are welcome. If you would like to address the committee or have an item to add to the agenda, please contact Hugh Brown (brownhh@jmu.edu, 540-886-6359) and he will make sure to add your item(s).

5. Dates for your calendar

Aug 8	Saturday	Work Day	9 AM, location TBA
Aug 11	Tuesday	Open Executive Committee Meeting	7 PM, Tex Tilson Lodge
Aug 16	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Aug 23	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Aug 30	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Volunteers' Hunt	TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Kick-Off Party!	Tex Tilson Lodge
Sept 16	Wednesday	Cubbing begins	4 PM, location TBA
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel

6. Educational Bits -- courtesy of the Education Committee

Hunting Terminology --
Holloa -- usually pronounced like "holler" and with a similar meaning; that is, a loud shout. If foxhunting, a holloa may be specific words, like "tally-ho" or it may be a kind of scream or screech.

Excerpt from the book Riding and Hunting by M. Horace Hayes.
The danger of giving a holloa at the wrong time is so great, that it is best to abstain from this form of vocal exercise, which the Master of a well organised hunt might not improbably resent as an impertinence. The fact remains, that the higher the class of a hunt is, the fewer unofficial holloas are to be heard in it. It is a popular idea that if one sees a fox going away unnoticed, either breaking covert or when the hounds are at fault, one's duty is to call out two or three times, "tally ho!", so as to attract the attention of the huntsman; and to shout "tally ho back!", if Reynard leaves the covert, changes his mind and returns to it. Here the holloa may be given when the fox is too far off, in which case the hounds might not be able to take up the line properly. If the holloa is given too close, it may have the effect of sending the fox back into the covert, and spoiling what might have otherwise been a good run. Besides, there is often more than one fox in a covert, and the viewed one may not be the fox which the huntsman wants to pursue. Further, the viewed fox may be going in the wrong direction, for instance, away from the kennels, at the end of a long day, and especially when the hounds are far from home. If, on viewing a fox, we have good reason to think that a judicious holloa would be helpful to the huntsman, we might, if practicable, ride up to him, or to one of the whippers- in and tell him what we saw, or hold up our hat.

7. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-- Hugh

July 19, 2009

1. The Executive Committee met on Tuesday, July 14. Some highlights of the meeting included:

• Insurance update - our insurance policies for the 2009-10 year are paid and we have coverage. For our insurance on the property we will need to post some more safety signage at the barn and the Tex Tilson Lodge. We have a new provider for hunting and event insurance with the same coverage as previous years but at a reduced rate. Special thanks to Gary Ponder for sorting through insurance policies and getting us the best coverage and rates possible.
• Communication - In response to requests from members, Cindy Morton has been working hard to establish two separate email distribution lists. "Rockbridge Hunt Announcements" will be a members-only list for distributing official announcements. Think of this as a monthly (more or less) newsletter. Every current member will be subscribed in order to reduce costs.
• "On the Line, Rockbridge Hunt" will be a discussion list open to both members and nonmembers. Any topics related to foxhunting are appropriate. We hope that it becomes a resource for foxhunters throughout the region. If you want to make changes to your subscription options, please email Cindy Morton at mortonc@wlu.edu.
• Open Executive Committee Meeting. Again in response to members' requests, the next meeting of the Rockbridge Hunt Executive Committee will be open to all members of the hunt. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11 at 7 PM in the Tex Tilson Lodge. If you would like to address the committee or have an item to add to the agenda, please contact Hugh Brown (contact info below) and he will make sure to add you.
• Kick-off party. Our annual start to the season has been scheduled for September 13 at Tex Tilson Lodge. Carol Atwood and Susan Richardson are coordinating this very fun event. There will be a flask tasting contest, a silent auction, hound photos, and a pot luck dinner (with meat and drink provided). Invitations will be coming out in August as part of the Rockbridge Hunt Newsletter and summer mailing.
• Fall Hunter Pace. The Rockbridge Hunt Fall Hunter Pace has been scheduled for Sunday, October 4. Gary and Kathy Ponder are again coordinating this important fundraiser. Please contact them if you are willing to help in any way.
• Virginia Hunt Week. It's back! After taking a year off, Virginia Hunt Week returns October 17-25, 2009. We hope to be hosting one of nine hunts. As soon as the schedule is available, we'll make sure you know about it.
• Rockbridge Hunt Ball. Plans are well underway for the 2010 Ball which will be held on February 20 at the Natural Bridge Hotel. The Rockbridge Hunt Ball Committee includes Kathy Eichelberger [Chair], Carol Atwood [invitations], Terry Whitmore [subscriptions/tables], Ann Layman [decorations], Laura Jarvis & Hugh Brown [silent auction] and Cheryl Haas. Please contact Kathy Eichelberger if you'd like to help. Start thinking about items you could donate to the silent auction. The Ball is our biggest fundraiser of the year and all the profit comes from the silent auction.
• Habitat. The habitat committee has been searching for appropriate locations to put some fox feeding stations. Dick Ford and Pete Holladay have been especially helpful to Jay Moore in this effort. Jay also visited with Bill King, MFH and huntsman of the Bedford County Hunt to look at their feeders. Jay is currently working on a prototype of a feeder based on what he learned for use at Hunt, Inc. The good news is that foxes have been spotted this summer in and around the Hunt, Inc territory. Tally Ho!

2. The June 27 Poke Ride was a great success and brought in about $1,600 profit for the hunt.

• Many, many thanks to Gary & Kathy Ponder for all their hard work designing the course, trimming the trails, and coordinating the event.
• Thank you to Laura Jarvis for coordinating the lunch and for donating much of the food and drink for the event and for enlisting her son Tony Chittum to cook for us.
• Thank you to the other volunteers for making this event possible: Dick Ford, Fay Harris, Lu & Ed Dooley - Gatekeepers; Terry & Cynthia Secker - Checkpoint; Cindy Morton - Entries; Anita Claytor - Judge.
• Thank you to to Southern States for generous help with jumps.
• Thank you to all the landowners for the use of their property. Gerri Wenz and Bob Wicklund, owners of Windward Farm were our main hosts for the day. Also thanks to the Burke Wilson family of Journey's End Farm, and the Calvin Stanley family for allowing us to use their new wooded trails.
• Poker Ride Results

Place	Rider	Horse	Poker hand
First	Kim Franke	Colton	Full house (3 Queens, 2 8s)
Second	Marlee Putnam	Skip	Full house (3 Jacks, 2 7s)
Third	Anna Alford	Frisko	Full house (3 9s, 2 2s)
Fourth	Elizabeth Carter	Frankley Awesome	Flush (spades)
Fifth	Sara Brooks	Moon Shadow	3 Jacks
Sixth	Allison Schott	Jazzy	3 10s

3. Dates for your calendar -- Check the Hunt Line, 540-462-1113.

Aug 1	Saturday	Work Day	9 AM at Montafon Farm
Aug 8	Saturday	Work Day	9 AM, location TBA
Aug 11	Tuesday	Open Executive Committee Meeting	7 PM, Tex Tilson Lodge
Aug 16	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Aug 23	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Aug 30	Sunday	Work Day	2 PM, location TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Volunteers' Hunt	TBA
Sept 13	Sunday	Kick-Off Party!	Tex Tilson Lodge
Sept 16	Wednesday	Cubbing begins	4 PM, location TBA
Oct 4	Sunday	Fall Hunter Pace	TBA
Oct 17-25		Virginia Hunt Week	TBA
Nov 7	Saturday	Opening Meet	TBA
Feb 20	Saturday	Ball	Natural Bridge Hotel

4. Pet peeves -- everyone's got 'em! What do you see in the hunt field that's just annoying or makes you mad or seems unbelievable? Rather than a public airing of these things, we'd like you to send them to the Education Committee. Some of these issues might be remedied by education and we'll give it a shot. Send email to Carol Atwood (carol@broadviewranch.com ) or Cindy Morton ( mortonc@wlu.edu ). Thank you!

5. Educational Bits - courtesy of the Education Committee
Hunting Terminology - Feathering & Cast
"Feathering" - A hound "feathers" when he indicates, by actions rather than by voice, that he is on a line or near it. The stern is waved and activity is concentrated and intensified.
"Cast" - Hounds attempt to recover the line after a loss. Hounds may cast themselves or the Huntsman may cast hounds.

Excerpt from "Lure of the Chase" by Michael Sinclair-Smith

The river was swollen by the previous day's rain and its dark waters flowed quickly by. The hounds cast around them looking for scent of the missing fox. Then the lead hound ran down the bank plunged into the water and swam across. He dragged himself up the slope the other side and, nose down, worked his way along it. He stopped and his tail started to switch from side to side.

Liam pointed at the hound. "Look at the way he's feathering, he's onto him." The hound moved on again and his stern moved quicker. He zigged, zagged; then, confident that he was onto the fox, he bounded on and let out a loud cry. Immediately the other hounds plunged into the water and swam across towards him. They joined in on the hunt and were off running.

6. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.
-Hugh

June 19, 2009

1. The Executive Committee met on June 9 to continue making plans for the year. Some highlights of the meeting included:

• Responding to a request from the membership to have open Executive Committee meetings, we agreed to periodically open the meetings to all members. The first open Executive Committee meeting will be August 11 at 7:00pm at the Tex Tilson Lodge.
• President Jay Moore agreed to pull together a group of interested members to discuss the issue of fox habitat. That meeting occurred on June 17. Some notes about that meeting are listed below in #2.
• The Rockbridge Hunt Poker Ride is set for June 27. Gary and Kathy Ponder are coordinating this important fundraiser. They have laid out a beautiful and mostly shaded course about 6 miles in length with some new trails!
• Plans are underway for the 2010 Rockbridge Hunt Ball. Kathy Eichelberger is coordinating this event which has been tentatively scheduled for February 20 at the Natural Bridge Hotel.
• There are a number of other events being planned. Watch for details on summer trail rides, the Kick-Off Party, and a possible horse show or horse trial.
• The Rockbridge newsletter will be coming out several times this year with the next issue planned for September 1.
• Kathy Ponder is coordinating Rockbridge Hunt logo-wear. Soon, we will have an inventory of shirts, caps and other items you can purchase at events or by contacting Kathy directly.
• We are currently exploring a number of possible new fundraising ideas including a steeplechase or point-to-point, a hunter show or horse trial. We'll keep you posted.

2. Fox Habitat.
The Habitat Committee met on Wednesday, June 17. Jay Moore led the meeting which focused on the hunt country west of Interstate 81.

We started with a discussion of the current situation - are people seeing game? Yes, red and gray fox. Are game populations generally on the increase? Generally, yes. There are definitely more bear. There may be a slight decline in coyote in our area. Why has game been so scarce? Long term - rabies, coyote migration, drought. Short term - mange, habitat loss.

There was considerable discussion of various possible measures which could be taken and what other hunts are doing. And then a discussion of what's appropriate for Rockbridge Hunt. Carol Atwood pointed out that the period of highest mortality for foxes (and most small game species) is when the young animals are establishing their own territories. At this time, late summer to early fall, supplemental feeding would help. Everyone agreed that a program for habitat improvement must be easy and appropriate. Our landowners come first and no one wants a brush pile next to their house! A variety of low maintenance possibilities were mentioned.

Dick Ford and Pete Holladay will come up with a few appropriate suggestions for Hunt, Inc. These are likely to begin with placement of round bales in various locations. Carol Atwood discussed the plans for Broadview, including the planting of "game patches" around the farm and the addition of free-range chickens.

5. Dates for your calendar

• June 27, Rockbridge Hunt Poker Ride http://www.rockbridgehunt.org/
• August 1, Work Day
• August 9, Work Day [subsequently changed to Saturday, August 8]
• August 16, Work Day
• August 23, Work Day
• Sept. 13, Volunteers Hunt
• Sept. 16, Cubbing begins
• Nov. 7, Rockbridge Hunt Opening Meet
• Feb. 20, 2010 Rockbridge Hunt Ball at the Natural Bridge Hotel (tentative)

4. Pet peeves - everyone's got 'em! What do you see in the hunt field that's just annoying or makes you mad or seems unbelievable? Rather than a public airing of these things, we'd like you to send them to the Education Committee. Some of these issues might be remedied by education and we'll give it a shot. Send email to Carol Atwood (carol@broadviewranch.com ) or Cindy Morton (mortonc@wlu.edu ). Thank you!

5. Educational Bits - Hunting Terminology
Meet - The assembling of the hunt for the day's sport. The actual place is also called the meet.

Excerpt from "Fox-hunting in England" in Whip and Spur by George E. Waring.
Full text at http://books.google.com/books?id=yg4VAAAAYAAJ
Here my eyes were greeted with the glory of my first "meet," and a glory it was indeed! Pictures and descriptions had suggested it, but they had only suggested it. This was the reality, and it far exceeded my anticipation. The grounds were fairly alive with a brilliant company of men and women, - happy and hearty, and just gathered for the day's sport. Red coats, white breeches, and top-boots were pleny, and the neat holiday air of the whole company was refreshing and delightful. Scattered about singly and in groups, mounted, on foot, and in carriages, were a couple of hundred people of all ages and conditions. Chatting from the saddle and over carriage-doors, lounging up and down the Drive, or looking over the hounds, the company were leisurely awaiting the opening of the ball. They had come from a circuit of twenty miles around . . . A similar gather, however would not be possible in America. We have no occasion on which people of all sorts come so freely and so naturally together, interested in a traditional and national sport, which is alike open to rich and poor, and meeting, not for the single occasion only, but several times a week, winter after winter, often for many years. Noblemen, gentlemen, farmers, manufacturers, professional men, snobs, cads, errand- boys, - everybody, in short, who cared to come seemed to have the right to come, and, so far as the hunt was concerned, seemed to be on an equal footing.

6. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions for the Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.

- Hugh

May 31, 2009

Welcome to the Rockbridge News Brief

The new Rockbridge Hunt Executive Committee is looking for ways to share information and to get your feedback. We will periodically send out News Briefs about the discussions and decisions made by the Executive Committee combined with other news and events of interest. We invite you to comment either by sending a message to the RH list or to contact one of the Executive Committee members directly.

The Executive Committee met on Thursday, May 21 to discuss our new roles and to get the new year off on the right foot. President Jay Moore identified three major areas for focus this year - the budget, membership and fox habitat. We will be working hard on all these areas.

We discussed our plans for upcoming fundraising events including the hunter paces, poker ride, ball, and kick-off party. We also discussed some new possibilities - a garage sale, hunter show, etc. Treasurer Louise Golian has already invited feedback on a possible Rockbridge Garage Sale via the RH email list.

We also spent time working with the new committee structure that has been in development over the last few months. We have identified leadership for some of the committees already and have plans to keep working on this for our next meeting. Jay has charged committees with developing specific goals and plans for the year. Here are some of the committees and their chairs.

Hunting Committee - Chair, Cindy Morton, MFH

Events Committee - Chair, Terry Whitmore
Fund Raising

• Rockbridge Hunt Ball - Chair, Kathy Eichelberger
• Hunter Paces - Gary & Kathy Ponder
• Poker Ride - Gary & Kathy Ponder
• Trail Rides - Terry Whitmore & Cheryl Haas
• Kick-off Party - Carol Atwood & Susan Richardson

Membership Committee - Chair, Carol Atwood

• Education - Chairs, Cindy Morton & Carol Atwood
• Membership Tracking - Louise Golian
• Public Relations & Community Education Chair, Anita Claytor

Committee chairs may be calling you for your help with the committee's work. Please consider saying "yes!" when they call.

Upcoming events:

Rockbridge Hunt Poker Ride - June 27, Windward Farm
Gary & Kathy Ponder are working hard to make this a great event with some new trails to explore. They need some gate volunteers. Won't you consider watching a gate?

Trail Ride -
Terry Whitmore and Cheryl Haas are going to coordinate another trail ride at Broadview in August. The May ride brought in $750 for the hunt!

More Trail Rides -
The Executive Committee is hoping to coordinate a couple of informal trail rides for RH members and friends. Stay tuned for details.

The Education Committee is already hard at work. Here is their first contribution:

Educational bits - hunting terminology
"Check" - When scent has temporarily disappeared.

Excerpt from "View from the Second Field" by Diana Keilholtz-Gunder in Covertside, November 1999.
The hounds were getting louder as they approached the large meadow in front of us. First came two deer running with a big red fox right on their heels, hounds not far behind just screaming. Both deer and fox flew down the meadow, then up over the snowy, grassy area and through the cut conrfield. Then they split. While the deer ran to the right into the uncut corn heading for the woods, the fox made a hard left, also running into the tall dry corn, then into a cut field toward a big wooded area to the left. Hounds hit the spot where the deer and the fox parted company, stopped for a brief check, then made a screaming left turn after the fox.

The Executive Committee will meet on the second Tuesday of each month. Please share your feedback with us!

President	Jay Moore,	H 540-254-3316, W, 540-777-1500, jmoore@jmooreandco.com
MFH	Cindy Morton	H 540-463-6025, W 540-458-8109, M 540-570-0346, mortonc@wlu.edu
Treasurer	Louise Golian	H 540-377-9409, Louisegolian@aol.com
Hon. Secretary	Hugh Brown	H 540-886-6359, W 540-568-3501, brownhh@jmu.edu
Steward '09	Carol Atwood	H 540-463-1000, M 540-817-8435, carol@broadviewranch.com
Steward '09	Kathy Eichelberger	H 540-258-2065, W 540-343-0193, M 540-354-2348, bergrbnch@aol.com
Steward '07	Gary Ponder	H 540-258-9911, M 540-462-7194, katgryponder@yahoo.com
Steward '07	Terry Whitmore	H 540-291-1861, M 540-460-3052, tavern@ntelos.net

One last item - If you can think of a creative name for these periodic News Briefs, please let me know! Thanks!

- Hugh