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PRESS RELEASE
Tally Ho with
Piscataqua Hounds!
Contact: Cheryl Bucklin
Niles Date: September 21, 2007
(603) 749-0452
Email: redhorsehillpottery@comcast.net
Website: http://piscataquahounds.org
For immediate release:
The inaugural season of the Piscataqua Hounds is off to a
rollicking good start, with many rides already under way and several more
remaining on the fall calendar. The club’s Master of Foxhounds, Cheryl Bucklin
Niles, is well-known in the hunt community, having served as MFH and huntsman of
the Wentworth Hunt for 14 years. “It’s a tremendous pleasure to offer
experienced hunt people a great ride over beautiful territory and introduce new
people to the sport,” she says.
The Piscataqua Hounds is a “drag” hunt, meaning that no
real foxes are actually hunted and killed. Instead, a scent is dragged through
pre-selected trails and fields, which is then followed by the hounds and
horses. For people wishing to join in, Piscataqua
Hounds offers two groups following the hounds: a more advanced group known as
“first field” that features regular gallops and optional jumping, and “hilltop,”
where riders and horses can follow the hunt at a slightly slower pace without
jumping.
Piscataqua Hounds is open to riders of all ages and from a
variety of equestrian backgrounds, as well as to any breed of horse. Currently,
the hunt consists of riders on drafts, quarter horses, thoroughbreds, paints,
appaloosas, halflingers, and warmbloods. All manage New Hampshire’s and Maine’s
woods and back roads and rich fall fields incredibly well. The club’s mission is
to preserve and honor the New England drag hunting tradition, with a focus on
safe horsemanship, riding to hounds, and conserving natural territories.
This year, Piscataqua Hounds is experiencing strong
turnout, all eager to try some of the 27 hunts at 17 different locations. Most
hunt sites can be found in New Hampshire and include Dover, Lee, Madbury, Milton
Mills, Epsom, Gilmanton, Brookfield, Barrington, Barnstead, and Allenstown.
There are also a few hunts just over the border in North Berwick, Maine. “I’m
excited about the new hunt locations this year,” says Niles, “Several of which
feature mountain views.” New venues for foxhunters this year are Houston Farm
and Moon Run Farm, both in Berwick, ME, as well as Brookfield Corner Farm in
Brookfield, NH, and Stone Gate Farm in Barrington, NH. “There’s nothing quite
like watching the hounds catch the scent and explore a new territory.”
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On October 6th, the Piscataqua Hounds can be found at Janet
Murfey’s Brookfield Corner Farm in Brookfield, NH. This will be a special day as
it is the “Blessing of the Hounds,” a traditional ceremony where the hounds are
blessed by a local priest. The Reverend Sue Poulin from St. John the Baptist
Episcopal Church in Sanbornville will officiate.
October 6th is also the first day of formal season, where
riders will exchange their blue Piscataqua Hounds polo shirts for the
traditional look of a foxhunter: black coats, white stock ties, and buff-colored
britches. The costume is designed to be practical: wool coats keep riders warm,
white stock ties can be unfolded and transformed into a slings or bandages in
case of emergency. The MFH wears a red coat so that she can easily be seen to
lead the hunt. |
Cheryl Bucklin Niles is well known for developing an
outstanding pack of award-winning American Foxhounds that are uniquely suited to
the challenges and traditions of hunting in New England. “They are going great
this year!” she says. She started hunting 30 years ago when she was still in
school at University of New Hampshire. “My instructor, Duane Cobb, who was a
well-known horseman in the area (he started the polo club, too), wanted his
students to learn how to participate in a hunt.” It turned out to be a
transformative event. “He sent us out on school horses for a Wentworth Hunt
during its inaugural season. We had so much fun! It was the first time I
experienced a social activity with horses outside of showing.”
Niles’s experience as hunt staff for three decades and her
long-time friendships with landowners are helping to turn this year’s hunt into
a success.
Please check the website for more information about
locations and dates: http://www.piscataquahounds.org, or email
piscataquahounds@comcast.net.
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