THE BLUE RIDGE 



Ridge hounds have little to complain of, for the Master shows good sport 

 on Wednesdays and Saturdays from September 1 5th to April 1 5th — a 

 long season for any country. 



The pack consists of about a dozen couples of American hounds ; a very 

 fair lot, which were bred in the Shenandoah Valley and hence adapted to 

 the country hunted. 



The type of horse most used is a half or three-quarter bred one, as the 

 pace is not particularly fast and there is a good deal of very trappy jump- 

 ing. Hunters that have been schooled with the Blue Ridge hounds are to 

 be found in many of the northern countries. " Pendennis," a stallion of 

 great reputation as a getter of hunters, stood in this section for a great many 

 years, and one of the best lady's hunters the authors have ever seen was a 

 brown gelding by "Pendennis" named "The Wizard," owned by Mrs. 

 Henderson of Millwood, which has been hunted regularly with the Blue 

 Ridge and Middlesex packs. 



When the Hunt was founded in 1 888, Dr. Gwynn Harrison was elected 

 M. F. H., and continued to hold that office until 1896, when George 

 Jones, Esq., carried the horn, only to be followed in 1 897 by Arthur 

 Bevan, Esq., who remained in office for a year, when Dr. Harrison again 

 took the pack, remaining in office until 1904, when Edward Gay But- 

 ler, Esq., of Berryville was elected. Mr. Butler built quarters for the hounds 

 at his own place, " Annefield," and has remained in office ever since, hunt- 

 ing the hounds himself, and shoving excellent sport, the Fields averaging 

 from twenty to twenty-five in number. 



The attitude of the landowners is most friendly, much of the country 

 hunted over in Clarke County being owned by members, and an annual 

 luncheon is given to all landowners over whose property the Hunt rides. 



Foxes are plentiful, and of two varieties, red foxes predominating along 

 the Shenandoah River, while the grays are to be found in abundance along 

 the Opeguon. 



