THE MIDDLEBURG 



and the Middleburg country were hunted in this manner, and the Orange 

 County showed very satisfactory sport at both places. 



In 1 907, Mr. Evans resigning his office as Deputy-Master, Mr. Townsend 

 took up the Mastership himself, leaving Claude Hatcher, the huntsman, in 

 charge of the Middleburg pack, which also hunted the Piedmont country. 

 This courtesy was extended by Mr. R. Hunter Dulany, to whom the hered- 

 itary title to the Piedmont Mastership had descended on the death of his 

 father, Col. Richard H. Dulany. 



In 1 908, Mr. Samuel P. Fred was elected Master of the Middleburg 

 Hunt, and although the club is, in reality, an offshoot of the Orange County 

 Hunt and owns no hounds of its own, it still retains recognition from the 

 National Steeplechase and Hunt Association. Just what hounds will hunt 

 their country another season is in doubt, although it is probable that the 

 Orange County will resume its sway. 



The country, which is surrounded by the territory of the Loudoun County, 

 Orange County and Piedmont Hunts, is as good as could be asked for. Its 

 greatest drawback is Goose Creek, a stream which runs through much of its 

 best territory, and which, although it is fordable in many places, sometimes 

 spoils a good run for the Field. But there is a lot of open country lying be- 

 tween Aldie and Middleburg, pretty free from wire, and well supplied with 

 foxes, which gives excellent sport. The fences are rather easier than in the 

 Loudoun country, though on the Piedmont side there are many stone walls 

 of great size, and it requires a good, big-jumping horse to carry a man well 

 over the country. The authors well remember a run during the hound 

 match in 1 905 when a fox was found near Goose Creek, along whose banks 

 there are many earths, which gave the Field the best kind of going at top- 

 pace for over an hour v^th hardly a strand of wire in the line. 



Mr. Townsend has hunted the country with both English and American 

 hounds and has come to prefer the latter, though perhaps he has hardly given 

 the former a fair trial. 



Whoever hunts the Middleburg country may be assured of warm support 

 from the landowners themselves, most of whom are hunting men and breed 

 as fine a type of horse for the country as can be found anywhere. 



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