Opening Meet kicks off formal hunt season

AMENIA — Unseasonably warm weather marked the start of the 105th Opening Meet of the Millbrook Hunt, held at Coole Park Farm in Amenia on Saturday, Oct. 6. Fieldmaster Parker Thorne welcomed the crowd of more than 80 riders, friends and well-wishers, and noted that among the group was Billy Leitch, who was riding in his 62nd Opening Meet. With the day already heating up by the 8 a.m. start, huntsman Donald Philhower led the 17 and a half couple of hounds (that’s a total of 35 dogs) south toward Millbrook School and Fraleigh Hill. The warm, dry weather and light breeze made for challenging scenting conditions, but after about 45 minutes the hounds were able to pick up a scent, which resulted in a good gallop for the field. For some riders the biggest excitement was avoiding ground nests of bees, which get riled up when disturbed by horses galloping by.Opening Meet is the start of the formal hunt season and with that comes a change of dress from the more informal tweeds of cubbing season to the iconic scarlet coats often seen in classic hunting prints. The Millbrook Hunt is one of the oldest and most traditional hunts in the United States, and the membership on Saturday was turned out in style, complete with braided manes and tails for the horses.A brief dictionary of hunting terms:• Dogs are always referred to as hounds.• The field refers to all the riders on horseback. • Whips, or whippers-in, are the riders who assist the huntsman in managing the hounds.• Colors are awarded to members of the hunt who have hunted consistently for at least three years and are in good standing. • Couples is the term for a pair of hounds. Generally the huntsman brings out about 14 on a given day. • “Ware hound” or “ware hole” means watch out for a hound or a hole. • “Tallyho” is the cry when a fox or coyote has been spotted, but decorum dictates that it is only staff that makes the call, as the intent is to alert the huntsman and not make a lot of noise. Despite the fact that the masters and whips do use radios to stay in touch with each other, much of hunting is still done by ear. And staying quiet so that the hounds can be heard is very important.The Millbrook Hunt joint masters are Nancy Stahl, David Hathaway, John Ike and Parker Thorne. To learn more about the history, terminology and traditions of the Millbrook Hunt go to The Millerton News website at www.tricornernews.com and search the archives for Millbrook Hunt.