It’s a scene that resonates every autumn, set to the bright, beckoning notes of the huntsman’s horn and the music of hounds in full cry, played out against a backdrop of brilliantly colored leaves.
Eager riders on neatly clipped mounts with carefully braided manes gather for the excitement of the chase, galloping across the countryside and over fences as they take part in a treasured ritual. Even in New Jersey, the most densely populated state, the tradition continues with five hunt clubs.
They are Monmouth County, the Essex Foxhounds in Somerset County, the Amwell Valley Hounds in Hunterdon County, Spring Valley Hounds in Warren and Sussex counties and the Windy Hollow Hunt, which is based in New York but does some hunting in Sussex County.
Although the traditional look may be the same as in decades past, times have changed, and the hunts have changed with them. In any area where territory is at a premium, keeping these hunts going requires a greater effort than it did when open land was more available and the march of development slower. That means reaching out beyond the sport’s usual constituency, actively recruiting members and supporters.
“All of the hunts are really doing their best to confront reality,” said David Feureisen, the New Jersey/New York District Director for the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America and a master of the Golden’s Bridge Hounds in North Salem, N.Y.
Andrew Barclay, director of hunting for MFHA, which has 144 member hunts, recalls a time when “hunting really was a fabric of the community. People who owned the land hunted, there was much more of a tie-in to the area and the hunt.”
The passing years have brought a big difference in that regard.
“Nowadays, most hunts have got people from towns and elsewhere who don’t really know what hunting’s about,” he observed. “You’ve got to educate all the new people who moved out to enjoy the countryside.”
The clubs’ masters of foxhounds, who lead the way in keeping things going, have plenty to do.
“The work of the master always has been a major job, but it’s much more complicated than it used to be,” he pointed out.
Barclay, formerly the huntsman for the Green Spring Valley Hounds in Maryland, noted it’s increasingly the practice for hunts to be headed by multiple masters.
“You don’t have the lord of the manor becoming master. It’s people who work for a living, and by dividing the workload, hopefully you’re not overworking any one master,” he explained.
All but two of the five clubs that hunt in New Jersey have more than two masters, because the job entails so much responsibility, from landowner relations to finances and conservation, along with everything in between.
“It’s too overwhelming for one person. It no longer suits to have a single master who is in charge of everything. There are so many nuanced things to be done,” said Jazz Johnson, who serves with Dennis Sargenti, Sarah Slack and Lynn Jones as a master of the Peapack-based Essex Foxhounds.
In addition to keeping landowners happy and insuring the integrity of a hunt’s territory, attracting new members and encouraging them to stay on board is a concern. The image of hunting as a sport with a touch of snobbery is outdated. Now it’s busy building a new identity.
“There’s a much more awareness toward proactiveness on the part of hunts and I think that’s a good thing,” said Barclay, noting, “There is a lot of interest in hunting. Covid actually increased the interest, as people could not do things they wanted to do or go to the horse shows. and they ended up coming back to hunting. Almost to a hunt, they say their membership and capping (riding as a paid guest) picked up during Covid.”
Meg Valnoski, who serves as one of the masters of the Monmouth County Hunt with Jen Donaldson and Doug Raynor, observed about hunting that “In the past, it was far more social.”
There was a time when some people equated being in a hunt club as similar to joining a golf club, and they remained a part of it longer, she commented.
“Now there’s more rotation of membership, so we have to keep working on it,” said Valnoski.
You don’t have to ride to be associated with a hunt, though.
“We try to go at it from multiple angles,” she mentioned.
“We urge people to get involved however they would like; as volunteers, car followers, patrons–what gives them a comfort level. People can be around the hunt club without immediate pressure of signing up for a big membership. It gives them time to process.”
When it comes to following the hounds on horseback, though, she noted that “the fear factor” can dissuade people from actually mounting up and joining the field.
But not to worry.
What’s different today is “what you see on TV and the way it used to be when I started hunting. It’s a little bit tamer, to be honest,” Valnoski said.
Although the “first flight” includes experienced riders who can keep up with the huntsman and hounds, jumping every fence along the way, there’s also a tamer second flight that likely won’t jump at all. And gaining popularity among hunts is a third, or walking, flight.
At Monmouth, that started with a September introductory clinic on hunting at the club’s Allentown base. Other hunts offer similar clinics to give people a quick course, complete with tips on hunt etiquette, on what to expect when they’re out hunting, as well as what is expected of them.
MFH Donaldson mentioned that people would say, “I’d like to try this sport, but I’m nervous to try it.”
The walking flight led by a Pony Club member proved to be the answer; it was so popular it was added every Sunday in October. Hosting it, however, “is not easy,” Donaldson advised, “because you get everything from very green horses to very timid riders, who have either never been out of the ring or never been on a trail ride.”
Yet it’s worth the extra effort.
“For us, it’s a way to give more people access to the sport. There was a ton of interest because it provided them (the riders) a great way to see hounds work at a pace they were comfortable with. We’ve had riders in it every single week coming to cap, including two who have joined as members. We did it at our 137th opening day with the blessing of hounds and breakfast under a tent.”
Once riders gain confidence, some move to second flight, where they can trot and canter up hills, said Donaldson.
Valnoski noted Monmouth also uses social media and stays in touch with local barns and trainers. The suggestion is that instead of going to a show every weekend, trainers can pursue an income alternative in leasing horses to those who want to try hunting, while picking up trailering and training fees along the way.
“It has to be a constant effort and integrated approach to reaching out to new membership,” said Valnoski.
In that regard, Essex promotes its Friends program.
“We’re trying to reach out to a broader group of people…and be a little more like a community organization and not such a closed club. We’re very approachable,” said Essex MFH Dennis Sargenti.
“We’re going to have days when people can follow on foot, with a fieldmaster. It’s weather-dependent. I think all the clubs are facing dwindling memberships, so it’s another way of getting people involved.”
In a unique approach, Windy Hollow offers a series of well-subscribed dressage shows at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, N.J.
“The shows are a major fundraiser, so we can keep our dues low,” said Lindie Scorsone, a joint master of Windy Hollow with senior MFH Ed Wiley, Emily Wiley, Shane Haslim and Dale Roberts.
A broader base is key for clubs’ survival, and preservation of the countryside is a watchword for all the hunts. It’s also an important element in appealing to a new constituency. Essex, for instance, is very involved with the Countryside Alliance of Somerset Hills.
“We would like people to know that Essex Fox Hounds is about more than the fox hunting, it’s about supporting the community and keeping the country open. We’re involved with many other organizations in the area, the Pony Club, the puppy show and lots of local businesses. It’s important that if you are out here, there’s so much else going on you can be a part of,” said Jeanne Clarke, who was handing out the red-jacketed Essex Almanac during the gathering for the Thanksgiving hunt, where hundreds turn out to send off the riders and perhaps even enjoy a stirrup cup.
PART TWO, out next week, will deal with the future of hunting in New Jersey and include comments from masters of the other hunts.