Nearly two hours before the Essex Fox Hounds moved off through the countryside Thursday morning, tailgaters were streaming into the big field at Ellistan, the Peapack, N.J., estate that has hosted the hunt’s Thanksgiving meet for generations.
There’s always a crowd at the Essex Fox Hounds’ Thanksgiving meet.
It’s a turkey day tradition (like the Macy’s parade), except quieter and more refined, of course. Meredith Whaley remembers being at the meet as a child, 40 years ago. It was quite different then.
“There were very few people. You stood and you watched. There wasn’t the tailgating.”
Fred and Meredith Whaley with Tierney Sullivan. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Hundreds of spectators began coming when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was riding with Essex. She may have been the initial attraction, but the occasion’s appeal continues long after her passing.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis often rode in the Essex Foxhounds Thanksgiving meet during the 1980s. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Most of those in attendance are from the Somerset Hills or Hunterdon County. There’s no price of admission, no tickets. The gathering is informal and spontaneous.
Everyone is appreciative not only of the well turned-out riders on mounts with neatly braided manes, but also of the magnificent surroundings, offering scenic vistas in the USA’s most densely populated state.
It is a cherished occasion, but this year, the celebration was tinged with uncertainty. The hunt has met at Ellistan through rain, snow and even during Covid — though no spectators were permitted that year.
There was a special glitter to the 2014 Thanksgiving meet when snow fell.
The estate, listed at $14 million, is under contract in the process of being sold, and people question whether the new owner will want to host the hunt and the crowd that comes with it next Thanksgiving.
“It’s such a beautiful tradition for everybody. There’s nothing like it, nothing to replace it,” said Dana Sendro of Fox River Farm in Stockton. She’s a Thanksgiving regular who presided over two tables, one for champagne and the like, the other for food.
Nancy Spatz and Dana Sendro.( Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Every year we look forward to it,” she emphasized about the meet.
Her friend, Nancy Spatz of Pittstown, seconded that sentiment, saying if it didn’t happen again, “I would be so sad.”
The name of the buyer hasn’t been revealed, since the closing on the more than 77-acre property is yet to come, but I have it on good authority that he is a resident of the Somerset Hills who was at the meet. Those with inside knowledge are optimistic that Thanksgiving 2026 will be at the same location.
Tucker Johnson, an honorary board member of Essex, carried out the custom of having a four-in-hand at the meet. He was driving a stunning team of black Andalusians imported from Spain.
A world championships medalist in combined driving, Tucker is now competing in coaching instead, at Royal Windsor in 2026 and perhaps Ascot when he goes to England.
Tucker Johnson and his team.
But Tucker, who has been involved with Essex for half a century, doesn’t forget his roots in the area, despite his travels abroad. When asked whether he thinks the Thanksgiving meet will be held again at Ellistan, he said, “I would think this would probably continue.”
Hank Slack, who has been the gracious host of the Thanksgiving meet for decades.
That assessment was borne out when I talked to Hank Slack, the current owner of Ellistan, whose wife, Sarah, is a joint master of foxhounds for Essex. I asked him the same question, “Do you think this tradition will continue?
He replied, “Of course. It’s been going since 1930. It can’t stop now. I think the new owner will do it, that’s my guess.”
All six of the couple’s children came to Ellistan earlier this month for “a last weekend together. Emotional but fun,” he recounted.
The Slacks, now empty nesters, will be moving to a house in Oldwick and another in England.
Hank noted for 40 years, his home at Ellistan “has been absolutely wonderful; a happy, happy chapter of my life and my children’s. We’ve had a really good time. But for two people to live in a house with nine bedrooms…” he said with a little smile that was easy to interpret.
(Click on the video below to learn more about Ellistan.)
Asked for her perspective not only on the Thanksgiving meet, but on the larger picture in the area, Jazz Johnson, another joint master of foxhounds for Essex, commented, “We’re hoping that we can try to continue good will among the neighbors and share in a mutual appreciation for the countryside and allowing countryside sports.
There was a good turn out for the hunt.
“I’m hoping for the best and hoping people who move into the neighborhood at large have a sensibility for the kind of land stewardship that surrounds hunting, which created the beautiful feel of all those properties.”
She added, “It’s ultimately the preservation of countryside sports, like fox hunting and foot basseting, (that) helped keep the space open. It is a challenge that faces many hunts today.”
Homeowners greeted the hounds and hunt staff as they came through.
After the hunt departed, tailgaters gathered up their buffets and got ready to leave, either following the horses by car or going home to get ready for their family dinner.
As Dana Sendro said goodbye, she told me, “Fingers crossed, we’ll see you next year.”
