Schooling Day – June 2019

Despite the intermittently rainy weather and sloppy footing, it was an educational day for those who braved the elements. Among the participants today were staff members on young/new horses, new hunt riders on experienced hunt horses, event riders, and more!

One of the challenges in preparing to hunt is getting both horse and rider accustomed to varying terrain and conditions and today was certainly a valuable lesson in that regard. It was fun to see both horses and riders gain confidence as the morning progressed.

Quite a few of us also practiced riding at different speeds within a group, changing places (leading vs. following), and leaving/returning to a group of horses, also valuable skills for a hunt horse to have.

Hound Profile: Shawnee Sherlock

Sherlock enjoying his happy retirement.

“What can I say about Sherlock?  He wasn’t an easy hound to adopt. He had been adopted before and managed to find his way back to the kennels. I remember the day Mark decided it was time for Sherlock to find a new home. We had just hunted the North Country fixture. Mark was loading the hounds into the trailer and Sherlock was the last one. You guessed it, Mark slammed the door shut in his face, grabbed his collar and asked me if I was ready to take him home. You should have seen the look on Sherlock’s face. Priceless. So I got a lead rope and loaded Sherlock into my trailer. All the drive home I kept thinking what have I got myself into. I really didn’t need another animal to care for.

Sherlock just managed to wiggle his way into my heart since my first hunt. Of course I didn’t have a place to keep him so I had to call AAA Fence and have them build a kennel. He was very shy and not used to being handled. I would take him for long walks around the hayfield on a long leash. After a couple months I decided he was ready to go on his own. He would explore the field with my corgi by his side. This was our routine for a couple weeks and then one day he was gone. Somewhere between our walk around the field and going back to his kennel he disappeared. I called and drove around looking for him. All my neighbors were on alert for him. He was gone. I called Mark and told him what happened. I knew he would try to go back to the kennels but the Ohio River was a pretty big obstacle for him to cross.

10 days later I was standing at the kitchen sink and heard him voicing. I looked out the window and there he was. Standing on the deck looking at me. That was the first time he came into the house. I sat down on the floor and he snuggled into my lap. He was thin and had blisters on his paws. I just couldn’t believe he came back. That was 2 1/2 years ago. After that day he was never locked in the kennel again. His doghouse is now under the carport by the house and he is free to roam the fields and woods. He has never left the yard again. He greets me every morning, hangs out in the barn while I care for the horses, walks around the fields while I bush hog and escorts me back to the house every evening. He has learned that petting and hugs are a good thing and demands affection when I come home from work everyday. Sherlock turns 13 this year.”

~ Lisa, whipper-in and Sherlock’s owner/retirement home

Video: Last Hunt of 2017

Ride along with Hillary and Winter (one of the whips and her pony) to experience part of the last hunt of the 2016-2017 season.

 

Hound Profile: Shawnee Zin

Hound Profile:

SHAWNEE ZIN (Shawnee Wendy x Shawnee Yella)

 

Zin with her ribbons from the Hark Forward Performance Hound Trial Championship and huntsman Mark Smith.

Zin with whipper-in Hillary Marler participating in the conformation show at the Hark Forward event.

“In 2017 Shawnee Zin was reserve champion at the Hillsboro field trial, making her the only hound in our kennel to qualify for the 2018 Hark Forward Championship Field trial Hosted by Mason Lampton’s Midland Hounds at their Fitzpatrick, Al country November 5-7.

22 hunts out of 35 that had hounds qualify for the championship attended. They were Aikin Hounds, Belle Meade, Bridlespur, Bull Run, Camden, Cedar Knob, Essex, Fox River Valley, Genesee Valley, Hillsboro, Longreen, Mells, Midland, Mill Creek, Mission Valley, Red Oak, Sedgefield, Shawnee , Stonewall, Tennessee Valley, Thornton Hills, and Whiskey Road. 54 hounds from these hunts were entered, with Midland having the most hounds at four, while several others had three hounds qualified and entered.

At the end of day one, during the hunt breakfast they announced the results. The very first hound announced was for first in hunting and it was Zin. She scored well in trailing as well and out of the 54 hounds, was in 14th place.

Zin took 6th in HGA both for day two and overall. She was 6th in overall endurance, 5th in Overall marking, and first in overall hunting.

In placing for the hunt, all the scores for each hound that that hunt enters are added up and the high point wins. Hillsboro had three hounds entered and took first. Midland had four hounds entered and took second, while Shawnee, with only Zin entered took third place out of 22 hunts.

As the MFHA stated on their facebook page, “If Shawnee Hounds of Illinois weren’t on your radar screen before, they are now.”

 

Staff Profile: Alaura

Whipper-in Alaura Barras and her speedy Thoroughbred, Val

“I have been hunting with Shawnee Hounds off and on for 16 years. When my Thoroughbred mare Val isn’t hunting she is giving rides around the pasture to my three year old son Aiden, eating massive amounts of feed, relaxing and being completely babied. She loves to run fast and jump high almost as much as she loves to eat. What I love most about hunting is being a part a such an amazing team of horse loving thrill seeking hard working people. I’ve found this group of people and couldn’t imagine my life without them and our classic sport. I love seeing them every week, all of us ready to ride to those hounds. When I’m not hunting I’m doing mommy, wife, home maker things, working at the bank, and thinking about Fox Hunting.”

– Alaura Barras