The Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club hosted the Fraser Valley Hunt Club for the 18th annual Opening Fox Hunt on Nov. 4 with 34 riders astride, a complement of anxious hunting hounds and all the pageantry that accompanies traditional fox hunts that originated in England in the 16th century.
The fox itself is the only thing missing; instead of following the scent of an actual fox, the hounds and riders follow a scent that is laid down to simulate a fox.
Braving freezing temperatures last weekend in Roberts Creek, riders were welcomed with the blessing and a toast to the hunt hosts. Rev. Terri Scallon performed the blessing before trays of wine were brought out to the riders for the Stirrup Cup toast to acknowledge the hunt hosts, Kenan and Lynn MacKenzie.
Virginia Mills is a member of the local equestrian club who organizes the luncheon that follows the hunt. She offered a few pointers for people who are not familiar with the protocol of the hunt and said most people involved have grown up participating in hunts, learning the etiquette and traditions.
“There are different coloured hunting jackets – black, pink and occasionally dark blue – and that designates the rank of the rider. Often people refer to the Master of the Hunt’s jacket as red, but it’s actually called pink, never red,” Mills said.
“And in a hunt, a dog is not a dog, a dog is a hound. Hounds are born, bred and trained to be hunting hounds, and they perform beautifully,” she added.
Danielle Stephens signalled the start of the race with the hunting horn call and then the hounds were off.
The hunt hosts ride ahead of the pack, laying the scent for the hounds to follow. The full course is about 13 kilometres over diverse terrain including private land, BC Forest lands and BC Hydro rights of way.
“We build portable jumps and the natural terrain includes ditches and creeks,” Kenan MacKenzie said.
“Typically, if the hounds are working well they don’t lose the scent, but if the scent is laid too heavy, that can be a problem,” he said.
Usually there are about 14 hounds chasing the scent, but this year there were fewer and one of the older hounds got lazy and quit the hunt part-way through.
“He decided he wasn’t going to hunt,” MacKenzie said, noting that the hound jumped into a warm vehicle and remained there until the last run of the hunt.
“That’s not supposed to happen, but it did. He’s an older hound. Normally he’d work quite well,” MacKenzie laughed.
“It’s the first time we’ve had snow on the ground and it was actively snowing” during the hunt, he said. The cold weather made the hot luncheon after the hunt even more inviting than usual, he added, noting that the outside meal (sometimes referred to as the Hunt Breakfast, despite being served at lunch) is posh with white linens and silver.
Participants enjoyed a piping hot meal of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding organized by Mills and her group of volunteers, who have been in charge of the meal for 18 years.
Another tradition of the hunt is that there is a prize awarded for the best prepared and presented lunch with the winner picking up a bottle of Dom Perignon.
