Roberts Creek will be rumbling with the sound of horse hooves Saturday, Nov. 3 when the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club welcomes the Fraser Valley Hunt for its 19th annual opening meet.
Forty horseback riders are expected to participate, chasing up to eight young hounds, which will themselves be chasing what’s known as a “drag scent” through the Creek. No foxes are used in the hunt.
One of the organizers, Kenan MacKenzie, said the number of hounds is lower than past years, when up to 14 have tracked down the scent, because the Fraser Valley Hunt Club has been experiencing a transition period. New members and new hounds have meant the club has “been brought back to life,” MacKenzie said.
The route will begin on Lockyer Road at the MacKenzie residence. Following the traditional blessing of the hunt, performed by Rev. Terri Scallon, the riders will set off across neighbouring property to Hansen Road then to the driving range and through a logged area to finish at the intersection of Linwood, Clover and Lockyer Roads. They’ll continue on a second run down Day Road, through their neighbours’ property before making their way to the B&K Forest Service Road.
The public is welcome to spectate and MacKenzie said the route should provide easy access to the public.
For those not riding, Virginia Mills will be organizing a luncheon competition. Spectators can bring their finest silverwear and gourmet treats to set up individual lunches in the trunk of their cars. The lunches are judged and whoever lays out the finest hunt luncheon will receive a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne. “You’ll have people with crystal, they’ll have duck in the back of their boot,” MacKenzie said.
While uninformed Creek residents may be startled by the sound of the hunt in November, it’s a far cry from the inaugural year, when organizers shut down Gibsons Way near what is now Cedars Inn and then-mayor Eric Small welcomed the hunt on a hay wagon.
