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International Hunting Exchange 2006

My name is Lucy Greenwood, I am a member of the Cattistock Hunt Pony Club and I have just come back from the International Hunting Exchange in America.

A team of four were chosen from each of Britain, Ireland, Canada and USA plus our own chaperones. We were split into groups and stayed with three different families depending on where we were hunting, in Virginia around the Middleburg area. I hunted with the Blue Ridge, Old Dominion, Orange County, Casanova and MOC Beagles. The Beagles being a children’s pack which were followed on horses and staffed by children. Its aim is to teach young people how hounds and hunts work and it was a lot of fun.

I was spoilt by having some lovely horses and ponies to ride generously lent by members of the hunt. These included a thoroughbred, an Irish draught X, a Connemara and a paint pony in a Hackamore!

The country was varied with some mountainous, rocky areas and some low lying land. Small mounted fields allowed us to be able to be closer to hounds. There was a lot more emphasis on watching hounds work. On some occasions we galloped and jumped a lot, mainly coups (approx 3’ tiger traps) with some walls.

I took a while to get used to not being covered in mud or jumping hedges (or seeing any) and being fed extremely well at the hunt breakfast afterwards! It was an amazing trip, where I made a lot of friends and really enjoyed experiencing America as well as the hunting of course!