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Long Run Hounds
History
Lampton was an excellent
rider and horseman and knew hounds but was a bit opinionated
in his hunt management. In 1958, Lampton suffered a serious
illness and during a rather long recuperation he authorized
Judge Roscoe Dalton to hunt the hounds. Dalton had been a
member of Watkins’ original Oldham County Hounds and was a
longtime field trial enthusiast and a very knowledgeable
horse and hound man. Dalton successfully hunted the hounds
for several seasons until Lampton recovered.
Masters of Hounds are without
exception, strong personalities who make a personal
commitment of time and money to their sport and, of course,
have strong feelings about how things should be run.
Sometimes, those feelings can cause disagreements and
personality clashes and they did in the fall of 1960. Dalton
and seven other members of the Oldham County Hounds decided
to split off and pursue their sport elsewhere. Lampton
continued to hunt the Oldham County Hounds as a private pack
though he never registered it.
Dalton and Edward Dumesnil
owned a farm In Shelby County near Simpsonville and knew
many of the surrounding land owners, some of whom were
hunting that country at night with American hounds. It was
gently rolling land with many streams and large woodland
coven. It was not heavily farmed or fenced. The area was
known as Long Run.
On March 11, 1961, former Oldham
County Hounds members; Roscoe Dalton, Robert M. Nash, C.
Hayden Edwards and Marry Cattleman met with night hunters
Earl Smith, Fred Yates, George Gill, Howard Vest and C. K
Waits to discuss forming a hunt and using the night hunters
hounds to serve as a pack until they could secure their own
hounds. Though unorthodox, it was a way to immediately get
started fox hunting at a small expense. The field trial
experience of Judge Dalton was evident.
On September 26, 1961, an
organizational meeting was held and some 18 families signed
on as members of the new hunt at $150 a year per family.
Dalton was to be the Master and huntsman and the hunt
would be known as the Long Run Hounds. (see appendix for
list of original members)
October 7, 1961 was the first
official hunt in the Long Run country using the night
hounds. Though the hounds were undisciplined and
unorganized, most never having seen each other, they did
show good sport, running a red fox and putting him to
ground. The Judge was pleased and the members had a great
day. There was no club house for socializing after hunting
but riders, night hunters and farmers all gathered in an old
tobacco stripping shed on the Dalton-Dumesnil farm. A pot
bellied stove and bourbon whiskey provided warmth and good
cheer. This was the start of twice a week hunting and great
companionship.
Judge Dalton was not only the
Master of Hounds but also a master of landowner relations.
He was wonderful in making friends of the farmers and
securing permission to hunt and ride over the land. Soon the
Long Run country was expanded to be bounded on the south by
U.S. 60, on the north by Floyd’s Fork Creek, on the east by
Todd Point Road and on the west by the Long Run Road and
Park. This land was all in Shelby County.
Though not contiguous, Robert
Nash had bought a farm on Harrods Creek, in Prospect, that
offered additional alternate hunting country. His farm was
bounded by the then undeveloped Hunting Creek land of V. V.
Cooke, Dr. Paul Dent’s farm and the Basil Doerhoefer farm.
Hunting this country would allow the Long Run country to
rest often and would insure more foxes and better sport.
Membership in the Long Run
Hounds was as a family unit and the hunt had immediate
strong support again thanks to the winning personality of
Roscoe Dalton. Members of the hunt came out on non-hunting
days to help put in jump panels to facilitate getting
through the country. Most of the jump panels were of the
chicken coop or post and rail type. Hunt days were Tuesday
and Saturday and the required costume for riding was
informal ratcatcher. Later it would become the dark melton
coat but the traditional pink coats would not become de
rigeur until much later since Judge Dalton never wanted the
landowners or farmers to think they had a bunch of fancy Dan
riding over their land. The Judge also put the country off
limits in the summer months and wired up the jumps since he
strongly felt the hunts permission to ride did not include
summer pleasure riding through the country.
A kennel was built on the
Dalton-Dumesnil farm and the night hunters donated a few
hounds. Thanks to loyal fox hunters Ruby and Jack Rodes,
several black and tan fox hounds were secured from the
Scarteen Pack in Ireland. A breeding program was started
with the black and tans and the American hounds and the Long
Run pack had laid its foundation.
C. E. “Bud” Waits, a leading Kentucky night hunter was named
Treasurer of the hunt. He was another valuable asset in land
owner relations and though he never rode a horse he never
missed a meet and was always on foot in a position to view
the fox when there was a run, he knew the ways of a fox,
could usually predict scenting conditions and was helpful in
suggesting the most favorable country to hunt for the best
sport on a given day. He lent his own American hounds for
Long Run use.
Judge Dalton also appointed a
secretary of the hunt, Mrs. Frank Falkner, an English lady
who was a rider and the District Commissioner of the
Louisville Pony Cub. June Falkner was very busy with the
Pony Club and resigned as secretary in 1964. Mrs. W. H.
Millard Jr. (Nancy) took her place. Both Nancy and Bud
Millard were interested in riding and field trials and had
joined the hunt in 1963. Nancy Millard held hunt office as
secretary longer than any other officer, serving for 25
years. (1964-1989)
Robert Nash was fortunate to
have in his employ his farm manager, Don Terry. Terry had
worked for and hunted with the famous Kentucky hound man and
sportsman, Sam Woolridge as well as working at one time for
Lampton’s Oldham County Hounds. He suggested and encouraged
Nash to keep some hounds
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