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Long Run Hounds
History
Because of the heavy going
and ground conditions, he was to try to stay to the trails
and to the Beard farm which the Hunt had leased for some
time solely for hunting purposes.
Twelve hardy souls assembled
and moved off in the rain. After about 30 minutes sloshing
around, hounds suddenly found in a large cover near the
kennels and went away in full cry. The cry was magnificent
and sustained for about 20 minutes when they apparent lost
near an old abandoned tenant house on the Beard farm. Hounds
circled the house in a frenzy. David Jones dismounted and
proceeded to kick in the front door of the house. Huntsman
and hounds poured into the house searching room by room as
there was much evidence it was our quarry’s home.
Suddenly out from under the
back door, a red fox appeared and was viewed away by the
Long Run treasurer, Virginia Dalton and her visiting niece
from Philadelphia, TV anchor lady, Jackie Hays Bickel. A
great holler went up from the rest of the field. Huntsman
and hounds were called out the front door and soon were off
again in full cry and pouring rain.
Another 20 minutes and our new t went to his second house in
the country, an earth near the kennels and was blown to
ground for a future hunting day.
It was another rewarding
experience for the Long Run which had an excellent season
with good hound work and enough foxes to give interesting
sport. Though deer are plentiful they were not giving the
trouble as in the past due to hound control, and the coyote
population seemed to have disappeared.
April 2, 1986 was the first
meeting of the new Long Run Hounds Corporation. The
membership elected Robert Nash as President, Stuart Dalton
and Walter Millard as Vice Presidents and as Directors,
Courtenay Bail, Frank Lehn, Carl Rankin and Ned Bonnie. The
Board then appointed Nancy Millard as Secretary and Virginia
Dalton as Treasurer. This meant little or no change in
management since this was the same group who were in charge
before incorporation.
However, at a general meeting of the entire hunt in August
of 1986, Nash and Millard offered their resignations as
Masters and Nancy Millard as Secretary hoping someone
younger and with fresh interest would be selected to carry
on. The members asked them to stay on for the present and
they agreed.
In January of 1987 David
Jones gave notice that he did not want to continue in a
career as a huntsman and would leave at the end of the
season in March, 1981.
Charles McLaughlin, who had
whipped in to Nash and was whipping in to Jones expressed
his interest in becoming the huntsman on an honorary basis.
Terri Roach also applied for the job of kennel person.
The hunt membership meeting
of February 17, 1987 voted to hire another professional
huntsrnan and a search committee was appointed.
At the May meeting of that
year the officers and directors were re-elected and two
additional director members added, Charlie McLaughlin and
Barbara Miller. The new huntsman was Ron Schwarz who had
been a huntsman in Georgia for the Shakerag Hounds and
Midland Hunt. Stuart Dalton agreed to personally work with
the new huntsman.
The hunt had benefited
financially from the sale of advertising in the Oxmoor
Steeplechase program, an idea Stuart Dalton had proposed
some years before. Every member of the hunt was obligated to
sell so many ads. Ably led and directed by Mrs. Homer
(Ginny) Molt, it was a bonanza for the hunt treasury. Ginny
Holt agreed to chair the program again in 1988 and has ever
since been its successful chairperson.
Ron Schwarz unfortunately was not working out as a huntsman
and at the February 1988 Directors meeting it was
unanimously voted not to renew his contract. Also at the
meeting Nash, Millard and Nancy Millard again expressed
their desire to step down as Master and Secretary. Nash had
been Master for 21 years, Millard for 13 years and Nancy
Millard had been Secretary for 25 years. They pledged their
continued interest and support but their resignations were
definite.
Nash, Morton Boyd and Bocky Downer were appointed to serve
as a nominating committee for the forthcoming election of
officers In March, 1988. At the annual meeting the following
slate was recommended:
Stuart Dalton MPH, President
Edward S. Bonnie, Vice President, Jt MPH
Miki Bennett
Carroll Whitten
Ginny Holt
Charles McLaughlin
E.M. Allen
Frank Lehn
Courtenay Ball
It was the recommendation of
the nominating committee to have just two Masters as is
customary in most hunts and this was agreed. The Board later
appointed Virginia Dalton as Treasurer and Bocky Downer as
the new Secretary.
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