March Madness more than hoops

For most people March Madness refers to college basketball but for a local group of equestrians it is a week of unparalleled fox hunting and social events.

Bull Run Hunt, a local fox hunting club based in Madison, Orange and Culpeper counties has hosted the annual event for over two decades and it brings horses and riders from all over the United States to experience the region’s picturesque countryside and warm hospitality.

SLIDESHOW: March Madness. MadRapp/GreeneJournal photos by Becca Pizmoht.

Playwright Oscar Wilde once described foxhunting as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable”.

The traditional country sport of following hounds chasing a fox on horseback began several centuries ago in Great Britain. Farmers and landowners in rural England considered foxes vermin because they preyed upon chickens, rabbits and other small game.

Foxhunting in its present form began when English aristocracy (Wilde’s unspeakable) began to raise hounds specifically for hunting foxes (the uneatable). The tradition spread into the New World, with the first documented records of foxhounds and hunting in the colonies coming in 1650.

George Washington kept a pack of foxhounds and often invited neighbors and business associates to join him for a day of sport at Mount Vernon.

Since colonial times Virginia has been a center for the sport and still has the largest number of recognized packs in North America.

Originally the sport was about hunting and eliminating the red fox. The modern version is defined by the thrill of the chase. A successful day of sport is about a partnership with a good horse, camaraderie, and the joy of being in nature.

Most Virginia hunts go for years without killing a fox and the clubs work to keep foxes within their territory healthy.

The season begins in late summer/early fall with cub hunting, informal meets designed to teach young hounds the nuances of the sport. Foxes mate in early spring and the kits are just striking out on their own in late summer, the beginning of the season.

The season closes in late March when the vixens have gone to their dens to raise the next generation.

Bull Run Hunt was established in 1911 and was recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America (MFHA) in 1954. Originally, the group hunted territory around Northern Virginia and after development ate up the territory the club moved south into Culpeper and Madison counties.

Today the group prides itself on being the most welcoming and fun around. Despite the stereotype of foxhunters being wealthy aristocracy, members come from all walks of life and are farmers, doctors, power company employees, teachers and social workers from age 10 – 80, all sharing a love of hounds, horses and open space.

Before the beginning of every hunt the masters ask the fields the question, "What are we going to do today?” and the participants yell back "Have Fun and Kick On!”

March Madness is an extension of that spirit and an open invitation to foxhunters from all around to join the party.

The week kicks off with the Oyster Roast and Pig Picking event at Joint Master Mike Long’s historic Madison County home, Locust Hill.

Foxhunters, landowners and members of the community gather for all-you-can-eat BBQ and oysters and ends with the annual hunt ball, a black-tie dinner and dancing event celebrating the season.

The social events are the glitter but the six consecutive days of hunting are the bedrock.

Fixtures are selected for the scenic beauty and the volume of quarry and it isn’t uncommon for the hounds to chase several foxes in a day with riders following for three to four hours.

Field secretary Davera Ackenbom said the number of out-of-state participants was down a little from last year although there were over 35 single-day participants from near and far.

"We had seven or eight that did the whole week,” said Ackenbom. "We had a group from Michigan and some from Maryland and Pennsylvania and a lot from neighboring hunts.”