Beagle update on the 2018-2019 hunting season.

 

 The rain last season appeared endless which created many challenges for parking. Yet we still managed to get out when the conditions were favorable. Our last day of the season was on St Patrick’ s day which was an appropriate time for giving our retiring huntsman Hazel Hannon a proper Irish send off. Immediately following the small celebration everyone mounted their steeds for an action packed 2 hours of hunting where the children all had a view of a beautiful healthy fox!

 

In April, the MOC Beagles participated in the beagle trials at the Institute Farm in Aldie. Our MOC Blue Belle won the 2 hour stake class for the 15”division  and MOC Dahlia came in 3rd in the 13” division. Morgan Botto was our junior whip for the trials.

 

For our annual outreach activity, we attended an ecology event at the Cool Springs Lodge on the Shenandoah River. We joined in a guided grasslands and bird walk and learned about the benefits of native grasslands and plants for wildlife habitat restoration.

 

In June, we had our 2nd annual schooling day at Anita Antenucci’s Arden farm. The attendance outnumbered last year, as we had 18 kids on ponies show up for the jumping. At the conclusion of the jumping, we then set out on a short hack to set up trail cameras in the hedge rows in order to follow the activities of the critters hiding in there!

 

The weekly beagle walks to nearby ponds to have a swim and cool off are the best part of the hot summer. We continue to gear up their fitness with road work and they are keen to start the fall season. A huge thank you goes out to the best most dedicated volunteers, Juliet Graham and Morgan Botto for being there for the beagle walks. And thank you Haley Walsh for bringing your kids for the kennel bubble bath day and to the big swim in the pond. Wet kids and beagles, what a great time!