Foxhunting

~Where there are no hounds the fox is king ~

By Laura Pettler, MHI Whipper-In, Social Member of Mecklenberg Hounds and Wateree Hounds


My love for fox hunting began in 1997 when I attended my first hunt with Mecklenburg Hounds in North Carolina. I was blessed to learn from some of the best leaders in the fox hunting world and my family enjoyed hunting with MHI. My first fox hunting horse was my Appendix mare Deja Noir. She was stunning. Black with a white foot. Fast and agile, I was 22 and she was the wind. I learned to fox hunt on one of the best horses MHI had ever seen. Deja retired in 2005 with full honors as a Senior Honorary Staff Horse at 25 years old and passed away peacefully at 29 years old. She is my “heart horse” and I am forever grateful for the life we shared together. The ride of my life and the life of my ride is how I remember her.

Enter Fortissimo. In September 2013, I decided to take my Second Premium FHANA Friesian gelding Fortissimo out of the dressage arena to try fox hunting...At first, he was as most new fox hunters are, a little nervous, unsure, but soon, he took to the new experiences like I couldn’t believe. Forte was such an interesting mind…he never liked arena work, hated dressage even though he was good at it, and really struggled to find his niche.

Forte overcame obstacles that being Friesian innately limited his ability to perform as a “normal” fox hunting horse. Let’s talk about breaking the glass ceiling for the breed….not Forte, he crashes through the glass ceiling for the breed much like he “crashed through” everything most of his life. He finally found his niche.

Forte excelled in this sport and could not have been happier. I am incredibly proud he hunted the flatlands of Low Country’s fixtures just as well as he did the hilly terrain of Green Creek’s fixtures. Forte and I were Senior Hunt Staff for Mecklenburg Hounds, which meant Forte was an Honorary Whipper-In horse, not a job often done well done by light-drafts like Friesians. We were honored to win the MHI Service Award for the 2012-2013 Season. Forte was retired and enjoying grass and sunshine until he passed away January 26, 2020.

My next fox hunter was my KFPS/FHANA 3rd Premium Friesian mare CREK Kismet (my destiny). Very much like Deja except for the speed part, Kismet excelled a fox hunting. She too was a Staff Horse for Mecklenburg Hounds before retiring to become a broodmare as the bedrock of our breeding program. Kismet and I had great fun in Whipping-In with MHI, but she was extremely slow as far as my horses go. Regardless she was agile and smooth and could move hounds around like she was cutting cows from a herd. Beautiful and accurate, she navigating all terrain with ease and I loved hunting with her very much. In 2018 was honored by winning the My Mouse Annual Award for “most improved horse in the hunt field during a season and for our impeccable turn out.” To note, Kismet’s win was the second time MHI honored a CREK Fox Hunting Horse with the My Mouse Award: in 2013, former CREK Draft Cross mare, CREK The Grande Finale won the award for Best Turn Out as well.

Fox Hunting Links & Info:

All you have to do is google "fox hunting" and a million places to visit!