Chasin'

Sunday afternoon, during a break between the two star and three star show jump phase to decide the winners of the Plantation Field Three Star Event (Unionville, Pennsylvania), visitors were witness to a spectacular jump-off, of sorts, between some of this weekend’s event riders.

Three years ago the organizers of the Plantation Field Three Day Event sponsored a casual puissance jumping event during the lunch break.  Puissance features a wall that increases in height with elimination of riders as they fail to clear it until there is only one rider and horse combination remaining – a horse version of musical chairs.  It’s popularity with the crowd got the organizers last year to entice several event riders to participate and it resulted in a strip-tease of sorts as Doug Payne gamely traded articles of clothing for the right to stay in the game.  This year the Professional Riders Organization sponsored the event for the benefit of Operation Homefront, an organization which provides emergency funds for military families and wounded veterans.  As the contest progressed and a wall came down, off came the boot of one rider in compensation…

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but as the brick wall grew higher and higher, Jenny Brannigan topped them all and retained all her accoutrement.

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By the way,  in this puissance the riders are jumping BAREBACK.

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Well, that was easy.

Now, let’s add a little height….

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…and a few more bricks to the wall… how high is that?  Higher than one of the wall builders.  She has disappeared behind the wall.  But she IS there.

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…and yet again…

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We’re now going to six feet!

Six Feet!

Last (wo)man standing.

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When the arena cleared, Phillip Dutton escorted several young ladies to the brick wall to see just exactly how high it was.

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It was high.  Very high.

With the soggiest August on record behind us and the second week in September requiring the evacuation of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and other cities along the Susquehanna River because of the continuing rainfall, a window of opportunity briefly opened Monday, Labor Day, to officially kick off the start of cubbing with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds (Unionville, Pennsylvania) under a cloudy, but dry, sky.  Members of the Hunt parked their rigs at St. Malachi Church, an ancient chapel high on a hill overlooking the Buck and Doe Run Valleys.

From there, riders hacked to the front lawn of Runnymede, a farm that includes strenuous hills and wide, open meadows.

Some seventy riders, including seventeen children, and numerous car followers followed the staff and field down Creek Road where the Huntsman cast the hounds and immediately found a fox.  Hounds followed diligently and eventually the fox was seen crossing the meadow at the crest of the hill, disappearing into dense trees and shrubs, confounding the Hounds.  

Only a little later, very dark clouds moved into the area, a drizzle commenced and shortly there was a torrential rainfall.

Close to roads leading back to the meet, some riders chose to return to their trailers, but once wet, many others decided to carry on.  Truth to tell, it had been so warm that morning that many had bemoaned the requirement of wearing a jacket, but once the rain fell and clothes were soaked, it was refreshing.  Calling it a day, as the rain and gloom lifted, the Huntsman led hounds and riders back to the meet, and an awaiting Hunt Tea with hot coffee and home-baked breakfast cakes.