Late Autumn in Chester County was punctuated by crystalline days, an errant snow and unrelenting weekly rains.  Staff and hounds continued to leave the kennels three mornings a week to pursue Mr. Fox.  One morning a hard frost covered the Doe Run Valley, every tree, blade of grass and fence rail, with silver.

Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds meets every Thanksgiving morning at 11:00 at the Kennel Lawn.  The “field” of riders grows to twice its size from the week before, enlarged by students home on break from college, friends and family in from out of town.  Non-riding members of the community are encouraged to come out, meet the hounds and watch the hunt take off from the hill overlooking Plantation Field, home to a major Three Day Event competition.  The crowd arriving to watch is so large that traffic control is warranted.

Some spectators come prepared for a tailgate party.

The crowd numbers into the hundreds and includes many children.

Children and hounds mix and play to everyone’s delight.

Hounds released, they head down the hill for the first draw.

Riders and horses wait while the hounds search for a fox in the cover below the Kennel Lawn.

Hounds find a fox and chase him across Route 82 behind Chesterlands, eventually returning to the Plantation Field.

Riders are dressed formally, including Top Hats.

The end of the day, Ivan Dowling, huntsman, blows his horn to gather the hounds.

Saturday, following Thanksgiving, the hunt meets at The Laurels at Landhope, site of an annual carriage driving event which is one third of the Triple Crown of Combined Driving (http://www.equidigital.com/Combined-Driving/Laurels-at-Landhope-2011)  Terrain here is largely flat and rolling hills.

The following week, the hunt meets at a location at the highest point in The Laurels Preserve area (http://www.brandywineconservancy.org/laurelsPreserve.html), which overlooks the Doe Run Valley.

The sunlight in autumn is rich and ethereal.   Joint Master Russell Jones (in Pink coat, foreground) and First Fieldmaster Sanna Hendricks (in Pink coat with blue helmet cover) lead the field behind the Huntsman.

The field heads down the hill, away from the meet, towards the Brandywine River.

Huntsman Ivan Dowling blows his horn to bring hounds back while the remainder of the field enjoy a check (a rest in the action) after putting a fox “to ground”.

Ivan Dowling casts his hounds into the cover.

Crossing the Brandywine River at a ford…..

and later, through a covered bridge.

Third Fieldmaster, Nancy Miller, rides through a covered bridge in The Laurels Preserve.

The field at a check overlooking the Doe Run Valley.

The Doe Run Valley, looking toward Unionville.

Where did the fox go?

Back down over the Brandywine, yet again.

Returning to the meet, and….

counting hounds as they return to the hound truck.

Two weeks later, hounds meet at the home of one of the Joint Masters for a good day of hunting followed by a Hunt Breakfast hosted at his home.

Rain brought mud, and mud brought the expected hazards:  stuck in the “in” gate waiting for a tow, even before the hunt begins.

On the other hand, if you didn’t get dirty, you didn’t have fun.