Chasin'

This Winter, Anne Hambleton, former eventer, steeplechase rider, pony clubber and now devoted fox-hunter, published her first novel, drawing on her life-long love of horses and riding.  Anne’s book, Raja, the Story of a Racehorse, begins at a stud farm where the handsome, black foal with aristocratic genes stands out among the others.  With a Kentucky Derby winner as his sire, a great name is needed to seal great expectations; he is named “Raja”, meaning “hope” in Arabic, and “king” in India, by the owner’s daughter.

As is the case of many modern thoroughbreds, his life is marked by changes, both minute and catastrophic, that take him from a safe, caring and respectful environment where he is “special,” to places where he is but one of many and “not so special”.   Woven through this “first-horse” narrative are the voices of his dam and the Arabic princess who had named him but who is pulled from his life by the exigencies of the 911 attacks.  His dam told him, “Remember this always; even when life is hard, never, ever give up.”   Princess Ayesha told him, “You’re the most perfect thing in the universe and I will always love you.”  He will need the strength of these memories to pull him through because, as the farm manager reminds us, “racing is a business, plain and simple.  It’s a beautiful sport, but you can’t be sentimental if you want to win at the highest levels.”

Anne Hambleton’s commitment to riding and horses has continued unabated throughout her varied academic and business lives. During the years that she was a steeplechase jockey she was working full-time at her home in Vermont and commuting to the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania on weekends to race horses.  When she left steeplechasing, she picked up three day eventing and continued the commute.  These days she is still commuting from her farm to foxhunt with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds.  She has taken the sum of these experiences to author Raja.

In 2002, she rode her horse Holtzman, who is the model for one of the characters in Raja, at Mr. Lady’s Manor Races in Monkton, Maryland.  The trip to the races, about two hours from the barn where Holtzman was trained in Unionville, Pennsylvania by Lilith Boucher, brought along fellow jockey, Don Cochran, as friend, as well as two grooms, brother and sister Gina and Brian Korrell.  When a horse goes to the races, or any other event for that matter, there are many more people behind the success of the horse than just the rider.

Anne arrives early and walks the course with fellow jockey Don Cochran.

Anne fills the pad with lead prior to weighing in.

Weighing in with boots on and tack in hand.

After weighing in, back to the holding barn to do some last minute braiding.

Besides the rider herself, the horse has been accompanied to the races by the trainer and two grooms, here, Gina Korrell fixing the flash.

Trainer Lilith Boucher applies hoof polish.

Brian Korrell finishes the bandages with tape.

Brian Korrell places the anti-slip pad, then the saddle....

... then extends the front legs to stretch.

Holtzman, led by Gina, leaves the holding barn for the paddock.

Checking the tattoo against the entry.

Pre-race in the paddock.

Moments before the race are time for reflection.

Brian and Gina give Anne a leg up.

Led to the start by an outrider.

Horses get a look at the first jump before the flag falls for the start of the race.

Racing in the meadow, a half mile from home.

Anne is first to the last fence.

Over the last fence.

Landing, then off.

Heading to the finish line.

Anne's husband, Dave, her most ardent supporter, helps remove her helmet.

Off to weigh in after the race.

Between the last fence and the finish, Holtzman lost the momentum and came in second. Anne got a congratulatory hug from the eventual winner anyway.

Gina takes Holtzman back to the holding barn for a bath.

Hotwalking and the occasional sip of water before the bath.

Trainer Lilith Boucher bathes Holtzman.

"You are the most perfect thing in the universe and I will always love you."

Anne and Holtzman

Putting on the shipping bandages.

Rest and relaxation, grass for Holtzman, before loading up to ship home.

I was struck, as I prepared these photographs ten years later, that every person who made an appearance in this photo-essay is still active in steeplechase, still supporting each other in the pre-race paddock and most importantly, imparting the love of the sport to the next generation.

These days, Anne grooms for Maggie Buchanan who is busy checking the program before the Small Pony Race at The Cheshire Races.

Leading Maggie in the paddock, pre-race.

Gina Korrell groomed for her sister-in-law, trainer Elizabeth Korrell at the 2010 Brandywine Point to Point, where Elizabeth's husband, Brian, was the jockey.

Gina on the way to the paddock.

Brian, about to weigh in prior to the race, chats with Don Cochran, who still rides as a jockey in the races and now gives of his time as a member of the Delaware Valley Point to Point Committee.

Off to the start on Voice of Power.

Over the stonewall, half-way through the race.

This years Cheshire Races finds Brian riding his wife's horse again.

The paddock is a family affair. Elizabeth Korrell and her daughter chat with the groom on the way out to the course to watch the race.

Brian, over the stake and bound, heading to the final lap.

Brian, in green, ten yards from the finish line.

Don Cochran prior to the 2012 Cheshire Heavyweight Race.

Don Cochran, to the left, on Armed Brat, a horse he has campaigned for several years.

Don Cochran heads for home.

With the publication of Raja, Anne has synthesized the details of her rich life in horse sports with the elements of a terrific and engrossing story.  As in the book, the same people appear and re-appear in her life providing continuity and community.   She has lived the life she conjures in the book and continues to come to the races as spectator and mentor.

Her novel is so well crafted it is appropriate for a young reader and captivating enough for an adult.  I couldn’t put it down.

For More information, or to order a copy of Raja, please visit the website:

http://rajaracehorse.com

As the 2012 foxhunting season draws to a close, Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds met Saturday, March 25 at The Laurels at Landhope.  On the way to the Meet, scattered showers moved through the area presaging a long, cold, wet weekend.  Despite the subsequent downpour, for the Cheshire community, good things happened from the start, marking the celebration of a hunting season that began with the Opening Meet in November and continued unabated to the end of March.  It was the first time in recent memory the season had not been weathered out or closed down by mid-January.

Riders, car-followers and staff met before 9 A.M. rather than the usual 11 because it had been so warm, the “scent” of the fox dissipating as the temperature rises.

Long-time Cheshire member Conrad Somers waits for the hunt to begin.

Joint Master Russell Jones asked the riders to come closer as he had an announcement; it was a “graduation” ceremony of sorts.  Cheshire Hunting Etiquette states that “Children who can go at the pace set by the Fieldmaster, and jump whatever he jumps, may hunt up with the adults as long as they are with an equally proficient adult responsible for them.”     A few years ago, the Board of Directors decided to formalize this by awarding “armbands” which recognizes not only the ability of the child to ride the pace required, but also their broad understanding of the sport of foxhunting and its rules.  This privilege is awarded sparingly and without notice.

Russell Jones makes the formal announcement at an informal meeting.

And so when MFH Jones awarded armbands to children at the Meet, it was a surprise.  One child was not present but two others were.  The delight and pride of the recipients was tangible.

MFH Jones awards the armband to Rachel Wilkowski.

Another recipient is Audry Buchanan.

Rachel Wilkowski can hardly contain her joy.

Business having been concluded, the Huntsman and Whip move off to begin the day’s chase.

Leaving the Meet.

The Huntsman, followed by the First Fieldmaster, Bruce Miller, moved along the woods  after leaving the Meet, encouraging the hounds to find the scent of fox.

Huntsman Ivan Dowling and the Cheshire pack.

Ivan Dowling

The First Field, led by Joint MFH Bruce Miller (champion Steeplechase trainer of Eclipse Awards winners in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2000 and Hall of Fame chaser Lonesome Glory).

Another young member of Cheshire was out that day on her new thoroughbred for the first time.

Lydia Fisher and her new mount.

As the day progressed, the rain became a steady downpour but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the field which “carried on” despite.

The field jumping into the Hannum’s, headed up the hill and across the road to Plumsted Farm.

Car followers brought out umbrellas and continued to watch the hunt.

Carol Hannum stands out in the field with her red umbrella. She is the daughter of former Cheshire MFH Nancy Hannum and mother of eventer Bruce “Buck” Davidson.

The chase continued for another two hours; chilled, damp, but exhilarated, riders returned back to their trailers to put away their horses and head for a hunt breakfast.

Dr. Cindy Buchanan organizes volunteers to bring food and prepare the coffee and lays everything out before the hunt commences.

That night, in anticipation of the Cheshire Point to Point (the 67th year), a local landowner sponsored a well-attended cocktail party.  The next morning, storms had moved on and it was overcast and cool.  Race goers dressed for fifty degrees but by 2 P.M.,  the sun came out and immediately everyone shed a layer.  Preparing for chilly weather, everyone had worn fleece.

The Third Race, the Heavyweight Race is defined in the Conditions Book as “open to riders that are non winners of sanctioned races over timber … (with a minimum weight of 190 lbs….)”.  Conrad Somers, the rider in the first photograph of yesterday’s hunt, has been a perennial entrant into the Heavyweight Division and always the bridesmaid.  For years his entry has been a family endeavor, his wife supporting his chase after the “grail”,  his daughter grooming and hot-walking at the races.  This year, riding the horse “Undignified”, Conrad led from the fall of the flag by the starter to the finish line.  It was a family celebration I was privileged to witness.  The following tell the story without any need for narration.

I was very glad to have been there.

The Show in the Woods

There are sometimes places so magical that even though you go there every day, it’s spell never fails to seduce you.  The Hitchcock Woods, in the center of Aiken, South Carolina, is one of those.  Somehow, as soon as you enter The Woods, the canopy surrounds and embraces you and time holds still.  The air is clean and soft, scented with Longleaf and Loblolly Pine needles underfoot; footfall is muffled by the sand. This time of year, the woods have gone from the yellow blooms of Carolina Jesamine to the purple haze of the wisteria which envelopes every tree and shrub.  Soon the wild azalea, Confederate Jessamine and kalmia will unfold and turn the landscape white, coral and pink with the fragrance of The South.

The Hitchcock Woods is one of the largest urban forests in the country, but rather than drawing its maintenance budget from the tax base, it is owned and managed by a private foundation supported solely by membership contribution. Thus has evolved a unique relationship between the stewards of this amazing treasure and the community that surrounds it.  Most anyone that has heard of Aiken has heard of The Woods; the city has come to be defined by its presence.  Admission to 2100 acres of The Woods is free and open to all and because it is located in the center of the city, surrounded on all sides by houses and retail, the park is heavily, but respectfully, used and enjoyed.

One of the major fundraising efforts by the Foundation is the annual Aiken Horse Show in the Woods, this year marking the 96th year that the show has taken place.

The Show Grounds are as carefully groomed as the first tee at Augusta National. Horses are prohibited from entering the show ring except for the three days a year of The Show.

Two weeks before The Show, the grounds have been mowed and primped.

Flowering trees at the Entrance Gate.

The week beforehand, the tent is erected.

Tuesday the jumps and trees are laid out on the course.

Feverish preparations the night before include a bath and braiding, then on to the next barn for another four.

Riders from outside of town frequently trailer in to ride in The Woods and park at the South Boundary entrance below Banksia, a former Winter Colony home now occupied by the Aiken County Historical Society. The morning of the show, competitors arrive as the sun rises, unload their horses and ride the mile to the show ring.

The Hitchcock Woods are restricted to equestrians, hikers, dog walkers and joggers; wheeled vehicles are prohibited.  So three days of the year, there is a sight not seen at any other time – cars and trucks shuttling participants, volunteers, guests, staff and caterers the mile or so to the horse show grounds from the main entrance at South Boundary Road.

Roads more commonly traversed by horses become crowded when traffic comes in and goes out on one lane.

Once there, parking is dense.

Team Canada, at ringside, enjoys a tailgate, a great view of the course and the company of their horses.

Inside the tent, spectators watch their friends compete in the Foxhunter classes, enjoy lunch and bid on silent auction items.

The Foxhunter Under Saddle class at the canter.

The view is incomparable.

Gretchen Wintersteen, winner of the Foxhunter Winners Stake, and her husband George.