August, 2026
Huntsman John Harrison out on an early morning hound walk. Photo: Mandi Walker
President's Report
-Col. Frank Huber
It has been a busy summer at Deep Run Hunt, with many opportunities for members to get together and enjoy good sport and fellowship. Our summer morning trail rides have been well attended, and we are especially grateful to the wonderful hosts who generously share their venues with us. The popular evening “Walk and Talks” have also continued, with even your President managing to attend one! The trail-riding season is now winding down, with only the Cook, Hagen and Delaney trail ride and one final Walk and Talk remaining.
The Deep Run Hunt Horse Show Association (DRHHSA) has also had another successful year on the Goochland Campus. The Association continues to maintain a pristine horse show area that we can all be proud of. This year, the DRHHSA also contributed generously toward replacing a failed pump on the water system that supports the entire Goochland equine Campus. If you see a member of DRHHSA, please take a moment to thank them for all they do to keep the campus looking so beautiful and well maintained.
Our social calendar has remained busy this year, with pool parties, Foxy Fridays, and other events bringing members together. As fall approaches, the calendar will offer even more opportunities to socialize, so keep an eye out for announcements—there should be something to please everyone.
We are also working toward a plan to host a Hunt Ball at the club this coming February. More information will be forthcoming, but now may be a good time for the gentlemen to check their tails and the ladies to start thinking about their best Hunt Ball attire. Mark your calendars and start planning!
On the foxhunting front, the roading of hounds is now complete, and before long, autumn hunting will be upon us. Please watch your Club emails and Facebook page for announcements regarding venues, dates, and times as we get closer to opening. We also have a “new to us” hound truck ready to go for the season. Unfortunately, one of our trailers experienced a component failure and is currently in the shop for a substantial rebuild. We hope to have it back in time to support fall hunting. If that proves not to be the case, we may need to ask whether anyone has a suitable stock trailer that they would be willing to loan to the Hunt for moving hounds. Please watch your email for updates should we need assistance.
September 24 is our Annual Meeting, and we strongly encourage all members to attend. It is an important opportunity to hear how your Hunt is performing and to elect incoming Board members for their new terms. There is no cost to members to attend, making it a wonderful opportunity to come out, enjoy the evening, and spend time with fellow Hunt members.
Most importantly, October 31 is our Opening Meet, once again graciously hosted by the Shield family at Fullstream Farm. Even if you are unable to ride in the Opening Meet, please come out to join us for the Blessing of the Hounds and the beginning of another season of good sport. We are fortunate to have such dedicated Masters and professional staff leading the Hunt, and the Opening Meet is a wonderful way to celebrate the start of the season together.
I look forward to seeing many of you this fall and throughout the coming hunt season. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm, support, and commitment to Deep Run Hunt Club.
On the Cusp of Autumn Hunting
-Polly Bance, MFH; Marsh Davis, MFH; Caroline Eichler, MFH; Steve Thurston, MFH
Autumn hunting is just around the corner, marking Deep Run Hunt Club’s 139th year of continuing our foxhunting traditions. The season begins on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. at the Kennels with a breakfast tailgate to follow at Jack’s Shack. Please bring something to share.
Pre-season hunting is all about the introduction of this year’s new entry into our seasoned pack of hounds. We encourage you to focus on the hound work, remain quiet while they problem solve, and enjoy observing all that takes place between staff and hounds in the environment in which they work. Please remember that we can continue fox and coyote hunting due to the generosity of our landowners and farm managers. We encourage your respect and gratitude for this privilege. Whenever possible take the time to thank our hosts of the day. Be on time to the meets, look out for your fellow fox hunters, and appreciate the hard work that has gone into providing a day of good sport. There’s nothing better than recounting an exciting day as we head back to the meet for refreshments. During autumn hunting, please bring something to share following the hunt.
Always check the hunt recording, 804-784-4335, before every hunt for any last-minute changes in time or meet location, particularly when inclement weather is predicted. If you are following Facebook, join the DRHC Facebook page (link at end of newsletter) where information on hunts is updated the evening or morning before.
We hunt three days a week weather permitting -Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. A first and second flight is offered on all hunting days, and a third flight is provided on Thursdays and weekends. If a third flight can be offered on Tuesdays, we will alert membership through Facebook and on the hunt recording. Please be patient and respectful of volunteer field masters who are helping make these flights possible.
You will need a Virginia Hunting License and State Forest Permit (https://license.gooutdoorsvirginia.com/); a current, signed DRHC Liability Waiver (on the DRHC website); and an up-to-date Coggins for your horse(s). Please also send a copy to the club office to keep on file.
The dress code during Fall hunting is ratcatcher attire; if the forecast for the day is for above 75 degrees, dark polo shirts are acceptable. Please, no guests until after October 1. Opening Meet is scheduled for October 31, and DRHC will host Virginia Hunt Week on October 22. Feel free to contact a Master with any questions.
Tally Ho!
In Recognition of Club Contributions
- Diego Vizcaino
Members, thank you for your continued support of this year's Club Contributions Campaign. Your commitment and participation make a meaningful difference, and we truly appreciate the confidence you have placed in our work as we advance our mission.
Below is the list of current contributors in recognition of their valued support. Together, we can build on our past successes and make an even greater impact on the Club we love. We look forward to starting the new campaign at the beginning of Autumn Hunting! A heartfelt thanks goes out to you for your generosity, trust, and unwavering support. We look forward to sharing the progress of this new campaign with you.
2026 Campaign Contributors
Riders school through the Wendy A. Schmitt Water Jump
Hunt Flight School Wednesdays Take Off
Wednesday afternoons this summer you may have noticed the Club parking lot bustling with horse trailers and excitement. It’s all due to the new Hunt Flight School that’s been taking place every Wednesday evening. Whether your goal this season is to come out hunting the first time or to move up a flight, this free-of-charge camp is for you.
The brainchild of Chris Dillon, these weekly evening schooling sessions are aimed at presenting riders with issues and obstacles they might encounter in the hunt field.
“It’s been a bit of a fact-finding mission as we’ve gone along,” says Dillon, who stresses the relaxed atmosphere allows the sessions to adapt to different riding and experience levels. One group may be training in company over fences, while another rides on trails through the Deep Run Woods. The goal is to imitate hunting by allowing the horses to move in a group.
Chuck Clement coaches Chris Dillon and Kim Barlow
Gretel Mangigian schools Megan Winfield over a ditch
Some evenings a professional trainer might lead your group; on another Wednesday, your group may be lead by an experienced Hunt Club member. About fifty members have taken part, and on any given night there may be as many as twenty riders, or as few as a handful. The sessions are designed to be informal, so riders can come and go at will. Every week there is a light supper provided, along with a chance to socialize and take a dip in the pool - what’s not to like?
Many of the Wednesday Hunt Flight
Schools have been coupled with other DRHC events, like New Member Receptions and the annual Pony Club Camp cookout at the pool. Huntsman John Harrison and his staff presented hounds one evening.
If you sign up for the September 2 wine tasting event, you’ll have a fabulous view of the horses and riders at work on their skills as you savor small bites and European wines.
Hunt Flight School began just after Memorial Day and will run through Labor Day, so you still have a chance to join in the fun!
Welcome New Members
Give these folks a hearty Deep Run welcome when you cross paths!
Abigail Khan - sponsored by Terry Adcock
Jordan Muniz - sponsored by Julie & Peter Muniz
Kaura Potter - sponsored by Carter Iseman
Leigh Rose - sponsored by Megan Winfield
MFHA Symposium: Tradition Meets Innovation
-Carolyn Eichler, MFH
Deep Run Hunt Club was well represented at last month’s annual Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) Symposium in Leesburg, Virginia, with DRHC Masters Steve Thurston and Caroline Eichler in attendance. Drawing hunt leadership from across the country, the event offered a packed agenda blending traditional hunting and hound discussions with modern innovation.
Key educational sessions covered recent updates to the MFHA online stud book, evolving recommendations for hunt governance models, and the integration of new technology not only in the hunt field but also for hunt club events, membership communications, and equine activities. Hunt staff from packs in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and Georgia presented on specialized topics, including early season hound training, educating and mentoring new whippers-in, and proactive strategies for opening new country.
A highlight of the gathering was special recognition given to Marion Thorne, longtime MFH and huntsman for Genesee Valley Hunt, and Johnnie Gray, huntsman of the Hillsboro Hounds in Tennessee. In addition to classroom sessions, attendees enjoyed exclusive behind-the-scenes kennel tours of both the Middleburg Hunt and Loudoun Fairfax Hunt facilities, making it an invaluable weekend of learning, networking, and celebrating the sport.
Another Great Summer with Pony Club
-Julie Muniz
The Deep Run Hunt Pony Club has enjoyed a busy summer of social, educational, and competitive adventures. June began at the DRHC showgrounds with attendance at the 85th USEF National “A” rated Horse Show. There, the Pony Club members also watched the presentation of the Deep Run hounds and the Deep Run Hunter Derby. The kids caught up with other Pony Club members, watched the immaculately groomed horses navigate the course, and then shopped the enticing vendor stalls.
Next, their epic Pony Club Camp began on July 6 - and what a great week it was! This year campers represented three different pony clubs and hailed from several other states and countries. The campers had twice daily riding instruction, a lesson in the cross country field, and a mock fox hunt. They earned badges for various horse management skills and knowledge. They also painted custom horse brushes, tie dyed t-shirts, and swam in the pool. One wonders how many games of “Sharks & Minnows” and “Bulldog” have been played in the DRHC pool by Pony Club campers over the years!
Some families were lucky to have three generations involved in this year’s camp; there were grandparents who had organized camps in years past alongside parents who had been campers themselves, all volunteering and watching the young riders sail on their ponies around the rings and cross country field. It was truly a special week, blessed with both good weather and amazing volunteers.
A few parents barely had time to unpack and run a load of laundry before they loaded up the horse trailer again, bound for Lexington, KY and the United States Pony Club Festival and Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. One of the Club’s youngest members participated in D- level camp at Festival. Four others competed in Beginner Novice Eventing, putting a satisfying end to a joyfully horsey summer.
Still to come this fall: Eventing Rally , “D” level rally, Games Rally, a mounted Halloween Party, and twice monthly clinics starting in September. Good thing they are young!
Did You Know….?
…that the Hunter Trials Field is now open for schooling by Deep Run Hunt Club members year-round during daylight hours, seven days days a week? (The Field may be closed occasionally due to weather or for a special event or maintenance.)
…that you can make a payment to the club from the comfort of your home? Just email Barbara Ruqus at barbara@deeprunhuntclub.com and request either a monthly direct transfer (1% processing fee) or a credit card (2.99% fee). Your account will be charged on whatever date you specify and you’ll get a monthly email confirming the payment.