2011 Maryland Hunt Club Roster, continued De La Brooke Hounds Celebrates 50 Years as an Organization,
but 300 Years of Sport contributed by Honorary Secretary Kathleen Blanche and Denise Grote, based on notes by Dr. Eugene Guazzo The De La Brooke
Foxhounds “sort of” began in the 1930s and started as all hunting clubs do, with a group of convivial friends having a mu- tual interest and the resources for making riding to hounds pos- sible. The hunting country was southwestern Charles County. Beyond the land was the water bounding the country; the Wicomico and Potomac Rivers and the many creeks, marshes and tidewater–a beautiful setting for an ancient and beau- tiful sport. In the late ‘30s things began to coalesce, to become more organized. The meets were more regular, though still by word of mouth. If we are to choose a founding year, it would be 1937. We have this date from the record. In the Masters of Foxhounds Association fi les, there is a letter written in 1942 from the President of the then Charles County Hunt requesting information from MFHA and telling of the Hunt’s activities during the previous years. Another letter written some 30 years later by the same individual is also in MFHA’s fi les and confi rms this 1937 date. Things went well for the hunt until 1941, when World War II intervened. An excerpt from Baily’s Hunting Directory, Volume 64, 1970-71, page 294:
“The Wicomico Hunt fi nds its origins in the former Charles County Hunt which was organized in 1937 and was disrupted by WW II, the last hunt being on De- cember 7, 1941, when after a particularly successful day’s hunting with a long run and a kill close to the kennels, the fi eld returned to fi nd the U.S. at war.” Reestablishment after the war as a “country club” was not viewed as a satis-
factory arrangement by the hunting members and a group formed a separate organization and incorporated it unders the laws of Maryland as the Wicomico Hunt in 1961. This name was chosen because there were many members who were from St. Mary’s County and it was felt that “Charles County Hunt” was not representative, so the name of the juxtaposed Wicomico River which was part of the boundary between Charles and St. Mary’s Counties was proposed and ac- cepted. A problem arose with this name as back in 1929 another Wicomico Hunt was established on the Eastern Shore. That fi rst hunt was duly registered and rec- ognized by the MFHA. Its hounds were entered into the MFHA’s Foxhound Kennel Studbook and were carried therein until 1935. Even though this hunt was later disbanded, its name was held in reserve for that part of Maryland and for any hunt that was to be re-established there. Studbook entries for “Wicomico” were denied any future use except for hounds from that fi rst Wicomico Hunt of the Eastern Shore. This was not known by members of the Mount Victoria Wicomico Hunt when they incorporated. It was not until the Mount Victoria group request- ed entry of their hounds into the MFHA’s Foxhounds Kennel Studbook that the problem was made known to them in the early 1970s. MFHA would not consider our Wicomico Hunt for registry unless it changed its name. Not only was the name reserved for the Eastern Shore but there now was a group on the Eastern Shore who had re-established the original Wicomico Hunt and the name was given to them. The Hunt Board called a special meeting of the entire membership. Many suggestions, proposal and letters were writ- ten to the Board. In all, seven new names were proposed. Of the seven, De La Brooke was chosen and the W (for Wicomico) was added as a permanent re- minder of our past. This name has recognizable historic signifi cance. Foxhunting in the New
World began and was fi rst done right where we hunt. In the history of riding to hounds in Colonial America, the name of Robert Brooke, Commander of Charles County and President of the Provincial Council has a permanent place. He came here from Whitschurch, Hampshire, England in 1650, bringing his entire house- hold including servants, furnishings and his private pack of foxhounds. Robert Brooke is recognized as America’s fi rst M.F.H. over 300 years ago. He settled on the west bank of the Patuxent River, landing there on June 3, 1650 at a place he named “De La Brooke.” It is the same place over which we follow our hounds every year. At the January 25, 1973 MFA Board of Directors meeting, the hunt’s records were reviewed and it was voted that the De La Brooke Foxhounds W was granted the status of Registration. On January 29, 1976 after fi nal examina- tion, inspection and review, De La Brooke Foxhounds W was granted full recog- nition status joining 128 American hunts and 560 other hunts of the world in an international bond of friendship, sportsmanship, cooperation and fellowship in the traditions and furtherance of our grand sport.
26 | THE EQUIERY | DECEMBER 2011 Huntsman Casey Copsey
De La Brooke Foxhounds W (Southern Maryland) 41290 Breton Beach Rd• Leonardtown, MD 20650
www.delabrookefoxhounds.com Established 1961. Recognized 1976.
Hunt Attire: Scarlet, royal blue collar, gold piping. Evening–scarlet, royal blue lapels piped with gold.
MFHs: (1999) John McFadden Bayside Farm, 41290 Breton Beach Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650 Tel: (301) 475-2554, Email:
baysidefarm@erols.com (2006) Mr. Albert W. Zahniser, III PO Box 760, Solomons, MD 20688-0760 Tel: (410) 586-2463, Email:
skip@zahnisers.com (2010) Sarah Hruda Keechland Farm, 9185 Keechland Farm Rd., Newburg, MD 20664 Tel: (301) 934-8017, Email:
shruda@hruda.com. Honorary Secretary: Kathy Blanche 7105 Harley Davidson Place, PO Box 337, Port Tobacco, MD 20677 Tel: (301) 934-1016, Email:
jbservs@peoplepc.com
Huntsman: (prof) Casey Copsey Whippers-in (hon): Mr. Albert W. Zahniser, III, Jt.-MFH; Sarah Hruda, Jt.-MFH, Darden Daves, Mr. & Mrs. Timothy White Kennels: Mt. Victoria, Maryland Foxhounds: 30 Penn-Marydel couples foxhounds Hunting: Red Fox, Grey Fox hunting Season: Early November through late March Meet: Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Visitors permitted to hunt–for details con- tact the Honorary Secretary or Master. Hounds went out 60 times last season. Territory: The Country is approximately 25 by 45 miles. Rolling inland country and fl atlands fronted by tidewater creeks, rivers and bays, fenced with coops and post-and-rails.
Leslie Richwine
Denise Grote and fi eld secretary Dr. Kathleen Blanche
Jt.-MFHs John McFadden and Sara Turner Hruda
800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
842331-111211
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