The Windy Hollow Hunt’s
History
The sport of fox hunting began in England and was
brought to America with the English settlers.
It originally had the practical function of destroying foxes which were abundant and caused
extensive damage. Today, however, the purpose of organized fox hunting is to enable a group
of riders to enjoy the sport of following and observing hounds which are working to locate or
follow the scent of a fox.
The Windy Hollow Hunt began in 1960 when a rather informal group of horse and hound enthusiasts
began fox hunting at Windy Hollow Farm in the Florida, New York area. They started with
a private pack of foxhounds and hunted over a limited territory. During the years that
followed, an organization emerged which is presently the Windy Hollow Hunt.
As the Windy Hollow Hunt membership grew, the club eventually developed its own pack of
hounds, bought property, built kennels, and acquired a professional huntsman.
The Windy Hollow Hunt was formally registered
with the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 1969
and was officially recognized in 1972.
Through the gracious consent and cooperation of the neighboring landowners, additional
territory was made available, and the club expanded. The Hunt's Florida territory is
approximately thirty square miles.
In addition to this original country, Windy Hollow Hunt has a large territory available on the
state line between New York and New Jersey, just south of Warwick, New York. Much of this
land is part of a growing “green way” movement and so will stay open and available for the
club's future use.
In Wantage Township, in Sussex County, New Jersey the club is able to hunt over 10,000 acres
of the most glorious scenery New Jersey has to offer. These areas are mainly paneled with
coops, post and rails, and stone walls.
In 1990 the club opened new acreage in the Westtown area of New York. This territory is
approximately 4,000 acres of hay fields and dairy farms. What beautiful country the
Windy Hollow Hunt has to enjoy!
If you have ever ridden horseback on a hill on a crisp autumn morning with a blaze of color around
you, you know it’s a feeling of exhilaration and excitement which you never forget.
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