Written by Judy Heinrich; Photos submitted

The pursuit of any horse sport is a complicated endeavor. First you need a horse, which needs (at a minimum) shelter, feed, hoof care, veterinary care, training and exercise. Then you need suitable attire for yourself, tack appropriate for your sport, and a means of getting yourself and your horse to and from your chosen playing field.

Having written about many horse sports, I would have to say foxhunting is the most complicated of all. To the basic list above, a hunt has to add the care, feeding, training and daily exercise of dozens of hounds; the oversight of thousands of acres of land it doesn’t own; and the maintenance of hundreds of miles of trails that can be alternatively picture-perfect or slick with mud and blocked by downed trees. And then twice a week for about eight months of the year, an enthusiastic group of riders and horses of varying skill and experience will gather for a hunt, all beautifully turned out in accordance with ancient tradition, all of them bright, shiny and clean – even the greys. And the object of their pursuit may choose not to show up!

But in spite of those unique challenges, foxhunting seems to attract the most passionate and – a word you’ll hear often when you talk to foxhunters – exhilarated participants. You would have to absolutely love this sport’s unique blend of hard work, adherence to tradition, and adrenaline, or you simply wouldn’t last.

Among those who have lasted the longest are the three Joint Masters of the Tryon Hounds, who share a combined 115+ years of membership in the Hounds and an amazing 74 years as its Masters. As Tryon Hounds completes its historic 90th year, we want to salute these three, who have contributed so much to its ongoing success.

Louise Hughston – 40 Years a Master

It didn’t take Louise Hughston long to set her course for a life with horses. When she was just 2 years old she went with her parents to visit some friends at their farm. Before the adults knew it, Louise had slipped into a pasture full of horses and was wandering around, as she says, among their feet and hooves.

Louise got her own first horse, a Marsh Tacky, as a young teenager living in the South Carolina Low Country. She then met a woman who had a stable and taught riding lessons in the Beaufort area. “I hooked up with her and became her helper,” she says. She also spent a summer in Maine after high school graduation, finishing horses for a summer camp.

Louise didn’t get into foxhunting until she had married a man from Spartanburg, took more lessons, and discovered trainer Arthur Reynolds in Tryon. “And the rest is history,” she recalls. “Arthur had a ring in a bottom not far from the Pine Cest Inn, and Gordon Wright was in his prime then, too.”

Louise’s husband wasn’t into horses but supported the habit for Louise and their son and daughter, who were Pony Clubbers. As for getting into foxhunting, Louise says, “You sort of graduated into it. George Webster was around and one thing led to another.

“When I joined the hunt in the ’60s, it was small and there were so few people to help,” she says, which meant she soon became involved in the club’s running. In her early years the Masters were Emil Frolich and Arthur Farwell, then Bud Holmberg and Arthur. Upon Arthur’s retirement, Louise was appointed Master, serving first with Bud and then on her own for a couple of years. In 1980-82 Earl Thompson became Joint Master with her; he was followed by George Webster and then Bonnie Lingerfelt.

Among the priorities of being a Master, Louise lists “taking care of your country and your landowner relations, and of course your hounds – how they’re bred and how they hunt. All three of those things are needed to show good sport.”

Louise stopped riding four or five years ago and is now a road whip for the hunt. “I enjoy it and there’s a need for it. I feel fortunate that I’ve done almost all the staff requirements except actually hunting the hounds, so I feel like it’s been pretty rounded out. And there’s still plenty to do.” For Louise that includes organizing Tryon Hounds’ annual Hunter Paces, the precursor of today’s nearly 30-year-old Western Carolina Hunter Pace Series.

As for what makes a good hunt member, Louise says, “It’s someone that’s dying to do it. We have a couple of new members like that, they just have grins from ear to ear. It might have been the worst day of hunting but they’re so happy to be doing it.”

It’s a feeling Louise knows well. “I love the camaraderie of foxhunting. And I love the nature of it – it couldn’t be better. I love the hounds and how they work, and the hound shows where you compare your hounds to other people’s. And you form relationships with the different clubs. It’s all part of it. It’s all exhilarating.”

Bonnie Lingerfelt – 24 Years a Master

Bonnie Lingerfelt didn’t find her horse gene until she married a man who wanted horses. They were living in New York, where they took lessons and boarded with Dottie Webster, who introduced them to foxhunting with the Smithtown Hunt. They also took lessons from Harry de Leyer, the famous rider and trainer of legendary show jumper Snowman. In fact, their first trip to Tryon was with Harry to look at horses; they bought one each from noted horsewoman Jane Gagnier and Tony Wallace of Fairview Farms.

The couple moved to Tryon in 1970 and Bonnie has been involved with Tryon Hounds ever since. She spent 11 years as the club’s president and led the first flight for 11 years, though not concurrently. She was elected master in 1993.

Bonnie says Tryon Hounds’ three Joint Masters share the overall responsibilities among themselves. “It’s necessary. For instance we have 300 landowners, and maintaining those relationships is very important. Then there is maintaining the country, having work days, getting people out to clear trails, preparing the fixture card (schedule), making sure everyone turns out correctly, making sure everything is cohesive. There are so many things that come into play, it’s good to split it all up and have three ideas.”

With the division of labor, one of Bonnie’s main responsibilities is overseeing the Tryon Hounds huntsman. That includes hiring and supporting the huntsman and overseeing the hounds – their care, breeding and performance, and keeping all of the pack’s records.

What Bonnie likes best about foxhunting is “the connection with nature and the human being – getting outdoors, watching the hounds do what’s a natural instinct for them, being on top of a horse covering the countryside. It’s just incredible.”

But, she says, the best members are interested in more than the hunting. “That’s the fun part but there’s a whole lot more to it. I want someone who is dedicated, who is interested in learning and following all the traditions of the sport, in being part of the club and showing up – for the hunts and everything else.”

Dean McKinney – 10 Years a Master

Dr. Dean McKinney starting riding around age 45, when a friend bought more horses than he had time for and Dean helped exercise them on the trails. This was in Spartanburg County, where Dean’s family has been for six generations.

Dean and his wife, Roberta, then bought property in the Caroland Farms area and rented a house from a foxhunter while their farm was being built. “She invited us out to hunt with Tryon Hounds,” Dean recalls, “and everyone was just so warm and welcoming. We’ve now been members for 22 years.” Dean has served the club as president, is in his 10th year as Joint Master, and leads the first flight. Roberta leads the second flight and is the hunt’s honorary secretary.

In the division of the club’s Master roles, Dean is “country chairman,” responsible for maintaining Tryon Hound’s hunting country and supporting its landowners. “We work through the summer clearing trails and putting new trails in, and in the winter repairing things, removing downed trees, etc. You have to maintain the relations and the land because if you don’t have the country to hunt, nothing else matters.

“There’s a lot of work involved with hunting but it’s a labor of love. It’s something I stumbled onto, but now my life sort of rotates around it. I even like the workdays: the getting out, the camaraderie, telling a lie or two.

“That’s what it takes to be a good hunt member… not just enjoying the hunt but enjoying it enough to work for the club. You need people who will get their hands dirty, work a chain saw, help feed the hounds or run the party… just people who will pitch in and help.”

There doesn’t seem to be anything about foxhunting that Dean doesn’t enjoy: “The whole process gives me an adrenaline rush, it’s just like medicine for me. I enjoy everything from washing the horse the night before to cleaning the tack after. Watching the hounds, listening to the hounds, being with a good horse. And once you get something going on a hunt, that adrenaline rush just makes the whole scene worthwhile.” 

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The 90th Year Celebration

Tryon Hounds will close out their historic 90th season with a very special Hunt Ball Reunion, to which all former Tryon Hounds hunting members from around the country are invited. The event is on Saturday, March 11, 6:30 p.m., at the Lodge at Lake Bowen (Hwy. 9 in Inman, S.C.). This black tie affair will include dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Former members should please call Tryon Hounds President Rebecca Barnes at 864-542-5378.

To learn more about Tryon Hounds, including joining or riding with the hounds as a guest, visit www.tryonhounds.com, or find them on Facebook.