USEA Area IX Day at the Hunt is Sunday, November 1st, 2020.
Arapahoe hunt has scheduled their Day at the Hunt for eventers. Area IX members are invited to hunt with the capping fee waived (non Area IX members are still welcome, but must pay the capping fee). Note: participants must sign the Arapahoe Hunt release. Please RSVP with Dan Michaels (dmichael@alum.mit.edu) or 303-776-4907. The hounds leave the club house at 11am sharp and are out for approximately two hours. You’ll want to be mounted approximately 15min prior to departure. Please make sure your signed releases are turned-in upon your arrival. The hunt secretary will be present and will collect the releases (Lynn or Lori).
We will split the Area IX folks into two groups depending on each individual’s desired level of riding. The first group will be with a field master that will ride behind the first field of the hunt, but at the speed of the huntsman. Since riders that ride with the hunt’s field master must maintain silence, our group, riding a little behind, will have the opportunity to talk about the action, rules, and etiquette of the hunt. It is possible for this group to gallop across varied terrain for distances up to 5 miles. Horses and riders will need to be fit to stay with this group. Note: this level of strenuous activity should prompt you to clip your horse. Also, anyone with sufficient experience that wants to hunt with the 1st field master may do so (these folks would need to be well-versed in the hunt etiquette).
The second group will follow the hunt at a more moderate pace and observe the hunt from a greater distance. Again, this group’s field master will be able to talk to the group about the action, rules, and etiquette of the hunt. While there would be some galloping over terrain with this group, there won’t be an emphasis on keeping up with the hounds, and riders will be able to take more time to school their mounts and themselves in this environment. There are many fences on the hunt property (fixture), and coops or log piles have been placed in the fence lines for the hunt field to jump. However, jumping is never necessary as there are always nearby gates in the fence line to allow for alternate passage. Riders must always close the gates they open once they have passed through. In all cases, riders may return to the club house at any time. A rider that wants to return early to the clubhouse should get someone to accompany them.
See: http://arapahoehunt.com/ for directions, releases, and other information.
