A Voice from the USA
TMV new USA columnist Chris 'Tiny' Allen (British bred and entered to fox) who is currently connected with the Farmington Beagles in Virginia.
I’ve been Stateside for 14 yrs and initially came across to hunt the Los Altos Foxhounds in California, having previously been connected with the Bonnelle Staghounds in France. I was master and huntsman for the Stoke Hill Beagles 1983-84, and 1981/83 I hunted the Wigtownshire Foxhounds for Lady Stair.
I started in hunt service at the Tickham as 2nd Whip in the 'sixties', much to the chagrin of my father who wanted me to follow him into the medical profession. Suzy my wife has supported me in every venture, and whipped-in. She's also an excellent skinner.
Currently I'm an Actor for Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, portraying many 18th C. characters, very often mounted, as well as carriage driving. I have also worked on such films as Terence Malick's 'The New World', and numerous TV commercials.
I was fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. I got into Acting from being a Carriage Driver (Whip) and being spotted/selected for 'character' roles.
Acting is a difficult business to enter and sustain a livelihood. I got my membership to the Screen Actors Guild last year. Colonial Williamsburg provides a living, where I teach 18th Century History of the Revolutionary War Period 1774-81. It is the biggest Outdoor Living History in the world.
Huntsman Chris Allen
The Merry Beaglers at Farmington
The Farmington Beagles are based at Charlottesville, Virginia, and are kenneled at Foxfield Racecourse beautifully maintained by Mr. Shiflett where the Farmington Foxhounds used to be kenneled before relocating to Free Union.
The joint-masters are Forbes Reback, Sherry Buttrick who was previously MFH at Farmington Foxhounds with the late Jill Summers - who sadly passed away last year. They hold office with Dick Crampton (Charlottesville cardiologist), and Magruder Dent whose family has a long tradition in hunting circles.
Cottontail Rabbits (technically a small hare species) are hunted from October to late April by their kind permission over the countries of the Farmington Hunt and the Keswick Foxhounds. It’s a very large territory mostly in Albemarle County, extending from the Blue Ridge in the West to parts of Louisa and Fluvanna counties in the East, and Scottsville in the South.
Visits are also made to Augusta County to the 1,000 acres farm of those great supporters Donald & Candida Clark. Donald is President of the Middlebrook Foxhounds and is always ‘making’ some good young horses. The National Beagle Club Field Trials are held there each year in April, with packs from all over USA attending: an absolute must in the diary of a hound enthusiast.
The Farmington Beagles are hunted by all the joint-masters in turn, and Sherry acts as the kennel-huntsman. The whippers-in include the long-serving Ann Via, whose husband Harold (Sonny) restores vintage vehicles at their wonderful farm home ‘Hob Nob’ in Free Union.
The chairman of the hunt Robert F. Bryan (with his delightful Scots brogue) also turns hounds, as does David Wheeler & John Moore, and his wife Kat Imhoff, and they are joined by Chas. Forsman & his son Andrew. Sara Lee Barnes from Cloverfields, Keswick, also whips-in and continues the great family hunting tradition, being related to the late huntsman of the Keswick Foxhounds, Roberts Coles. Those were the days when the hunting trains came out loaded with the riders from Charlottesville, depositing them and their horses at Cobham Station.
There are seventeen couples of 13” & 15” beagles in kennels and the hunt uniform is a Green Coat with a Belgian Blue Collar. The major hound shows are attended and the pack always figures in the ribbons. Last year they took the Pack Class at Bryn Mawr Show in Pennsylvania.
Historically, there is, far back in pedigrees, Old Berkley Primula, and Oakley Foot. In more recent years, we have imported Eton College Pillager ‘91’ who Captain Ronnie Wallace recommended for the purpose. Also a Dummer bitch, and most recently we have used a Glen Celyn doghound through the loan from the Pond Hill Beagles in Canada, but originally from Johnny Andrews. That cross looks promising and those hounds will enter next year that resulted from it. We enter five couples each year.
As a greenhorn ‘Limey’ fresh on the Virginia hunting scene in 1995 I contacted Forbes and he said: “Come and join us,” and 14 years later I am very proud to be on the Board.
When I was hunting the Los Altos Foxhounds in California during the late eighties. I went there very pompous, prim and proper, doing things in a very English style, which is what I thought they wanted… Alas, I was sadly misinterpreted and told: “You are in culture shock and should have gone to Virginia,” so I did, and have not been disappointed.
In fact there is still a lot of old English charm and tradition here and you will find great camaraderie and esprit d’corps if you decide to have a day with the Farmington Beagles - The Merry Beaglers.
Chris (‘Tiny’) Allen