The Radnor Fox Hunt

Every year for Thanksgiving my family and I travel to my aunt’s house in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This area of Pennsylvania is known for being horse country, which is pretty fitting since my aunt has her own barn full of her horses on her property. We always meet at her house, pile everyone in cars and head down to their country club for our annual feast. Afterwards, we head down to the Radnor Hunt for their thanksgiving fox hunt. Located in Chester County, this property consists of 6,000 rolling acres of preserved land and is hidden between natural terrain and farmland. “Radnor Hunt is the oldest continuously active foxhunt in the United States, recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America” [1].

Radnor Hunt also offers up this beautiful property to be rented for the special events in your life, including weddings, birthdays, showers, bar and bat mitzvahs, and corporate events [1]. Just stop by and visit one of their event coordinators to help plan your event, or you may arrange for a tour of the facility. You can choose from their event packages, or completely customize the event yourself!

Some of their famous annual events are the Brandywine Hills Point to Point, Bryn Mawr Hound Show, Concours d’Elegance (car show) and the Radnor Races (steeplechase) but my all time favorite event is the classic Thanksgiving Day Fox Hunt. Approximately 20,000 riders nationwide participate in the sport of fox hunting yearly. The term “fox hunt” can be misleading; the hunt will end once the fox burrows itself into the earth, rather than when it is dead [2]. Even though the fox usually survives, some people are against the idea of chasing an animal through the woods for fun. The Association runs into this issue so frequently that they provide a guide for managing protests if they do indeed break out [2].

What most people don’t realize about this sport is the historical significance behind it. It has been around for over 300 years and represented freedom to the earliest American colonists [2]. Many past US presidents even participated in this sport, including but not limited to George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and the Kennedy’s [2]. Since fox populations nowadays are so scarce, members of the club not only spare the life of the fox, but will even take care of the foxes who look sick by slipping antibiotics into raw chicken and leaving it out for the fox to eat.

Knowing this fact is the only reason I am able to support the sport of fox hunting. I highly recommend taking a peek into this country’s history by checking out the Radnor Hunt. Enjoy viewing the classic garb, seeing the beautiful horses, and taking in the beautiful scenery.

[1] “Welcome to Radnor Hunt.” Radnor Hunt – Home, http://www.radnorhunt.org/Home.

[2] “Twenty-First Century Fox.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Feb. 2018, http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/02/22/feature/will-a-new-generation-save-fox-hunting/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bd6ce2b4aeb3.