But even as hunting country and competitions continue to disappear, the survivors are doggedly optimistic. While they're not always able to continue doing things the same way, they're learning to adapt and coexist with their new neighbors. Things change, but horsemen are bound and determined that some will stay the same.
The Fairfax Hunt in Great Falls, Va., has felt the increased pressure from development in the Washington, D.C., suburbs for several decades.
"We can't just go across the country where the fox takes us anymore," said jt-MFH Rudolph Rouse. "Every time we go out there, there's another house going up. You have a pocket [of open space] here and a pocket there, but surrounding the pockets is urban development. So we keep going west."
Fairfax has gradually migrated away from its original country near Dulles Airport and now hunts land about 25 miles west of where they started.
Hunts that don't have the option of moving to different country are simply finding ways to work around development. The Wayne-DuPage Hunt, a drag pack in Wayne, Ill., has seen its country decrease by about 50 percent in the last 25 years. They now hunt primarily on forest preserve land and on riding trails that wind through the village of Wayne. Hunting through a developed community requires more thought and planning than running across open country, said jt.-MFH Wayne Hendrickson.
"Basically, we have to work with it," Hendrickson said. "We've been seeing our land closing in over the last 10 years on a fairly large scale. We're still hunting as much as we ever have, but the planning is just astronomical. We used to go down to the barn and stand around and say, 'Well, where do you want to go today?' We wouldn't even think about it."
Now, according to Hendrickson, they've developed "more commitment to planning, as far as where we're going to go. It becomes a major issue as far as time goes. We spend as much time figuring out where we're going to go as we do hunting."
"Working with it" is the way most hunts are dealing with the loss of their land. "What else are you going to do? Quit? Give up? No, you can't. You just try to adapt," said John Ike III, jt-MFH of the Amwell Valley Hounds in Hopewell, N.J. "If you compare hunting now to 20 years ago, yes, that's a negative [outlook]. But compare what we're living with now to [the future]. Back when the roads were first paved, they thought that would be the end of hunting," Ike said. But the sport dealt with changes then and can continue to adapt, Ike said. "It amazes me how adaptable this sport can be."
For some, the easiest way to keep hunting with limited open space is to become a drag hunt. The ability to plan where the hounds run is one of the benefits, Hendrickson said. "I think other hunts may consider going to drag hunting because of the control factor. And one of the advantages to drag hunting is that you have nice runs, and that's what our members like."
Other hunts have found that slower hounds are the answer to hunting in a smaller, more constricted area. "[You used to] find a hound that would go, and just listen to them and ride like hell to find them," Ike said. "[But now] we don't need the speed. We can't afford the speed."
By using Crossbred hounds, Amwell Valley has a slower but more enjoyable hunt, Ike said. "It's like sipping a good old single ball scotch," Ike said. "It lets us see, watch and appreciate the hound work. We concentrate less on speed and more on cry and ability to work checks. We have a limited area to work in, so we find a fox and stick to it for a longer, slower run."
Crossbred hounds are also more biddable and easier to manage in developed country. "The dear old American hound was a great hound. He ran well. We've had our longest runs with all American hounds," said Dr. Joseph Rogers, jt.-MFH of the Loudoun West Hunt in Hamilton, Va.
While Loudoun West has lost some of its country to development, the hunt is still able to work in its more constricted space by having a more managable pack. "But they don't handle so well that you could go in more difficult places, like the middle of a shopping center," Rogers said.
Horse sport enthusiasts have begun to look to less traditional sources for land use. Organizers of the Ram Tap Horse Trials (Calif.) have made great use of what wouldn't ordinarily be considered valuable land. They've rented a parcel that houses a power substation from Pacific Gas and Electric for the last 40 years. "It's sort of undesirable land," said event secretary Megan McGee. "But the footing is great, and the location is great. It's ideal for us.
"We work at keeping up very good relations with the department heads at PG&E," McGee said. The current department heads are a different group than originally worked out arrangements with Ram Tap, and they were unfamiliar with what the organizers were doing. "We invited them out to our shows. When they came out and saw the uses [of the property] and the numbers [of horses], they were really impressed," McGee said. "They see the kids riding around--that's a big selling point for us."
Although the land had been considered safe from development because the power substation limited its possible uses, the event was ironically still affected by nearby housing construction. A portion of the cross-country course was reclaimed by emminent domain for use as a flood control plain after a new development went in about 2 miles away. The event is currently "under notice," McGee said, that they'll have to vacate at any time. Because they weren't certain if they'd still be able to use the land, this year Ram Tap cancelled its three-day event, which was the only one on the west coast.
McGee feels that their public relations work helped get their landowners on their side. "[PG&E] really went to bat for us. They're fighting to make sure that we're given enough notice and can take the jumps with us" when eventually asked to leave, McGee said.
Organizers of the Tevis Cup 100-mile endurance ride face a different set of challenges because their ride covers such a long route. Ride Director Larry Suddjian said that most of the trials the ride now uses are over U.S. Forest Preserve land. But portions of the trial are on various private properties belonging to some 20 different landowners, most of whom welcome the ride.
"They're very proud to have this trail on their property," Suddjian said. "It's a world-class competition." The Tevis is also steeped in tradition, following a trail used by miners during the gold rush days.
Some, however, see it as a money-making opportunity, Suddjian said. "They come up with ways to rent the property to us. They'll charge us to even go through one gate. It's like a toll bridge," Suddjian said. Such fees cost the ride about $2,000 a year.
Suddjian and others involved with the ride work to pacify the fears of those whose land they use. "People are also very, very concerned about liability," Suddjian said. "There's a statue in California that protects the landowners. We try to bring the statute to [their] attention. We also make sure the people using the trail are respecting the trail and the landowners."
The Tevis Cup's 43-year history and the organizers' committment to trail preservation earned them the right to continue using a trail through the Granite Chief Wilderness in the mid-'80s. Other organized events are banned from using the land, but the Tevis was allowed to continue its use because of its long history using the ancient trail.
Maintaining good relationships with landowners is critically important for foxhunters because they rely so heavily on their generosity. Staff members make a concerted effort to get to know the landowners in their country--besides giving them a chance to express their gratitude, it helps ensure that trails and panels are maintained. While hunts have long been accustomed to befriending their neighbors, increased development has their work more challenging.
"It's been demanding. We've had to talk to a lot more people. [If you're hunting over] a 200-acre farm, you talk to one person. In a 10-acre subdivision, you've got 30," said Dr. James Gable, jt.-MFH of Loudoun West.
Masters not only have to talk to more people as development encroaches, but they also have to work harder to educate landowners. Most new landowners aren't familiar with the sport. "Sometimes we have to explain what we're doing. It's kind of a difficult thing to walk up to someone's door and ask 'Would you mind if I bring 30 or 40 hounds and 20 or 30 horses through your yard?' "Gable said.
"When you have more turnover of people, you have more people to educate," said Ike, who once had a neighbor pick up a hound and take it to the pound, thinking it was a stray dog.
"More [devastating] than the loss of the land is the mindset of the people who are moving in. They are not country people and they're removed from country living," said Ike. "We can deal with the loss of the land--the tricky thing is educating the new people coming in. Those that do become exposed to [hunting] can be brought around."
Rogers agreees. "The worst thing is the loss of the sporting landowners. You miss those really quality people. A lot of them are gone."
Knowing what's going on in the community helps organizers of any particular sport be aware of changes that could eventually pose threats. "You have to keep your ear to the ground," said Suddjian.
The Western States Trail Foundation, which puts on the Tevis Cup, keeps track of the names of all the landowners' whose property the ride crosses. Whenever there's any activity related to the ownership of a property, the foundation is notified by their local assessor's office. "We always have to be on the alert. Nothing can be assumed when it comes down to people and their land rights," Suddjian said.
Becoming a part of the community gives advance warning of possible problems and can help prevent them by maintaining friendly relationships. Rogers works "assiduously" with the Loudoun West Hunt subscribersto keep on good terms with landowners.
"A member of the field should always know where he is and who owns the land" he is hunting over, Rogers said. "Now, the fieldmasters don't even know." Being on a first-name basis with landowners is critically important to ensure the future of hunting, Rogers believes. "You should shop locally and do everythng you can to meet [landowners] and look them in the eye," he said. "If you know someone, you may have the opportunity to meet them and very sincerely thank them."
"You don't want to meet these people the day the hounds run through," said Edward Halle Jr., jt.-MFH of the Green Spring Valley Hounds, Owings Mills, Md. It's as simple as just "being nosy," Halle said. "The masters, and really any member of the hunt--it's their job to ingratiate themselves with their neighbors. If Mrs. So-And-So died, they have to go down with a can of cookies for the new guy."
For Halle, the extra work is a small sacrifice to ensure that hunting can continue for a while longer in the beautiful Worthington Valley, just north of Baltimore. "There are differeing views--the old timers tend to think that hunting is a right and not a privilege. That doesn't take you very far anymore," he said.
When development is impending, befriending the enemy can earn horse sports the right to continue using a particular area. "We work with the developers and [the township] to preserve access" to developed areas, Ike said. "If it's presented reasonably and doesn't affect the economics of a development, they're willing to accomodate us."
As open space disappears, sharing use of what remains becomes a more appealing prospect. Horse sport participants have long seen the value in sharing facilities among themselves, but they're now seeing opportunities to find new cohorts outside their sports.
The Loudoun West Hunt worked with developers instead of against them when a developer had plans to build a golf course north of Leesburg. "We went to them, they came to us, and we talked," said Gable. "They're going to put in trails so the riders can still get around. I think that's outstanding."
The name of the facility has even been changed to include the hunt. It probably helped that the golf course was designed by Gary Player, one of the greatest golfers in history and also an avid horse enthusiast--Player is involved in Thoroughbred breeding and racing in South Africa.
The Pebble Beach Equestrian Center in California also uses of a local golf course for two combined training events and a hunter pace. "We cross right over the fairway with horses and spectators," said Tim Postel, director of the Equestrian Center. They've made use of the golf course on and off for the past decade, Postel said. But they try to restrict the use of the course for schooling so as not to wear out their welcome.
Although horse sports have proven they can coexist with development, it's far from an ideal situation. Foxhunters are now becoming increasingly involved in preserving the land that's left, and joining city planning commissions and town governments.
Other equestrians are taking advantage of land set aside in trusts and forest preserves, realizing that private land is no longer safe. Stephen Hales knows from experience. Hales organized the Wild Horse Valley Ranch Horse Trials (Calif.) until last year, when the property that housed the competition was closed down by the owners.
"It's difficult finiding people who are willing to let you on and do what you need to do," Hales said about using private properties. "It's becoming a problem." Using public lands, Hales said, "is one of the few practical ways of having a couple hundred acres [available to use for horse sports]." The future of eventing, Hales believes, is in using public facilities like the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, or forest preserves, as does the Wayne-DuPage Horse Trials (Ill.).
Some forward-thinking equestrians are taking advantage of protected lands as a way to ensure their operations well into the future. The Pebble Beach Equestrian Center faces a possible relocation in coming years because a golf course has been proposed for their current site. Postel sees the move as an opportunity, not a setback.
"If we remain at the current site, development will have a tremendous effect on the equestrian center. It might be 50 years, but someday your neighbors start dictating your hours of operation. Eventually, I see that the equestrian center where we are will be pushed out, or the level of operation will change," he said.
If the golf course goes in, a new facility will be constructed in a nearby 500-acre forest preserve. "There's controversy in any change," Postel said. "But people like myself look at it as a great opportunity to move where we will be protected forever."
A similar plan is underway to protect the Devon Horse Show in highly suburbanized Devon, Pa. The Devon Horse Show Foundation has been set up to buy the showgrounds from the Bryn Mawr Hospital, which owns the property. While the grounds aren't immediately threatened, "the hospital is always looking at the bottom line," said show manager David Distler. "Devon, with all its flaws, is a great place. If you move Devon out of Devon, it doesn't matter if it's just a mile up the road," the show wouldn't be the same, Distler said.
Whether they're foxhunters watching subdivisions eat away at their country, or horse show organizers dealing with complaints from ever-encroaching neighbors, horsemen are realizing that the open space they've so long taken for granted isn't as infinite as it once seemed. Many are confronting the idea that their sports just can't continue as they have.
But as they work to protect their land and to work out ways to coexist with their neighbors, equestrians are remarkably optimistic--they aren't ready to give up yet. "I see it possibly ending someday," Halle said of hunting in the current Green Spring territory. "But that someday is a long way off yet."