Foxhunting Favorites and Tips for First-Timers

From Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club, winners of the 2024–2025 Live Oak Hounds–USPC Foxhunting Challenge. Compiled by Elizabeth Moyer, USPC Fundraising & Marketing Coordinator; Photos by Megan Weir-Leven, Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club

Every year across the country, members of the United States Pony Clubs (USPC or Pony Club) saddle up and experience the thrill of riding to hounds with the Live Oak Hounds–USPC Foxhunting Challenge. The Challenge was created through the generous support of C. Martin Wood III and Daphne Flowers Wood, Joint Masters of the Live Oak Hounds in Monticello, Fla., to introduce more youth to the sport of foxhunting. The Challenge offers cash prizes totaling $10,000 for participating clubs/centers, rewarding them for trying the sport and spending time in the hunt field.

Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club in the Tri-State Region, hunting with their home hunt of  Rolling Rock Hunt in the Ligonier Valley of western Pennsylvania, as well as Wateree Hounds, claimed first place in the 2024–2025 Foxhunting Challenge. Club members had a great time and shared some of their favorite things about Foxhunting and tips for first-timers interested in giving it a try.

Ali V., age 14 (D-3)

Favorite Thing: I love riding over the countryside on my horse with a group of people that enjoy the adventure as much as I do.  The sound of the hounds and the beautiful scenery are amazing.

Tips: Eyes up, and be prepared for anything! No two hunts are the same, and every hunt has a story to tell.

Aleks, age 15 (C-1)

Favorite Thing: I like the excitement, adrenaline, and the chase of Tally Ho.  

Tips: My advice is to study up on the words and phrases that are unique to this sport.

Laney H., age 11 (D-3)

Favorite Thing: Jumping, of course, and riding with the pack. 

Tips: Bridged reins are your friend, especially in the beginning. Never pass the field Master

Hadley H., age 12 (D-3)

Favorite thing: Riding with the pack and listening to the hounds speak and work. The chase is awesome! 

Tips: Stay on top, keep up, and be quiet! 

Hannah H., age 11 (D-2)

Favorite thing: Great life lessons!

Tips: Stay in your group and be smart.

“We would like to thank the Live Oak Hounds for their commitment to the sport of foxhunting and keeping the tradition strong within USPC, as this is the future of the sport,” shared Megan Weir-Leven, District Commissioner of Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club. “The Challenge was exciting for our members and members of other foxhunting clubs as well.

“If the master and huntsmen think you and your mount can do it, you can and will!” she added.

Getting Started in Foxhunting

If you are interested in giving foxhunting a try, Pony Club offers a great foundation in the skills you will need, as well as providing a variety of opportunities to explore the sport of foxhunting. Foxhunting has been part of the United States Pony Clubs since the very beginning. USPC was founded in 1954 by a group of foxhunting enthusiasts who realized the importance of teaching youth to ride and care for horses to develop the next generation of equestrians, including future foxhunters.

Although Pony Club now includes many other riding disciplines, the tradition continues strong today with support from the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America (MFHA) and from the foxhunting community. For more than a decade, the Live Oak Hounds–USPC Foxhunting Challenge Award has partnered with USPC to encourage hundreds of young equestrians to try Foxhunting for the first time and experience the fun, freedom, and camaraderie of riding to hounds on horseback.

Learn more about opportunities to get started in foxhunting in “Tally ho! Foxhunting in Pony Club.”