“Morven Park” is the mansion on the Westmoreland estate in Leesburg, Virginia where the final ceremonies for the one hundredth anniversary of the Masters of Foxhounds took place last weekend.  

Throughout the year horse and hound trials have been held in the USA and Canada with four contestants picked from each district  for the ‘finals’ on Memorial Day weekend in Leesburg.  Morley Thompson, Jr. MFH, Camargo Hunt (Cincinnati) ‘qualified for the mid-south.  Symone Niesz-Ent was a qualifier from Dayton’s Miami Valley Hunt.  Morley’s  ‘Cincy-Dayton-support group’ was loud, large, and made their presence known.  Phil & Julie Meyers arranged transportation via private jet!  Drs. John & Diane Babcock, Brenda Thompson, Bonnie Gieger flew to Leesburg.  Ron & Anne Shepherd drove in.  And all stayed at the Lansdowne Resort.

Saturday was the hound show with over one thousand hounds from forty nine Hunts of the US and Canada.  Old friend Joanie Jones was Chair.  Judges were from the UK and USA.  Judy Herbruck Brown, MFH of Roaring Fork Hounds (Colorado) spotted her old MFH from Miami Valley presenting a trophy and rushed to ring-side for a chat’em up.  Judy graduated from Oakwood High School – just a few years back.  Saturday evening was the Centennial Ball – “You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog’!

Sunday the Cincy-Dayton Group was at ringside at 7 a.m. for the judging of appointments (correct attire). Morley’s sister, Page Tredenick, arrived from Phily where her daughter had been showing at the Devon Horse Show. Next came the ‘Mock Hunt’ – without hounds.  A Field Master led the charge and Judges were on horseback and at each jump. Sixteen horses/riders were picked from the 69 – and Morley was in the sixteen!  Then, Sunday afternoon the stadium jumping (handy class) was held on the lawns in front of the mansion while spectators lunched in the tents.  The scene was right out of ‘Gone With The Wind’.  

Morley Thompson, MFH, Camargo received the beautiful crystal bowl for “Best Presented Field Hunter” - eighteen hand Stony Brook and his equally impressive rider received kudos  that were long and loud.

Jay Kendrick phoned from her home in Tennessee.  “I’m an old neighbor of yours…we used to live on Runnymede Road….Bob Patton told me to call…I’m looking for a barn for my horse…we’re moving back to Dayton…”

Jay chatted with Rob Edwards at Celebration Farm early Thursday morning after a tour of his facility.  “I’ve a retired World Champion Walking Horse that I’ll be bringing to Dayton.”  It was great to see her again and to hear about her champion.  “I’m meeting Bob for dinner tonight and then heading back to Tenn.  We hate to leave our Dale Smith designed house in Tenn. – but we are isolated…I’ve a ninety mile drive to the grocery…one way!  I’m going to stop and see Carolyn Knab this morning…talked to Steve Wargo yesterday…”

Thursday’s New York Times carried a long article:  dateline Dayton, Ohio – and included a terrific picture of Judy Hennessey (former superintendent of Oakwood Schools).  The subject of the article was Dayton’s Early College Academy – Judy is the Principal – and the tax cuts that may end this program.

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