Wednesday 23rd March. Kick On Ranch, Los Alamos, CA
After a small, informal gathering and a very filling meal at Jack's Restaurant in Orcutt the night before, this morning dawned damp and overcast as it had for the last several days. With so much rain the meet venue of choice - used for Opening and Closing Meets and on days to impress visitors - had to be abandoned. Here at Kick On the footing is mostly sand which dries quicker, with just a few adobe places which we try to avoid.
Huntsman Martyn Blackmore brought 14 couple of English hounds and 1 1/2 couple of crossbreds to the meet. It was decided to draw the front of the ranch where viewing is better for the many foot and car followers which included hunt staff from the Midland Hunt in GA, FOL's very own Bev Coulter and Mr, a gentleman from Australia whose spouse was riding in the field and last but not least the SYVH Masters who are both side-lined for the remainder of the season.
After a short hack from the meet hounds were put into Red Rock Ravine, where they were soon working hard to own a line. The line zig-zagged to the annex fence line where scent seemed to get a little better but then disappeared. Whilst being cast around some hounds marked a hollow tree, but alas the unmistakable odor told us this was not a coyote - darned skunks get everywhere! Picked up, hounds were taken back to the fence line, here they worked along sporadically to Bulldozer Bluffs where the line was lost once again. Going on to draw Bobcat Cleve and along to Deep Wash all were blank, as was the Reservoir Covert.
Hounds were on the way to draw along the Stevens's vineyard fence line, when a good view from whipper-in, Sue Blackmore, had hounds held forward to the Stevens's water tank. Here huntsman viewed the coyote leaving Short Combe and dropped hounds close to his brush - now would have been too late to check your girth as hounds were soon in full cry! Down through Jim's Palace valley to cross the Brahma trail by the stock tank and forging on towards Mr Luis's fence they turned sharp right, where hounds got a lead over the horses as we had to dodge the trees to get to the stretch gate. Through the gate, up and over the next ridge we caught up with the tailenders heading for the 135 close to Mr Luis's farm buildings. With the San Antonio Creek running high and fast, our pilot baulked at crossing and choose to turn into the Rancho La Cuna vineyard. Although we were a long way behind we could just hear them in the vineyard, but after a quick gallop to the often used gate to find it chained and locked and now with hounds a distant echo, we raced around to the next available gate into the vineyard after fighting the undergrowth to get the gate open! Gaining the highest point around we could just hear hounds who had gone out the other end of the vineyard and into the vast Rancho de las Flores canyon. By the time we got there hounds were at a loss and quite spread out. This hunt as the horse went from find to finish was 5.23 miles and quite a bit more as hounds went.
When all but 1 1/2 were gathered we left the vineyard through the same gate we entered and waited a few minutes before deciding to draw the Chevron covert which we were right beside and within a few minutes the missing couple and a half were let out of the vineyard to join the pack. At the far end of this covert Sue again viewed a coyote which was slowly hunted on the steep bank which is thick with coastal sage for a few minutes. Once this line was lost and due to the fact that 4 hours had elapsed, the huntsman's horse had cast a shoe and a whipper-in lost her horse (see photo!) it was decided to head in.
After a short break and partaking of the hunt breakfast, generously supplied by hunt members, the Waldingfield Beagles entertained the foot followers to an hour and 1/2 of continuous, diligent work through the sage brush and lupin hillsides of the Couch and Dominguez property that neighbours Kick On Ranch.
Once everyone had returned to their rooms for a wash and brush up, we all met at the Twin Oaks Restaurant in Los Alamos, where 43 people had loaded plates to dine on! It was largely agreed that the SYVH have the most awesome and beautiful country to hunt in and it did not matter that the day was a little damp and grey.
Martyn,
Stillkickingon, on Kick On Ranch.
Home of the Santa Ynez Valley Hunt
Huntsman Martyn Blackmore with judges Betsy Park and Eleanor Hartwell
Huntsman Blackmore with judges and staff
Whippers in Rob Mehl and Tracy Ward share a horse as budget cuts take effect
These pictures courtesy Eric Canton
Debra Tsilfidis from Melbourne, Aus at Kick On Ranch
Hunt Dinner
Field Master Michael Hunter on Kick On Ranch
Off to See the Beagles on Kick On Ranch