Princess Anne Hunt 2025
Second Annual
Junior Hunt Day
January 18th, 2025
Location: River Ridge, 812 Shirley Plantation Road, Charles City VA
Princess Anne Hunt will host a Meet this foxhunting season with special privileges and attention on juniors. We welcome any Junior (age 18 or younger) interested in foxhunting to attend. PAH will offer a special junior flight with a designated Field Master, in addition to our first, second and third field options.
Only non-members need register.
If you are interested in coming to ride or just follow in a vehicle, contact the PAH Masters of Foxhounds via email for approval. The Masters can answer any questions you may have about foxhunting with Princess Anne Hunt, please don't hesitate to ask!
Schedule: (For visiting juniors)
9:00 a.m. - Arrive
9:15 a.m. - Provide Hunt Secretary with your waiver, neg-coggins and license.
9:30 a.m. - Please be mounted and ready to ride.
9:45 a.m. - Stirrup Cup (drink provided at "stirrup level" and a snack).
10:00 a.m. - Announcements and Hounds Meet for morning of foxhunting.
( Typical day of hunting will be 2-3 hours)
1:00 p.m. - Hunt Breakfast (tailgate lunch) provided but feel free to bring something to share.
There is no cost for Juniors to hunt on this day. Adults wishing to ride with their juniors will be charged a half price capping fee ($50)
Riders under 12 must have an adult chaperone riding in the same flight.
No hunt affiliation is needed.
ALL riders must have a signed waiver. Juniors must have it signed by a parent or guardian and a hard copy brought with them to the meet. Please print and complete ahead of time to expedite check-in. Signed and scanned waivers may be emailed to the Hunt Secretary ahead of time. All horses must show a negative Coggins test. A hard copy must be brought to the meet.
Hunting License requirements:
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- Anyone ages 12-15 must have either a Resident or Nonresident Junior Hunting License depending on the junior's residency and be with a licensed adult riding in the same field.
- Anyone 16+ must have either a Resident or Nonresident Fox Hunting License depending on the rider's residency.
- Any Virginia resident under 12 is not required to have a license but must be with a licensed adult.
- Any non-Virginia resident under 12 is required to have a Nonresident Junior Hunting License.
- Visit GoOutDoorsVirginia.com for information or to purchase a license.
- Please make sure to read about the 3 flights available beforehand.
Princess Anne Hunt has three fields, with a designated Junior Field led by a Field Master for this event. We encourage all junior riders to join the field but may elect to ride in one of the other fields. First field goes quickly and jumps obstacles, Second field goes quickly and does not jump, Third field is walk/trot and rarely a canter over short distances (depends on riders in field). The Junior Field will ride between Second and Third. We feel that we are a great hunt for juniors to "try out" foxhunting in a safe environment.
For ALL fields, riders and mounts MUST be able to do the following:
Stay calm and in control in a large group of horses (sometimes over 15)
Stay calm and in control when asked to stand still while other horses move past
Stay calm and in control when surrounded by up to 25 hounds.
Be able to calmly and capably walk through a stream, across a bridge, and along the side of a road appropriate to the flight.
Be able to navigate uneven terrain, muddy terrain, ditches, going through brush, and turns at speed appropriate to the flight.
Advice for first time foxhunters:
- Riders that have never foxhunted or are very inexperienced with hunting should consider the ability of your horse or pony to handle riding in a group of horses with hounds in the area. All efforts will be made to ensure safe group riding, and Riders or Mounts that are deemed incapable of handling the pace and terrain of foxhunting may be asked to drop back to slower field or asked to leave the field by the Field Master. If you are concerned about your mount’s reaction to hounds, we can coordinate a visit to the kennels during hound walks.
- Tack should be strong and well fitted. Foxhunting requires all flights to navigate terrain at all different speeds. Your saddle and bridle must fit well and have the appropriate equipment to stay in place. Breastplates are encouraged for horses and ponies.
- Foxhunting is NOT a trail ride! The course of the day is determined by the foxes and hounds. The humans do not control the pace nor the direction. Riders should be prepared for terrain and moving at speed over less-than-ideal footing. Junior Flight and Third Flight will typically avoid rough terrain.
- Juniors that are nervous should have a competent adult ride with them as a chaperone to help both them and their mount (mandatory for riders under 12). If needed, please contact PAH Masters and we can help you find a member willing to hunt next to your junior.
- Foxhunting is FUN! We want Juniors to have the best experience possible so please don't hesitate to contact us with ANY questions.
We hope you will have a great and enjoyable time at our Junior Hunt! Juniors are encouraged to dress comfortably and warm in boots, breeches and a dark conservative top/jacket/tweed jacket (hunter show clothes perfectly acceptable and raincoats if bad weather).
If you are interested in coming to ride, please RSVP to the evite. Permission is required from a PAH Master to ride in this event.
We are limiting registration to 25 junior riders and 10 riding chaperones.
The PAH Masters or Hunt Secretary can answer any questions you may have about foxhunting with Princess Anne Hunt, please don't hesitate to ask!