This Saturday, Nov. 8, the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club will celebrate its 15th year of hosting the Fraser Valley’s annual opening hunt.
Spectators are welcome and, if you’ve never been to this hunt, you’re in for a surprise. Every traditional toast and blessing, horses and hounds, riders and boot lunch competitions are present. All that’s missing is the fox.
There’s no live quarry. A scent for the hounds to follow is dragged over a course that has been laid out over traditional territories of the Sechelt and Squamish nations with an eye to maximizing viewing opportunities for spectators.
The opening ceremony would be a good show in itself for the remarkably well-trained hounds, magnificent horses and riders in red coats (called pinks). And the hunt is steeped in traditions that include the blessing of the hounds, which is for hounds, horses and all; the stirrup cup toast, which is a parting toast as the riders are mounted with their feet in the stirrups; St. Hubert’s Fanfare and the call of the horn that sends the whippers-in (trainers) away with the hounds who are in full cry as they pick up the scent and follow their noses to lead the field over hill and plain.
The riders challenge themselves on well-marked jumps, thrill to riding at speed over open terrain and, rain or shine, breathe in the Coast’s natural beauty.
That and the Club’s hospitality draw more than 30 Fraser Valley Hunt members with horses and hounds to the Coast each year.
Less experienced riders of all ages may choose to join the hill-toppers and follow a more gentle course, pausing at key vantage points to watch the field along its way.
If you’re not a rider, earn yourself a chance to win a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne by entering the boot lunch competition. Pick any theme and be as creative as you like. The lunches are judged while the field is away, which allows about 90 minutes to enjoy the company and sample each other’s fare or to get directions and carpool to a vantage point. The riders return to a hosted three-course hunt breakfast.
The hunt takes places at 1264 Lockyer Rd. in Roberts Creek. Traffic entering the site is stopped at 11:15 a.m. while the mounted riders and hounds are gathered for the opening ceremony.
