GVH Donates $5,000 to Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong
Each year on the second Saturday in October, the Genesee Valley Hunt hosts the Genesee Valley Hunt Races, a wonderful family day in the country featuring horse and pony races, dog events, food and fun. The 2007 Races were a huge success due to generous sponsors and an army of volunteers. In January, Race Chairman and MFH W. Austin Wadsworth, far right, Assistant Chair Stirlin Harris, center, and Race Promotions Team Chair Stephanie VonBacho, left, delivered a $5,000 donantion to the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong. Accepting for the Children's Hospital is Karen Eisenberg. Donations were also made to Geneseo Rotary and Geneseo Fire Department's ambulance fund. The 2008 GVH Races are October 11.
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YEARS OF HUNTING IN THE GENESEE VALLEY
The
One Hundred and Thirty-second year of the Genesee Valley Hunt will
begin with the opening meet on Saturday, September 27th, 2008, at
the Homestead in Geneseo.
In
1876 Major W. Austin Wadsworth organized and became Master of the
Genesee Valley Hunt, which for the first six years was called the
Livingston County Hunt. There were no hounds other than those
brought to the hunt by members of the field. Although Charles
Carroll Fitzhugh was designated the Huntsman, there were often as
many huntsman as there were owners of hounds since the hounds
responded only to their individual owners.
Major
Wadsworth became Huntsman as well as Master of the Hunt in 1878.
After spending a few years struggling with the chaos that results
from hunting a trencher pack, the Major decided to develop his
own pack of crossbred hounds. The Major achieved a level of fame
in the foxhunting world and from the 1880s through the 1890s the
Genesee Valley was regarded as the foxhunting center of North
America. The Major hunted his hounds in the Valley for almost
four decades, only relinquishing his role as huntsman the last
few years of his life, and keeping his role as Master until 1917.
In
1919, Major G.L. Stryker, from Maryland, took over the Hunt, but
failed to keep it going the following year. The Hunt was
disbanded until 1922, when Major Winthrop Chanler, a newcomer to
the Valley, revived it. Major Chanler was M.F.H. until just after
the Hunts formal incorporation on the 31st day of December, 1925.
In
1926 the Hunt was taken over by the joint Masters, Ernest L.
Woodward and James S. Wadsworth, known as “Jim Sam”. In 1930,
Jim Sam died, leaving Mr. Woodward to carry on until 1933, when
William P. Wadsworth, the founder’s son, stepped into his
father’s boots.
William
P. was M.F.H. for the next 43 years until 1975, and Huntsman
until 1972. His only absence was during the time he served in
World War II. During that time the Hunt was under the stewardship
of Edward Mulligan, of Avon.
W.
Austin Wadsworth, grandson of the Hunt’s founder, and son of
William P. Wadsworth, became joint Master and Huntsman in 1972.
He then took over completely after his father’s retirement in
1975. In 1980, Austin’s Sister Martha D. Wadsworth became joint
Huntsman, and seven years later she became joint Master as well.
Marion Thorne, Austin’s Stepdaughter, became joint Huntsman
with Austin in 2001 and became Joint Master in 2006.
GVH-Related
Art Works
2006
was a seminal year for the creation of art associated with the
Hunt, due in part to the promotion of the 2007 MFHA Centennial
Traveling Art Exhibition. For photos of these art works,
click on the title above or HERE.
For information on the Centennial Exhibition, see the Cross Gate
Gallery web site at http://www.crossgategallery.com/.
MFHA
2007 Centennial DVD - Submission of Information
As
part of the Celebration of the Centennial of the Masters of
Foxhounds Association, GVH developed an expanded written history
of the hunt, which was submitted along with some photos for
inclusion in a DVD compiling all of the MFHA member hunts. This
text document, with a few of the photos included, is available
for download HERE
as a PDF file. The DVD is expected to be available in the Spring of 2008.
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