Essex Fox Hounds will host a pace this Saturday, May 12th at Cedar Lane Farm  http://essexfoxhounds.org/

Spring Valley Hounds in New Vernon on Sunday June 3rd http://www.springvalleyhounds.com/Pages/HunterPace.aspx

Amwell Valley Hounds on Sunday, June 10th http://www.amwellvalleyhounds.com/pacesclinic.html

and many other…so ride with your friends!

Please Contact:  Somerset Regional Animal Shelter, Bridgewater, NJ.  Email:  somersetregional@verizon.net

SPIKE

SLEVIN

SCRUFFY

RAYNE

PRECIOUS

PEACE

Please consider networking these cats and helping them to find a home.

Somerset Regional Animal Shelter

100 Commons Way  Bridgewater, NJ 08807

908-725-0308

somersetregional@verizon.net

MING - Female Calico

Miller - Female Tortoiseshell

Sanchez - Male Orange & White

Alvin - Black Male

And while Hurricane Irene has played havoc with scheduling here’s a run down of some great events coming up.

This past weekend the Tewksbury Trail Association held their fall hunter pace at the Christie Hoffman Farm in Tewksbury.  They designed a lovely course with both short and long options that covered trails mostly outside the park this year.  Riders covered some beautiful country with jumps, and go arounds placed along the trails.

The Essex Fox Hounds will hold their 71st Annual Hunter Trials on Sunday, October 2nd at the Essex Hunt Club in Peapack, New Jersey.

Riders of all ages will compete in the beautiful setting of the Essex Hunt Club over a rolling course that simulates the hunt country. The event will begin at 8:30 A.M. and will be held rain or shine.  You need not be a foxhunter to participate.

Events will include Over Fences and Under Saddle classes for children and adults, Lead Line, a Costume Class, and team challenges. The prize list is available for download at: http://essexfoxhounds.org/

A concessions stand will offer breakfast, simple grilled foods, snacks and beverages for purchase.

The USEF Show Jumping East Coast Talent Search Finals will be held at the USET Gladstone, NJ facility on October 7, 8^th &  9^th.  Come and watch some amazing young talent compete

In preparation for the Essex Fox Hounds’ NAPPA  Point To Point Races, “A Race for Open Space “ which will be held at Cedar Lane Farm in Oldwick , NJ on Oct. 30^th, the hounds will be holding a point to point clinic will be held Saturday, October 8^th at Cedar Lane Farm, for those interested in racing.  Please email info@essexfoxhounds.org for more information.

Sunday October 9^th the Amwell Valley Hounds hold their final hunter pace in their “Triple Crown Series”.

The pace, which begins at 9 am will be held at Sourland Farm in Ringoes.  Riders will cover the scenic and rolling hunt country of the Amwell Valley Hounds, and will have the opportunity to ride over fences or opt out and go around. First riders go out at 9:00, last riders out at 1 pm.  Prizes for optimal times in several categories will be awarded, and the winners of the Triple Crown Series will be announced.  Link to information: http://www.amwellvalleyhounds.com/pacesclinic.html

The annual Far Hills Race Meeting is on October 22^nd at Moorland Farms racecourse in Far Hills, NJ.

A  ‘not to be missed’ event, this year’s race meeting promises to be better than ever and will include a vendor village, family area and of course some of the best steeplechasing to be seen in America.  Tickets can be purchased both locally and on-line and the race meeting’s website is a wealth of information on the how to’s of attending a steeplechase for those of you who have not made it to Far Hills yet: http://www.farhillsrace.org

The EFH Hunter Trials is the first of several fall events hosted by the Essex Fox Hounds and will be followed by the annual Hunter Pace on Sunday, October 23rd at Cedar Lane Farm in Oldwick.  This day out on horseback will cover trails over the scenic hunting countryside of Oldwick and Tewksbury.  First riders go out at 8:30, last riders out at 3 pm.  Prizes for optimal times in several categories will be awarded.

A “Weekend at Gladstone” will be the theme for October 29 & 30^th.

The hounds will hold their annual Hunt Ball at the historic USET Stables at Gladstone Saturday evening.  The dinner dance will begin with cocktails at 6:30 followed by dinner at 7:30.  Tickets maybe purchased by contacting Hunt Secretary, Karen Murphy at info@essexfoxhounds.org

Point to Point Racing

On Sunday October 30^th,   the Essex Fox Hounds will hold their NAPPA member event Point To Point Races, “A Race for Open Space “ which will be held at Cedar Lane Farm in Oldwick , NJ.

Post time for the first race will be 11:20 AM.  Races will include something for everyone:  pony races, foxhunter races, lead-line races and stick pony races, in addition to several NAPPA races over fences.  Finish line tailgate spaces are available for purchase and the day will also include a parade of coaches.  Unreserved parking is available, so gather your friends, pack a picnic and come out for a great day in the country.   For more information about any of the Essex Fox Hounds events listed above, please email info@essexfoxhounds.org.

To wind up the weekend the USET Foundation  is holding a Hamilton Farm Historic Stable Tour on Sunday October 30^th at 4:30pm at the USET in Gladstone, NJ.  The tour includes cocktails & hors d’ oeuvres, presentations by Bonnie B. Jenkins, Executive Director of the US Equestrian Team Foundation, and local author and historian W. Barry Thomson, and a Special Performance Dressage Grand Prix Musical Freestyle.  This is a wonderful way to finish the weekend and support the USET.  Contact the USET at: info@uset.org.

Finally, if you are looking for more fun Lord Stirling Stables and the Friends of Lord Stirling Stables will hold their fall Hunter Pace on Sunday, Nov. 6th in Basking Ridge, NJ.

The pace which was originally slated for September has been re-scheduled due to the after effects of Hurricane Irene.  The trails will be beautiful and perhaps Irene created a new jump or two.  Come on out for another great Hunter Pace and enjoy a day with friends and family while supporting the horse of Lord Stirling Stables. A brochure and entry form can be found here: http://www.flssnj.org/Upcoming-events/index.html

I will be out photographing some of these events and being a spectator at others, so stop by and say hello.  See you there!

NB be sure to check with each organization as dates may still be changed due to the weather.

It was not so long ago I was at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show, or the Princeton Jumpers Grand Prix at Hunter Farms or shooting one of several of the late spring and early summer hunter paces here in New Jersey.  I have spent dawns photographing wildlife, and as many evenings watching the sunset in the distance over far hills and fields of freshly mown hay in windrows waiting to be baled.  Portraits have been made, new projects planned; life has been rich and full as it should be.  Ah summer…..

Here are a few images reflecting what I have been up to this summer………  enjoy.

Bryn Mawr Hound Show - PBGV IN FLIGHT

Bryn Mawr Hound Show - American Foxhound Class

Princeton Jumpers Grand Prix at Hunter Farms through my lensbaby.

Portrait Shoot 'Outtake'

Like many towns, we have an annual parade to observe Memorial Day and thank and honor those men and women who have served their country, both in war time and in peace. The ranks are thinning every year as the veterans age; we do not have many young people who serve, a sign of both affluence and possibly apathy, and certainly of changing attitudes towards serving in the military. For my father’s generation it was a question of duty; you served. He chose the army another brother the navy, and so on. My grandmother stoically sent her sons, she had 4, off to war and welcomed them home with huge banners hung across the front of their home and the warm embrace of a mother whose relief at their safe return was, I am, sure quite palpable. I can’t imagine sending either of my sons off to war, I love them too much, and I can’t imagine how mothers feel when their children tell them they have enlisted or applied to Annapolis, West Point, etc. I am just not that brave, but I am extremely thankful and grateful to all of those men and women who do serve and protect our freedoms, and I admire their parents’ quiet resolve and inner strength, while they await the safe return of their sons and daughters.

Canada's Rebecca Howard & Rocquefort at the Water Complex - 2011 Jersey Fresh CIC**

Lisa Marie Ferguson aboard Smart Move Over the Hay Rack - 2011 Jersey Fresh CCI** Division Winners

I have just spent the last 5 days commuting back and forth to Allentown to photograph the 2011 Jersey Fresh CCI/CIC two and three star events.  Jersey Fresh evolved from the old three day event started in my neck of the woods known as the Essex Horse Trials.  The first events were held at Hoopstick Farm in Bedminter, the home of  Roger Haller, a driving force behind the trials.  It was then and still is an event supported by volunteers.  I have fond memories of painting lots and lots of white dressage fences with friends, others served as fences judges, runners, etc.  We were all put to work and had a lot of fun doing it.  The Essex Horse Trials later moved to Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, the home of the USET at the time.  The event grew larger and attracted both American and international competitors. Roads and tracks were held on the dirt roads of the  surrounding area and the steeplechase phase in a large field, nearby.  The event has since moved to Allentown at the horse park, formats have changed, but  is still a great competition for riders and spectators alike.  If you have never been, mark you calendar for next May.  Go eventing!

Nina Ligon & Fernhill Fearless display quiet determination as they clear a jump in the final stadium phase of the CCI*** division.

Last month I had the pleasure of watching my first Court Tennis Tournament.  The Gold Racquets is an annual Court Tennis and Racquets Tournament held at the Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY.  The invitational tournament drew players from all along the eastern seaboard as well as Montreal, Canada and England.

Played since the 12th century, court tennis or ‘real tennis’ is a sport of royalty. Viewers of the BBC series “the Tudors”  may recall seeing Henry VII playing the game in one of the episodes.  Court tennis is played indoors on a court which recalls the architecture of a French cloister. The court consists of four concrete walls which incorporate various architectural elements and/or hazards including the  penthouse, tambour, grille, winning gallery, hazard, and mainwall.  There are more elements to the court, and for a complete description I suggest you read ” A Short History” found on the US Court Tennis Association’s website http://www.uscta.org.

The game is one of strategy akin to chess or bridge and is fascinating to watch. I highly recommend searching out a club nearby and watching this unique game.

Love is in the air today, and I want to spread the love!

I love what I do, I really do. Photographing people and their horses makes me happy; and seeing the pleasure that people get from receiving a great image of themselves with their horse can’t be beat.  So to thank all of you for your continued support and friendship, I am offering a special portrait session opportunity to you and your friends.

The first ten readers to both subscribe to my blog and send me an email will receive a portrait session for themselves along with their horse, pet or family member at a 40% discount off the usual rate of $300.  This offer expires at ten confirmed clients or February 21^st whichever happens first.

Of course there is some fine print to consider:

This offer is limited to ten clients, and to sessions within 20 miles of Bernardsville, NJ.   Further travel to be billed at current rates.

A fifty percent deposit of $130.00 is required, in advance, to reserve your date.

Dates may be booked now through June 2011.

No print purchases are required, but I will be offering a special discount on certain items for these sessions.

So I look forward to hearing from you, and feel free to pass this along to your friends; spread the love, after all is Valentines Day!

My email:  pkmillerphotography@gmail.com

Now I am a behind the scenes kind of girl, and shy away from putting myself out there as it were, but not one to shirk a request I thought about the questions put before me.  The usual questions were asked:  How long have you been fox hunting? How long have you been photographing the Essex Fox Hunts and ball? What makes the Essex Fox Hunt so special to you?

I answered the first two questions briefly and concisely, I didn’t really consider those answers would be of much interest to readers, but the last question required a deeper and more thoughtful response as it was inherently more thought-provoking on multiple levels. So what does make the Essex Fox Hounds so special to me or for that matter hunting in general – I also follow a pack of foot hounds and have done so for most of my adult life, as well as on occasion as a child.  My entire family has earned their colors, my sons as very young boys.  We probably have the smallest sized foot hunting livery in this part of the world!  I had served as Hon. Secretary for many years, putting together fixture cards, working on fund-raisers, puppy shows, teas and social events, even picking up plops at the kennels.  So hunting, and particularly foot hunting is very much a part of my life, and that of my family. So to answer:

“To me it goes beyond good friendships and sport, it is about the land, the countryside, without which there would be no hunting either on horseback or on foot; the amazing vistas would be gone, I would not be able to enjoy the cackle of a pheasant as hit runs, watch a deer leap over a four rail fence, or hear the wind blowing through a tall stand of pines – all of these sensory experiences are part of the fabric of our countryside, not just hunting, and if we don’t encourage our friends and neighbors towards land preservation and good stewardship of the countryside we will lose these joys.  As an equine photographer the land is an inherent part of every image I make, and we are blessed with some very beautiful places;  it is my hope through preservation that this wonderful country hunted by the Essex Fox Hounds will remain open and become preserved so that future generations may enjoy what we hold most dear.”

Land preservation is the key to the future enjoyment of all these activities, so talk to your friends and neighbors about it.  Don’t just assume they will be good stewards of the countryside; we all know the lure of the developer’s dollar has taken its toll on many farms in our region.  Large blocks of developable land command premium prices in New Jersey as well as other states, and families acting to ensure the financial well-being of current and future generations will always be tempted to sell to the top dollar.  Know what your county and state programs are for land preservation; know your land.  Is it even developable, is it arable, what are your options?  Encourage Farmland Preservation, encourage access and encourage participation it benefits everyone.    And if you are in the mood, pick up a copy of the March Issue of Town & Country Magazine!