The Trustees and the Norfolk Hunt Club invites the public to a special display of equestrian pageantry and tradition at Tally Ho! The Amelia Peabody Memorial Hunt, on Saturday, November 21, at 1:00PM at historic Powisset Farm in Dover. Spectators will have a rare opportunity to witness riders in traditional attire navigating jumps and riding through fields, led by a pack of Norfolk foxhounds. The event honors local philanthropist, conservationist, and avid equestrian Amelia Peabody, who formerly owned Powisset Farm and nearby Noanet Woodlands.
The properties are now preserved by The Trustees for public use and enjoyment. The Amelia Peabody Memorial Hunt is funded by the Norfolk Hunt Foundation and serves as a re-enactment of the foxhunts held on Miss Peabody's land during her long tenure as a member of the Norfolk Hunt Club.
“The generosity of the Norfolk Hunt Foundation is so appreciated as we share the combined histories of Powisset Farm, Noanet Woodlands and the Norfolk Hunt with the public. Bringing spectators together to see the foxhunt on the land Miss Peabody once owned is emblematic of both her enthusiasm for equestrian sport and her inclusive nature of welcoming all members of the community to Powisset Farm,” said D.A. Hayden, Regional Vice President-MetroWest for the Trustees.
Spectators will learn more about the traditions of the sport, and the storied local history of the Norfolk Hunt Club, one of the oldest drag foxhunting clubs in the United States. Riders dressed in traditional attire will travel through the farm, following a pack of Norfolk foxhounds. The hounds will be tracking a manmade scent called a “drag” (no live foxes participate), designed to mimic the scent of a fox. Riders will stop for a “check,” or a brief respite, in the east field at Powisset Farm, where they will enjoy a “stirrup cup” of cider while mounted on their horses. Following the check at Powisset, the hunt will continue to Noanet Woodlands, where the foxhounds will continue to follow a drag scent through the woods, returning to Powisset approximately ninety minutes later.
Led by Masters of Foxhounds Sarah Monaco of Dover and Carolyn Pope of Sherborn, the riders will showcase the talent of the hounds, horses, and equestrians as they navigate jumps and varied terrain at Powisset and Noanet. The pack of hounds will be guided by huntsman Steve Farrin of Dover. Adults, juniors and children from Medfield, Dover, Sherborn, Millis, and surrounding communities will be riding horses in the hunt.
The Norfolk Hunt Club's roots are deep in the region; founded in 1895, the Norfolk kennels in Dover are the oldest drag foxhunting kennels in the country in continuous use. The traditional event is one of many foxhunts the Norfolk Hunt runs in the Charles River Valley, on private farms and conservation land.
Spectators should plan to be in the Powisset Farm east field at 12:45PM to watch the horses arrive. Horses, hounds and riders will travel through the farm’s grazing fields and return over jumps along the east side of the Powisset agriculture fields, returning to the east field at approximately 1:20PM for the stirrup cup and opportunity for the public to meet the horses and hounds. Following the stirrup cup, riders will travel through Noanet Woodlands, which will be closed to the public from 12 Noon to 3:30PM during this event. Spectators are welcome to stay for a relaxing visit to Powisset Farm after the horses depart through the woods. The Powisset Farm Store will be open from 9AM-5PM.
Tally Ho! Amelia Peabody Memorial Hunt
Saturday, November 21
1-2PM
Powisset Farm
37 Powisset Street,
Dover, MA 02030
