Fairfax Hunt: A Brief Description
Return to the Hunt Information Page

The Fairfax Hunt was founded in 1928 and recognized by the MFHA in 1933. The driving force behind the creation of the club was the Bowman family and the focal point was their six thousand acre Sunset Hills Farm. From the late 1920s into the early '60s members hunted across Fairfax County, including land once traversed by George Washington's personal pack.

Fairfax Hunt now enjoys sport in neighboring Loudoun County. Most of the country is centered around the small village of Philomont, north of Middleburg and south of Leesburg. The land is a mixture of open, rolling fields and moderate to heavy woods, both pine and hardwood. Jumps are of average height, mostly coops, stone walls, and rail fences.

Hounds are kenneled at Red Hill, near Arcola, Virginia, and are hunted by professional Huntsman Kevin Palmer, whose grandfather was a founding member of the Hunt. He maintains a pack of American-English crossbred hounds. Although frequently reported nearby, coyote have not yet appeared in the Fairfax territory in any appreciable numbers. As such, the primary quarry continues to be the red fox.

Members of Fairfax Hunt are proud of both the club's history and our centuries-old tradition of sport. We are honored to continue this practice over land that has hosted some of foxhunting's most notable figures, going all the way back to Colonial times and continuing to this day.

Return to the Hunt Information Page