Historical smithtown hunt

The Smithtown Hunt was organized in 1900 and recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 1906. The Smithtown Hunt is now the only hunt surviving on Long Island. For many years, we hunted both live and drag, but in recent years have become exclusively a drag hunt. This means that a scent is laid on the ground, and it is that scent of the fox that the hounds follow. The Smithtown Hunt maintains and breeds a pack of foxhounds that are registered with the Masters of Foxhounds Association. The hunt staff assists in the care, feeding and exercising of the pack which is supervised by the Huntsman who is under the Masters' direction. The Smithtown Hunt is now a section 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization, whose mission is Conservation, Preservation, and Education. The following pages are your guidelines when fox hunting with the Smithtown Hunt. They will prepare you for a safe and knowledgeable day of fox hunting. You will learn the traditions, the thrill of watching the hounds work and make new friends. TALLY HO!

 Interesting article about the history of hunting on Long Island.  Contributed by Merri Ferrell

Long Island Still Echoes, Faintly, to the Cry of "Tally Ho" - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 Interesting article about the Meadowbrook and Smithtown Hunts from the Sports Illustrated Vault from January 31, 1955 Issue depicting “The Changing Look of Fox Hunting”. 

 Johanna deLeyer at her Farm Hollandia in Nissequogue 

Picture posted to Facebook by Arlene Brown-Petrucelli Mutschler   

The Hunt was recently contacted by the Huntington Historical Society.  During their annual holiday house tour, one of the houses featured belonged to a former member of the Smithtown Hunt in the mid-30s!  Through contact with the Society, we were able to gather some pictures and a little history of the Beh's, which I’m sure all of you will find very interesting.  The home is located in Old Chester Hills, which is located in Greenlawn. 

Commander Edward Whitehead and Smithtown Hunt's Professional huntsman Gustov Mollet.  The Thornton estate Head of the Harbor, St. James.