What is the Smithtown Hunt?

The Smithtown Hunt was founded in 1900 as a fox hunting club. Riding to hounds is a sport steeped in tradition, backed by centuries of history. Throughout England, Ireland, Europe, Canada and the United States, men, women and children have enjoyed this sport and its related activities.
Today, the Smithtown Hunt maintains the time honored traditions and etiquette associated with the sport by using artificial scent to simulate the fox. The Smithtown Hunt retains the excitement of the chase. Our riding and non-riding members can enjoy the thrill of this exquisite activity as they follow the hounds through beautiful undeveloped countryside. As a non-profit tax-exempt organization, we have an important mission to fulfill. We are dedicated to charitable purposes beneficial to public interest. Our mission focuses on:

• Conservation
• Preservation
• Education

Conservation

As more and more areas of land are swallowed up by urban expansion, it is the challenge of the Smithtown Hunt to conserve the undeveloped land for the wildlife on Long Island. We are partnering with federal, state and local authorities to conserve all our natural resources. Included in this effort is a focus on maintaining open spaces, which also provides valuable watershed protection for our precious water supply.

Preservation

The history and traditions of fox hunting have made us more aware of the importance of the preservation of our undeveloped land. As stewards of our environment, it is our obligation to protect existing territories available to us as well as to preserve nature's balance within new territories as they are made accessible.

Education

A goal of the Smithtown Hunt is to raise public awareness of the importance of land and building conservation and the historical preservation of our rich heritage. We draw upon the knowledge of experienced specialists to present seminars, clinics, exhibitions and field trips. Everyone is invited to participate and a calendar of events is available on request.

"Join us in protecting and enjoying our precious natural resources".

Expediting our Mission & Plans

Currently, we support recognized tax-exempt charities. We are working in conjunction with other organizations, charities and corporate sponsors to further not only our mission, but also that of other worthy causes. If you would like to be an individual or corporate sponsor, please contact us at (631) 723-3129. Visit our website at www.smithtownhunt.org to see our calendar of activities and sponsored events.