The Retirement of Foxy Lady and Buddy at Closing Hunt, March 28, 2004, at Old Westbury

Generally, at Closing Hunt we honor those individuals who have volunteered their services to better our organization throughout the year. We will, in due course, do just that later this afternoon. However, before we make the first cast of the day, we’d like to recognize two of the principle players in this time-honored activity we all consider a part of our lives.

Today, two horses are going to be retired from the hunt field after years of service to their most grateful owners. Peter Demetriou’s, Buddy and Cathy Springer’s Foxy Lady have followed the Smithtown Hunt’s hounds for a combined total of 30 years. Both have safely carried riders from first time cappers to Field Masters. Both have hunted here on Long Island and in other states such as New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Buddy was the winner of:

the Jr. Championship at Hunter Trials in 1996

the SH Hunter Pace Perpetual Trophy in 1997 and 1998

the Shoreham Series Championship Cup in 1999

the SHHT Perpetual Championship Cup in 2001

and the SH Ladies Challenge Cup in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Foxy, about to celebrate her 23rd birthday, has been in the SH field for 20 of those years. She has also been honored to carry SH colors to four presidential inaugural parades in Washington, DC with the International Side Saddle Organization. She has done these things in spite of a life-threatening leg injury when she was 6 weeks old that necessitated surgical correction with bone screws that remain in place today. [She’d never make it through the metal detectors at the airport <G>]

And so, we would like to honor these hard-working horses, as do their owners. If you will ride to the table to receive a glass of champagne, we can toast these deserving steeds. Please feel free to express your sentiments to their owners with your applause and to them with carrots and apples.