Not every horse person is a girl or woman—at the Van de Vens, it’s the men who ride. Jim was an H-A in Pony Club when he was young, and his son, Ben, now 15, got his first pony when he was 2. Deb, Ben’s mom, had never been around horses before she met Jim. Now the three of them have their horses at home, where they all have duties caring for their animals and everything that goes along with having a small horse farm.
Finding the Hunt
Ben’s riding passion started on a lead line in the western saddle that Jim had when he was Ben’s age. Once Ben was comfortable with steering, he followed behind Jim on trail rides, both on and off the property. At the age of 7, Ben started Pony Club with his new pony, Trellis, who took him up through a C1 Pony Club rating in eventing.
As Ben got older, his passion for horses moved away from Pony Club ratings and into fox hunting. Jim was a whipper-in with Long Lake Hounds, which means he kept the pack of hounds together when out hunting.
Ben and Deb had come out to watch the hunts several times to learn what was happening. Ben heard the stories about when some hounds found a mud hole or took a wrong turn on the beautiful trails that they rode. He had seen his dad’s big smile after each hunt and thought it might be fun to try.
When Ben was 8 and a proven trail rider on Trellis, they walked the hounds on horseback a couple of times and Jim gave Ben the OK to come out to a hunt. It was a good location for a first hunt, with lots of open fields and shorter lines.
Ben and Trellis galloped in the fields behind the field master, and Trellis stood nicely at the checks, waiting for the hounds to catch their breath before the next chase. Toward the end of the hunt, the huntsman invited Ben up to walk the hounds back to the trailer.
Both Trellis and Ben looked like they had been doing this for years; they were both in their element. The hunt ended with a tailgate breakfast, and this was the first time that Ben could share stories about what he had seen the hounds do and how he felt on his first fox hunt.
A New Ride
This started his desire to fox hunt more. Ben hunted Trellis for another four years, getting up early every Wednesday and Saturday morning throughout summer and fall. They explored new trails, learned more about the hounds, made new friends with other members of the hunt, and of course rode with his dad.
Then in the spring of 2011, Ben had the opportunity to try a 15.2-hand, 16-year-old Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred/draft cross who could jump higher and go faster than 14- hand, 25-year-old Trellis could., Georgia.
Georgia was a much different ride than Trellis. She was the typical chestnut mare with an attitude. During the first few lessons, Georgia gave a couple little bucks, and Ben thought that was so fun. She used to “be feral,” as Ben’s trainer would say after each jump, and just barrel around the corners.
He spent two winters at a barn getting weekly lessons and had saddle time almost daily to improve his riding. Out hunting, Georgia was a natural, but Ben quickly learned that if she slipped or took a misstep, he would have to be ready for a little buck, but this is the type of riding that Ben enjoys. After all those lessons, he became a much stronger rider.
One hunt, the hunstman asked Ben if he would like to ride with him and help whip-in. Ben loved being up with the hounds and seeing first-hand what his dad has always talked about. He could see the hounds feathering, trying to find the scent that was laid for them to follow, and he could hear them in full cry when the lead hounds found the scent and the rest of them followed.
He now has stories that he can share with his dad about his perspective of being up with the hounds. Ben likes the adventure of a ride and hunting, but he also knows that he has a trusty mount in Georgia. They have built a strong bond between a boy and his horse.
| What is a Fox Hunt? Long Lake Hounds, Minnesota’s only fox hunting club, is a “drag” hunt, meaning it doesn’t hunt or involve live foxes. A scent is dragged ahead of time to simulate the path a pursued fox might take through the woods and over the fields. The morning of each hunt, the “fox,” which is a member of the hunt, rides through fields, dragging the scent for the hounds to follow. In the early season, three to four lines will be laid, which are 1 to 2 miles in length. Then the scent is circled in an open field after each line, where the horses and hounds can catch their breath. This is called a check. Later in the season as the weather cools and the hounds and horses are in the best shape, there may be up to six lines, ranging from 1 to 3 miles each. After the hunt is over, treats and water are given to the hounds. Adapted from longlakehounds.com. |
This article about a boy who fox hunts appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
