Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds’ Vixen Hunt Puts Ladies in the Lead

Photos by Jim Graham

Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds’ Vixen Hunt celebrates open space and female empowerment.

Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls),” the Eurythmics’ “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”—the soundtrack was a perfect fit for the proceedings on this brisk day in early March. The hits blasted from a set of speakers set up on Lydia Bartholomew’s Plumstead Farm in Unionville as over 120 women gathered for Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds’ Vixen Hunt, an annual event that attracts female riders from up and down the East Coast and beyond.

A major component of the annual fox hunt was a lavish afternoon tea held in the barn. Attendees were greeted by a chandelier hanging above a statue of a fox surrounded by draped linens and accented with magnolia branches and forsythia in full bloom. Silver platters, glassware and china covered the tables, awaiting guests.

Sidesaddle rider Amy Cattell Magee, winner of last year’s Best Turned Out Award.

Also in the field that day was four-time Olympic equestrian Boyd Martin, whose considerable charms had Coatesville’s Mamie Duff and others wondering exactly which “fox” they were chasing. “The men are all in to help us pull this off,” says Vixen Hunt organizer Rachel Wilkoski. “They were pouring champagne and clearing dishes, wearing tuxedos while doing it all.”

“In 2022, a group of Connecticut women attended Cheshire’s Vixen Hunt. Upon returning home, they found the perfect candidate to buy a particularly large parcel of the Brandywine Valley land Cheshire had been working to protect for quite some time.

Duff has frequented her share of these chases. “It’s fun to ride with women only, meeting ladies who share your passion from other hunts,” she says.

Several years ago, afternoon tea consisted of folding tables in a field, where guests ate cookies, cheese and crackers off paper plates, washing it all down with wine or soda. That didn’t sit well with an accomplished host like Duff. When Bartholomew offered Plumstead for the event in 2023, Duff seized the opportunity to incorporate the property’s grand bank barn. “I am, in fact, competitive about hosting,” she quips. “With the advantage of a roofed structure to work with, I envisioned an extravaganza that would make the trip to Cheshire really worth the effort.”

Word got out about Duff’s plans, increasing the draw for 2024 by 50%. The guest list included riders from Virginia, Maryland, Arizona, California and even Spain for an event coincidentally hosted on International Women’s Day. “Everybody loves their own hunt country,” says Phoebe Fisher, co-master of Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds. “Nothing’s more fun than sharing that.”

A Montgomery County native, Fisher came to the area 30 years ago. She had her first experience with Cheshire when she was 13 years old. “I was told to stay right with [the late foxhunting icon] Mrs. Hannum,” she recalls. “I even remember what fence I fell off at.”

As the organizer for the Vixen Hunt, Wilkoski takes great pride in the day. “I don’t usually take a deep breath until 11 a.m., when I know the rest is up to the hunting gods and the hounds,” she says.

Once the ladies set off, unmounted followers were able to ride around the country in a hay wagon driven by Jamie Hicks of Kennett Square’s Meadow Springs Farm, who also graciously donated his time to the setup and takedown of the event.

Audrey Buchanan gets creative in the hat contest.

Vickie Manning was part of the field this past March. The owner of Greenville’s esteemed Somerville Manning Gallery has participated in plenty of vixen hunts, both here and in Virginia. The ground was a bit soft in 2024, she notes, which prevented the pack from traveling through certain areas out of respect for property owners. “But I’m glad they took everybody over the Brooklawn Double,” says Manning, in reference to the double fences bordering Newark Road near Mrs. Hannum’s property. “That’s classic.”

“A major component of the annual fox hunt was a lavish afternoon tea held in the barn. Attendees were greeted by a chandelier hanging above a statue of a fox surrounded by draped linens and accented with magnolia branches and forsythia in full bloom.

It’s no secret that foxhunting is in trouble, as further development eats away at available open space. For Fisher, part of the problem is how disconnected people have become. “We have to work together,” she says. “Keep fighting for the land. Keep trying to keep it open. Keep trying to find potential landowners who want to come in and save the land.”

Events like the Vixen Hunt help foster a network of people who appreciate the importance of open space and support one another in the often arduous task of preserving it. Those connections are crucial to the event’s beneficiary, Cheshire Hunt Conservancy. In 2022, a group of Connecticut women attended Cheshire’s Vixen Hunt. Upon returning home, they found the perfect candidate to buy a particularly large parcel of the Brandywine Valley land Cheshire had been working to protect for quite some time. “Almost 200 acres came directly from the Vixen Hunt,” Fisher says.

Indeed, there’s a reason why Duff devotes such care to the post-hunt festivities. “Many participants say they’ve never had the chance to gallop and jump for two hours,” she says. “I was excited by the chance to create something that would not only be a great event in its own right but would build year after year on the strength of its success and raise real money for Cheshire.”

Hours after the hounds had settled back into their kennel, afternoon tea was still in full swing. There was even a hat contest. “It encouraged the ladies to spruce up post-hunt without the need to make a full costume change in their trailers,”says Duff.

With her immaculate habit and meticulously groomed horse, Coatesville-based sidesaddle rider Amy Cattell Magee received the event’s Best Turned Out Award. “We probably should’ve given her an award for bravery, too,” Duff says. “Taking fences aside is no joke.”

Visit cheshirehuntconservancy.org.

Related: Thrift and Vintage Shops Around the Brandywine Valley Hold Major Appeal