A longtime tradition in the Brandywine region, fox hunting begins in August and continues through the end of March. The formal hunting - in which the riders dress in bright-red English jackets, white breeches and black-velvet caps - runs from November through the end of the season.
One can glimpse the fox hunters from many of the rural highways that crisscross the area, but it's best to call in advance to find out when they go out and where they're leaving from. A traditional English-style hunt with the largest pack of pure-bred English hounds in the country is mounted by Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Foxhounds in Unionville.
The hunt - in Chester County countryside reminiscent of England and France - goes out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It passes through stunning vistas of hill and dale. One crosses a patchwork of open, plowed fields; wooded areas; streams; stone and wood fences; traditional flagstone dog kennels; wooden stables; large white barns; old farmsteads, and tall, stark willow, maple and oak trees.
The hunt goes out in just about every kind of weather - the exception being when the ground is frozen solid, making it impossible for a horse to safely stand up or jump, as it was this week - and often lasts three to five hours. You can stay as long as you want; a picnic lunch or a thermos of hot coffee doesn't hurt, either. It's best to follow in a car or a jeep (with a working heater).
"A lot of people come out," said Nancy Hannum, master of foxhounds - the top person - at Mr. Stewart's. "Some don't go to the theater or movies or a football game, but they come out and follow the hounds."
