One of the GREAT joys of living in Virginia's PREMIER Hunt Country is the annual Blessing of the Hounds held each Thanksgiving morning at Grace Episcopal Church on Gordonsville Rd.
The Keswick Hunt Club hounds are brought to the church and the members of the hunt club come with mounts for the blessing and then start the hunt season across the road at the Kinloch estate.
The first Keswick Blessing of the Hounds service was held in 1929 and the ceremony began centuries ago in France in honor of St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters.
Grace Church was originally constructed in 1745 and after burning, it was rebuilt and consecrated in 1896. In addition to being historic, the church has played a role in several movies, including the 1998 movie HUSH staring local area Academy Award winning actress Jessica Lange.
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
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"...to be a Virginian, either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from the Almighty God...." Anonymous
Sounds like an interesting tradition. Do you do this every year?
Yes * the riders and hounds are in front of the church and the rectress blesses them and then the riders ride across the street with the hounds and start the first "hunt" of the season.
Usually loads of media there and I always advise new residents to go at least once - kids LOVE it.!!