Hartwood, Horse and Hound

Virtual Britsburgh Live presents....

Hartwood, Horse and Hound

For many years in October, Hartwood Acres Park has played host to The Sewickley Hunt. Drag hunting, or draghunting, is a form of equestrian sport, where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. The Sewickley Hunt have been drag hunting since 1922 and the Hunt is one of the oldest in the US.

In this Virtual Britsburgh Live event we will explore the English and equestrian origins of Hartwood Acres, look briefly at the origins and history of fox and drag hunting in the local area as well as in the UK. We will be joined by several speakers from the Sewickley Hunt (the only remaining drag hunt in the Pittsburgh area). Pictures and video will be shown throughout.

Hartwood, Horse and Hound will be moderated by Bonny Diver, who has over thirty years' experience in radio, including iHeart Radio, KDKA  and more; she is also a longtime member of the Sewickley Hunt; and Director of Hair Peace Charities. 

Programme:

• Carol Vivaldi, senior docent at Hartwood, will cover the estate's history as well as that of its original owner, Mary Flinn Lawrence (1887-1974), and share rarely seen photos from Hartwood's archive.

• Discussion with 3 current masters of the Sewickley Hunt about the origins and various aspects of fox and drag hunting, hunt terminology, care of horses and hounds, and hunting in Southwestern Pennsylvania (and comparison with hunting in the UK)

• Enjoy a video of the last simulated hunt at Hartwood in October 2020. Video commisisioned by Britsburgh for this presentation. Videography by Bryan Murray of Surfdog Media,

Note:  The Sewickly Hunt is a drag hunt in which no animals are harmed.

MEMBERS LOGIN FOR FREE REGISTRATION. For other guests, the cost is $5.00. To become a member, visit the Britsburgh membership page.

About Virtual Britsburgh

Starved of theatre, literature, cultural activities during the pandemic? Yes? Then this is for you. Britsburgh is taking its programs online during the pandemic via the Zoom Video Conference App, You will experience aspects of theatre, readings, history, literature, interviews and more. Once you log on, your Virtual Host will make sure you can see and hear us, but we can’t hear or see you. The events are live and the experience is remarkable!

How to watch Virtual Britsburgh?

1. Register for the event - It's free for Britsburgh members! To become a member, visit the Britsburgh membership page.
2. Please donate what you can. The pandemic has necessitated that Britsburgh, like so many organizations, temporarily pause its in-person programming. Your much appreciated contribution will help us keep Britsburgh's programming strong when we return to live programs and the organization viable for the long-term. Thank you in advance for your support!
3. Please consider becoming a Britsburgh member, which will help us through the next year and entitle you to member discounts for our future events (both live and virtual) and a select number of member-only events.
4. You will receive a registration confirmation with a link to the event and a password.
5. We suggest you join the event 10-15 minutes before the event start time. You will be placed into a waiting room where your event host will check you against your registration. If you have not registered you won't be allowed into the event.
6. The audience will be able to watch but your event host will make sure we can't see or hear you. If you wish to ask a question you can do so by using the chat function or in the Q&A section you can raise your hand and the host will unmute you.
7. Adjust your Zoom settings. To fully enjoy the performance you will need to adjust the settings on the Zoom app so you can only see the performers, and not the whole audience. Here are the instructions on how to do it. But don’t worry, we’ll make sure everyone is ready before starting the event!
8. Important: Please make sure your Zoom name is your full name so that you can be ticked off the registration list. If the host cannot readily identify you, you may not be admitted to the event.

This presentation is open to everyone.

Explore fascinating British-themed topics with the guidance of experts and enjoy the company and conversation of fellow enthusiasts as a member of the Britsburgh Society. Society members enjoy our Britsburgh Arts Society, the Britsburgh Beer Society, the Britsburgh History Society, the Britsburgh Literary Society, the new Britsburgh British Mystery Lovers Society, the Britsburgh Tea Society, and the new Britsburgh Travel Society. If you are not already a member, I would like to invite you to consider becoming a Britsburgh Society member. To become a member, visit the Britsburgh membership page.

THE BRITSBURGH TEAM