Mr. Don West - Professional Photographer and Road Whip
After retiring from the State of South Carolina, Don began photography as a hobby. He hired a college photography instructor to give him instruction and tips on using a digital camera. In no time he became adept and began photographing a variety of subjects. He remembered seeing the Tryon Hounds at the Block House Steeplechase and wanted to photograph the action of foxhunting since he had always been intrigued by the sport of fox hunting. Don had hunted with hounds all his life; initially with beagles as a kid and later deer hunting with hounds in eastern NC. He contacted the Tryon Hounds and asked if he could attend a hunt and take photographs.
He was invited as a guest and rode in the car with Anita Williamson who was Road Whipping for the Tryon Hounds at the Meadows of Campbell Creek fixture in 2011. He enjoyed an exciting morning in the beautiful countryside listening to the music of the hounds. As a bonus he also met a lot of nice people, enjoyed a traditional Hunt Breakfast and took a few photographs.
He decided to join as a social member. When Joint Master Bonnie Lingerfelt saw some of Don’s stunning photographs, she asked him if he would take photographs and help her publish the Tryon Hounds calendar the Hunt used as a gift to landowners and as a fundraiser. It was lucky for the Tryon Hounds that Don agreed. He said the opportunity to photograph the action, the beauty and pageantry of the sport was a plus! The social activities and the down to earth members made him feel welcome. He has helped publish 15 calendars since. Many of his phenomenal photographs have appeared in magazines including “Chronical of the Horse” and the national foxhunting magazine “Covertside”.
During a hunt in 2013 the hounds went across the river and out of country (hunt area) so Don assisted with stopping the hounds. He was later asked to be a Road Whip along with his already established role as the official photographer. His motto is … the safety of the hounds first and photography second.
Road Whips are responsible for following the hunt by car and help the Huntsman keep the hounds safe and in the area being hunted. Don and other road whips track the hound’s GPS collars to learn the location of each hound and report to the huntsman by radio when necessary.
When Beth Blackwell was hired as the new Tryon Hounds Huntsman the Hunt’s President at the time, Becky Barns, had enticed a reporter to come write an article about the Tryon Hounds new Huntsman and she wanted Don to provide the photography. Beth had only been in town one day when Don and the reporter showed up at the kennels for the interview. As soon as Don saw Beth, he introduced himself and began photographing her and managed to get some excellent shots. Don later apologized to Beth for the ambush and assured her he wanted to work with her to insure he did not disrupt the hunts. Don also told her he had heard she did not like to be photographed and jokingly said “You have to get over that” Beth responded, “That’s what the Masters said”. To this day Don doesn’t know if Beth got over being photographed or just tolerates him.
Don is always the first one to arrive on hunt day and the last one to leave and never without all the hounds accounted for. We suspect Beth admires him for his dedication even if he stalks her like a one man paparazzi. Don has since retired as their official photographer to concentrate fully on being a Road Whip to the hounds.
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As a kid, Shanna was bird hunting off horseback when she witnessed a foxhunt hacking by in formation, and at that moment, she knew it was something she wanted to do someday. Years later, Shanna was eventing on a hot off the track thoroughbred that wasn't working for her. She met a couple whose wife was eventing and also fox hunted. The husband, Darren Haeusler, was from Australia and turned out to be the Huntsman for Whiskey Road Fox Hounds in Aiken, SC. He liked what he saw in Shanna's OTTB and offered to give her a mentorship and membership with Whiskey Road Fox Hounds in exchange for her horse. She took the deal.
When Sophie was 5 she got a pony of her own and began hunting off a lead line with Lowcountry Hunt and Middleton Place Hounds. "I no longer had a name," Shanna quipped. "I was simply 'Sophie's mom'." Sophie grew up learning to crack her whip, blow a hunt horn, and ride her pony to the hounds. "And outfitting her was the best, with all the tiniest hunt habits," remembers Shanna. "We maneuvered through quite a few ponies, each one teaching her more about hunting."