Dr. Dean McKinney, former MFH, Honorary Whipper-In

Chance at 32 years old.Dean didn’t grow up riding horses until his good friend Bobby Turner bought a couple of Tennessee Walking Horses and asked him to go on a trail ride. Dean said he’d try it out as long as Bobby showed him where the brakes were. It turned out Dean enjoyed himself, especially the interesting new people he met. One was a girl named Roberta. He admits he kept on riding “to chase that girl” he later married.

Roberta had a home with a beautiful view of Lake Bowen but they could not keep horses there. Dean talked her into looking for some land so they could have a horse farm. Roberta replied, “It better have a room with a view.”

The couple built their dream farm in the heart of the Tryon Hounds Hunt Country, and yes it has a gorgeous view of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They soon met a lady name Ann Stevens Allen who foxed hunted. This was in 1994. Ann invited Dr. and Mrs. McKinney to a hunt breakfast the Tryon Hounds was having.

“We couldn’t believe how welcoming everyone was,” Dean said. “Some of the nicest people you would ever meet.” Some of the members asked them both to come out and hunt with them. They both thought it was something they would like to try. The only problem was that Dean had a TWH, named Chance, who had never trotted, cantered or jumped.

Dean decided to take Chance over to Terry Russell’s farm. Terry was a renowned horseman. Dean asked him if he thought Chance could become a hunt horse. Terry said, “I could teach him to jump but the horse is going to look pretty stupid doing it from that running walk thing you ride him in. I have to teach him to canter first.”

While Chance was in training Dean started riding a Thoroughbred named Flashman"Flash") who had raced for 7 years and was only 2 months off the track according to his lip tatoo. Dean  made the fast track to an Honorary Whippers-In and later First Flight Field Master in 2012 untill recently when Huntsman Beth Blackwell called him back to whipping full time. Soon thereafter, Roberta decided that she should be the one riding Flash. Dean then quoted from a John Ford movie: Greater love hath no man than he who gives up his horse to his wife.” This would become a reoccurring theme in their long marriage. The couple decided to celebrate Chance's 32nd birthday byt throwing a party in his honor. Chance had a long career and took 23 different riders fox hunting, from staff to novices. He will be missed by many and remembered fondly. 

Mrs. George Hughston, Jr. (Louise), MFH

A memorial tribute to Louise Hughston

Louise was a nurse by profession and her family had a horse farm in Spartanburg, SC. When Arthur Farwell retired as Master of the Tryon Hounds, Louise was tapped to become a joint Master. Louise and Bonnie were a team from the start. Louise instantly picked up Bonnie’s love of the hounds after Bonnie confided that the current kennel was full of “hounds gone wild.”

The first thing they did was to bring in Robert Ashton as their new Huntsman and with him came some of his American hounds. They rebuilt with an eye for breeding and soon had 15 Couples (or pairs).

The two women recognized each other’s strengths. Louise was a treasure trove of information on what a traditional hunt should be and she recognized that Bonnie had an uncanny sense of business and marketing skills and knew she would be the one who could reorganize the hunt. While Louise went after new members, Bonnie assembled a Board that was responsible for the financials, the buildings, and the social events with creative fundraising ideas including launching the Tryon Hounds Fall Steeplechase.

Ivey Sumrell first hunted with the Tryon Hounds in 1972 as a young college student. “Back then they rode road flat out,” Ivey recounted. “Louise was leading first flight. I had ridden before but had never hunted so I stuck close to Louise. We were on River Road near Carriage Row when Louise exploded into a gallop. We continued at full gallop 4 miles to Scrivens before we stopped. Louise turned to look behind her and I was the only one there. What a hoot!”

Dean McKinney, who would one day become a joint Master of the Tryon Hounds, was fond of saying “Louise Hughston could cuss you out with a smile on her face. Everybody loved her.”

Louise is missed by so many but we know she is still watching over her precious Tryon Hounds. You will be hearing more memories of Louise including how she got her nickname as “The Big Weezer.”