Sunday, October 10, was a beautiful day for the Tryon Hounds Annual Fall Hunter Pace in The Western North Carolina Hunter Pace Series.

The course began at Long Shadows, the farm of Mike and Helen Atkins who offered the farm for this event.

The expansive fields offered room for parking handled by Richard Pierce, Nelson Minnick and a teenage volunteer, Jesse Allison. Becky Barnes welcomed and directed each trailer as they arrived.

Rider entries were taken by Anne Pierce as secretary. There were 131 participants who all seemed to arrive anxious to ride during the cool morning temperatures. Down at the start line Joey Cabaniss joked with the riders and Dean McKinney was prepared as spotter at the finish line.

The course took riders over Long Shadow Farm into Slaters Farm and on to Bob Pelios Farm and jump field.

The check point was held on AY Browns farm under the shade of a large oak tree overlooking a pond. Skip Leck and Bob Richardson checked in riders on their three minute rest. The riders said they welcomed the cool apple juice and water Leck and Richardson offered.

Riders were then directed to Marlboro Country, another Slater property offering an opportunity to gallop, leading to the jump field of John and Jane Gallagher.

The route home was by way of Thanksgiving Hill and on to the airstrip, which provided another galloping opportunity.&bsp; NPA Trails led riders back over the Iron Bridge to Sandpit Road and home.

A lunch of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, plus slaw, cookies and drinks were waiting. Kerry Holmberg and Joe Picone kept the pace in flipping the grilled items just ahead of the hungry riders. There were plenty of helpers with Becky Barnes, Ivey and Jim Sumrell, Anita Williamson and Richard Price seeing that all were served.

This ten mile course was made possible by a crew that cleared and marked the course, and then removed all of the markers afterwards. The crew consisted of Nelson Minnick, Louise Hughston, Mike Axelrod, Richard Pierce, Dean McKinney, Bonnie Lingerfelt and Jordan Hicks. Anne Pierce showed her driving talents as she maneuvered a Kubota over the entire course. &bsp;

The optimum time of one hour and thirty-nine minutes was set by Bonnie Lingerfelt and Roberta McKinney. See above for the six placings in both divisions.