- Hunt Line: 434-978-1107
- info@farmingtonhunt.org
- Charlottesville, VA
The Farmington Hunt Club kennels and clubhouse are located in northwestern Albemarle County near Free Union.
Our territory encompasses not only the rolling hills and fields at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where we have followed hounds since 1929 but also reaches into historic southern Albemarle along the Hardware and James rivers.
Our country’s diverse terrain presents constant opportunities for great sport with a wide variety of riding experiences.
The history of the Farmington Hunt Club originally began with the old Albemarle Hunt Club. When the Albemarle Hunt disbanded due to the trying times of World War I, several private packs continued hunting the same territory.
In 1929, a group of area landowners and horsemen decided to revive and reorganize the old Albemarle Hunt with its Belgian Blue colors under a new name, Farmington Hunt Club, which would be governed by more formal conditions set by the National Foxhound Club of America.
The Farmington Hunt acquired permission to hunt over farms in western Albemarle County. Hounds were purchased or gifted from the private packs and local farmers. Grover Vandevender was elected huntsman, a position he held for thirty-two years, and agreed to kennel the hounds at his place near Ivy.
At first, Hunt members gathered in private homes for social events or at the Farmington Country Club, where a large show ring was built in 1934 for hosting horse shows. In 1939, the Hunt bought the old school house on Garth Road and converted it to a clubhouse. This building was outgrown by 1951, so the hunt purchased land next to Grover Vandevender’s property at the intersection of Garth and Free Union Roads (now referred to as Hunt Country Corner). There, they built a clubhouse, stables, kennels, a new horse show ring, a swimming pool, and a paddle tennis court.
By 1984, the pressures of growth and the closing of land along the Garth Road corridor triggered a move to the current location north of Free Union. A clubhouse was built, as well as homes for the hunt staff, hunt stables. Kennels were also constructed, which house Farmington Hunt’s now predominantly Crossbred pack. The hounds are a product of decades of careful breeding by Jill Summers (M.F.H. 1968-2008), and continued to this day by our current Huntsman.
Jebb Cuthbert
Nancy L. Howell
Betsy Dove
Chris Cuthbert
Mr. W. Patrick Butterfield, MFH
Ms. Joy Crompton, MFH
Mrs. Kip Holloway, MFH
Mrs. Paul (Liz) King, MFH
Kip Holloway, Julia Iezzoni
Octavia Winfield
Nancy Howell
Susan Johnson, Tiffany McCord
Pat Butterfield, Octavia Winfield, Sally Powers, Chris Middleton
Chris Cuthbert, Mac Dent, Mark Thompson
Nancy Howell
Stephen Bickers, Shawnee Baker, Joy Crompton, Jenn Daly, Chanda Boylen, Mary Harp, Kip Holloway, Nancy Howell, Liz King, Robin Lundgren, Bethany Woods
Octavia Winfield
Kimberly Skelly, Shawnee Baker
Juniors
Tiffany McCord
Susan Johnson
Adrianna Nannini
Kimberly Skelly
Nancy Howell
Cheryl Microutsicos
Susan Boone