Fred Duncan Dedicated His Life to Hunting
- Details
- Penny Dengre, MFH & Jeffrey Blue, MFH
Photo courtesy Middleburg HuntOn December 20, 2012, the foxhunting community lost one of its most dedicated representatives, Fred Duncan. He spent most of his adult life in hunt service, working at the Warrenton hunt for thirteen years and at the Middleburg Hunt for twenty years.
Starting in hunt service at Warrenton in 1966, Fred whipped in to the famous huntsman and his mentor, Dick Bywaters. Fred always credited his extensive knowledge of American foxhound conformation and bloodlines to Bywaters. After Bywaters retired, Fred took over the pack and hunted the hounds for six seasons.
During the brief periods when Fred was not in professional hunt service, he worked with race horses (flat and steeplechase), show horses, quarter horses and field hunters. In the early 1960’s when he worked for author Jane McClary as stable foreman of her hunter barn, he even schooled her horses side saddle.