This hunt was a drag

Imagine the baying of hounds, the rhythmic gallop of horses and the crisp Okanagan air filled with anticipation. In 1934, the Vernon & District Drag Hounds introduced Western Canada to the thrilling sport of drag hunting, blending tradition, precision, and camaraderie.

This unique chapter of regional history began with the transformation of the Vernon & District Riding Club, founded just two years earlier in 1932 under the initiative of W. T. Cameron, Leslie Macdonnell, and E. M. Wilmot.

Wilmot, credited with introducing polo to the Prairie provinces, played a key role in evolving the club. The transition to the Vernon & District Drag Hounds came when Wilmot’s son, Tommy, secured three fox hounds from New York, laying the foundation for drag hunting in the region. By 1934, the club had become the first to introduce the sport to Western Canada, according to the Okanagan Historical Society’s 21st Report (1957).

Unlike traditional fox hunting, drag hunting does not involve live prey. Instead, a scent trail is prepared by dragging a material soaked in substances such as aniseed or, later, a mixture containing fox urine, dung, turpentine, kerosene, and rapeseed oil.

This latter practice, while controversial in the UK due to risks of hounds tracking live foxes, was not typically an issue in the Okanagan.

Over the years, the club’s hound pack grew to include 11 pairs, with members hailing from neighbouring communities. Hunts unfolded across Okanagan farmland, with popular courses running from Coldstream Ranch to Cosens Bay, Swan Lake to the Anderson Range, and across the Commonage. To ensure safety, landowners permitted access, and “chicken-coop jumps” — three-foot wooden structures — were placed over barbed-wire fences.

The races typically ranged from three to seven miles, and the riders, dressed in green hunting coats with gold collars and buttons and black hunting caps, lent an air of sophistication to the events. At the finish line, hounds were rewarded with scattered morsels of meat, while the human participants enjoyed tea at a member’s home—a delightful tradition that capped off the day.

The Second World War brought an end to this era. By 1940, many members had enlisted, and the Vernon & District Drag Hounds disbanded. However, the OHS report reflects the lingering affection for the sport, stating, “in many of the hearts of former members there lingers the fond hope that at some not too distant date they will again hear the baying of the hounds and the staccato notes of the Huntsman’s horn heralding the start of another hunt through the beautiful Okanagan countryside.”

Although drag hunting only returned sporadically, the Vernon & District Riding Club was revived in 1943, redirecting its efforts toward hosting horse shows that honored the region’s equestrian traditions.

Gwyn Evans is the Head of Archives with the Museum and Archives of Vernon.