History

Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827, is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, DC and is historically known as the “Intellectual Center of the Army”. Home to the United States Army’s famed “Command and General Staff College”, and original base of Soldiers of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment (the Buffalo Soldiers), Fort Leavenworth has always had an outsized role in the development of the Army and the training and education of military leaders.

Fort Leavenworth, especially in the late 1920s and into the 1930s, gained a reputation as a "horsey" post. The indoor riding hall and stables loomed as some of the most important buildings at the fort. Every Sunday polo matches were held – the most exciting matches were those between Fort Leavenworth and teams from Fort Riley and Fort Sill, often drawing spectators from as far away as Chicago!

The Fort Leavenworth Hunt, founded in 1926, added immediately and significantly to the “color” of the post. On Sunday and twice a week riders rode to the sound of the hounds, which were initially secured from local farmers and ranchers, and through careful training and breeding built to the point that by 1937 the Hunt had become one of the most famous in the country. Hundreds of spectators followed the Hunt in mule-drawn wagons, automobiles and even by air – with flights scheduled from the Army airfield to coincide with Hunt’s published “fixture list” (schedule of hunts)!

Organized hunting with hounds is one of the oldest sports in recorded history – and fox hunting as a sport holds special appeal for military personnel as it brings many military principles into play: surprise, mobility, initiative and determination; and it develops within the participant an eye for terrain and an ability to negotiate difficult ground at a rapid pace. Countless military leaders, some famous (Generals Patton, Wainwright, McNair, and Truscott) honed their riding skills at Fort Leavenworth – many as members or staff of the Fort Leavenworth Hunt.

Fort Leavenworth remains one of the Army’s most important military installations – and the Fort Leavenworth Hunt is one of the most powerful reminders of its remarkable history. Development associated with the Fort’s diverse mission has, over time, occupied so much of the installation’s land that hunting “on post” is no longer practical. Through the efforts of its Joint Masters, support of the subscribing membership and the generous access to essential hunt country provided by landowners, the Fort Leavenworth Hunt continues to offer its members the opportunity for the esprit, romance, tradition and pageantry found in the galloping hoofs, sound of the horn, and cry of the hounds that is fox hunting.

Fort Leavenworth Hunt Former Masters