A Startling Confession:

There are days—rare, but they do happen—when I don’t want to be a foxhunter anymore. Such days might be less likely if I were the kind of foxhunter who could afford a stable full of highly bred and well-trained horses, had a full time staff (groom, trainer, farm manager), and only had to show up, hop on, and ride off.

But foxhunting for me is a DIY function. I am groom and farm manager. I wouldn’t consider myself a trainer, more like an exercise boy (an iffy occupation for a man in his late 60s). I’m the first one in the barn every morning, and the last one out at night. When studs need to be screwed into ice-cold horseshoes on a winter day, it’s my bare fingers doing the work. Steamy summer afternoon? The stalls still need mucking, fences need fixing, pastures need mowing, and so on…and on…and on…

So why do I still do it? Especially when most guys my age limit their exertions to walking from the golf cart to where their ball lies.

Because in those glorious moments when hounds are hot a line, in full cry, the huntsman’s horn is sounding its stirring call, hoof beats are pounding, my blood is pumping, and the half-ton animal beneath me is flying over pristine open country, I think to myself, “Oh, yeah! Now I remember why I do this!”

Putting that together—risk and reward, challenge and achievement—got me thinking about foxhunting as a metaphor for life…life as it should be lived, a life devoted to The Chase. Over time, this led to the Seven Secrets of the Foxhunter Model:

I also began to see how these principles could be applied to more than just a challenging sport and demanding lifestyle. They can be a helpful guide no matter what objective you’re chasing: building a solid relationship, learning a new skill, overcoming obstacles…anything that requires commitment and determination.

The result is my latest book, The Foxhunter’s Guide to Life & Love. It’s an “inspirational novel” written in a humorous, lighthearted tone but packed with earnestly practical advice. Sort of Dave Barry meets Rita Mae Brown meets Dr. Phil.

The narrator is Thumper Billington, a central character from my previous book, The Prophet of Paradise. He presents a series of Stories and Lessons, the former detailing his relational failures and successes, the latter using each vignette as an instructive example.

Each Lesson begins with one or two relevant quotes. Finding the appropriate examples took some effort, but the result is one of the highlights of the book. They range from such diverse sources as Groucho Marx, the Bible, Ben Franklin, Tibetan proverbs, Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, and will.i.am (of Black Eyed Peas fame).

Further heightening the appeal are the original illustrations by Claudia Coleman.

Overall, it was a team effort and I have many people to thank for their help and encouragement.

Yes, there were times when, just like facing barn chores on a freezing winter morning, I wished I could skip working on this book and just be a lazy retired old guy. But the Foxhunter Model inspired me to get up and do what had to be done. And I’m glad now that it did the trick.

If you decide to give it a read, I hope it does the same for you.