Aiken Hounds was established in 1914 by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock of Long Island and recognized by the MFHA in 1916. The Hitchcocks used approximately 3000 acres of woodland and open fields to create miles and miles of drag lines. The fences in those days were between four and five feet high – solid rails with brush on both sides so that they could be jumped in either direction.
Before the lines of fences were built, Mrs. Hitchcock hunted a pack of beagles in the Woods. The green livery of beagle hunt packs inspired the green livery of Aiken Hounds.
Once the fences were erected, Mr. Hitchcock enjoyed schooling his steeplechasers around the Woods. It was then Mrs. Hitchcock conceived the idea of running a drag hunt adjacent to the fences. The Old Aiken Drag, as it was called then, was conducted at considerable speed over those large fences that could be jumped by as many as eight abreast
Aiken Hounds is a hunt club and, more importantly, a community of equestrians educating future generations about the history of fox hunting and the tradition of working hounds across the land.