Penn-Marydel Foxhound Show, May 2, 2008
Carl Shaffer (right) poses with his champion registered hound, MT. CARMEL HOWDY, handled by Andrew Barclay, and presented by judge Sharol Candace Way. © Karen Kandra Wenzel
Carl Shaffer, Master of the Mount Carmel Hounds, passed away on October 24, 2010. A memorial service will be held at the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club on Saturday, October 30th at 4 p.m.
Carl’s life with horses began as a child, riding workhorses on neighbors’ farms harvesting crops. Eventually, he showed and trained horses. His best horse was Billy Blitz, winning many working hunter divisions championships, including the Harrisburg Horse Show.
While training show horses, Carl worked full time for Black and Decker, was a very active 4H leader, and remained a part time farmer. In 1982 he took early retirement from Black and Decker and farmed full time.
Carl inherited his love of hounds from his father who hunted beagles. In the 1960s he, Guy and Raymond Ashe started fox hunting on horses in the local area. They were originally known as the “stump jumpers” for some unknown reason and evolved to become today the Mt Carmel Hounds, a farmer’s pack, hunting two days a week with the kennel located at the Shaffer farm. Carl loved his Penn Marydel Fox Hounds and took care of them himself up until he no longer could. His biggest thrill was having champion Penn Marydel at the Radnor Hound Show two years ago.
Carl married Mary Pearce in 1970 and then began fox hunting with the Elkridge Harford Hunt Club where Mary was already a member. In the 70s and 80s, Carl would hunt with Elkridge on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and hunt his pack on Sundays. Later Mt Carmel went to 2 days a week hunting, Thursdays and Sundays with Carl as the Huntsman. Carl retired from hunting hounds in 1996 but would ride out on horseback and hilltop with them for several years, before finally hanging up his tack and riding his blue pickup truck instead to follow the hounds. On the day of his passing, Carl was with his hounds who made loud, beautiful music for him on a spectacular chase, he viewed the fox and his hounds right behind.
A Celebration of Carl’s Life will be held at the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club, 3405 Pocock Road, Monkton MD 21111 on Saturday October 30, 2010 from 4 to 6 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contribution’s in Carl’s name may be made to the Jacob Armacost Foundation, c/o Chris Cavey, P.O. Box 430, Hampstead, Maryland 21074.
