A Legend in His Time
The MHHNA, Inc. sadly notes the passing of Melvin Poe, an American foxhunting legend. He died at his home in Hume, Virginia, on September 13, 2014, at the age of 94.
Born into a large family of hound breeders and hunters, Melvin began his career as a professional huntsman after military service during World War II. Starting in 1948, he served as huntsman for Old Dominion Hounds, then carried the horn for Orange County Hunt from 1964 to 1991.
Not ready to retire, for the next 15 years he hunted a private pack, the Bath County Hounds. To the last year of his life, he kept hounds and continued to hunt the area around his home in Hume.
He was inducted, along with his younger brother Albert, into the MHHNA Huntsmen’s Room in 2011.
Melvin Poe was universally known for both his uncanny skill as a huntsman and his gentle, unassuming nature. The foxhunting world has lost a man who, for more than 60 years, was a leading light within the sport.
