Our Story
Four decades of sport, stewardship, and Southern hospitality — carried by a pack, a country, and the people who love them.
Chula Homa — Choctaw for “Red Fox” — is a non-profit, MFHA-recognized foxhunting club riding the hill country of Mississippi, near Bolton. We are a community first: of riders and landowners, of hounds and horses, and of families who give their own time and resources, year after year, to keep the hunt going. It is, as our members like to say, a labor of love.
Chula Homa Hounds began in 1980 as the private pack of Mrs. Alex S. Payne, Jr. — known to all as “Whitey” — MFH. As Whitey once wrote to the MFHA, foxhunting in Mississippi can be traced to Bill and Joyce Brown, who kept a private pack; the first hounds were secured from George and Peggy Carter and kenneled at Whitey’s home, “Dogtrot.” Fellow enthusiasts joined, and foxhunting in its purest form was enjoyed.
Chula Homa’s first formal opening hunt was held in 1982. In 1991 it became a subscription hunt, and in 1994 it earned recognition from the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America. More than four decades on, the hunt is still carried entirely by volunteers — this season marks our 43rd Formal Opening Hunt.
We hunt the working countryside around Bolton, Mississippi — farmland, planted pine, hardwood draws, and open fields. It is country built for the chase, with enough cover to hold scent and enough open ground to watch hounds work. We ride it only with the standing permission and partnership of the landowning families who maintain the trails, fences, and cabins that make the sport possible, and we hold that trust as our highest obligation.
The heart of any hunt is its kennel. Whitey Payne kept the hounds at Dogtrot and served as kennelman for sixteen years; the care of the pack then passed to Karen Allred, to Cathy Nestler for eighteen years, and since 2019 to our present kennelman, Hope Brannan. The historic “Dog Trot” kennel was completely remodeled in two phases, in 2020 and 2021, under the close supervision of Robert Kay. Our hounds must be fed and housed 365 days a year — trained, exercised, and cared for — and each one is named, known, and loved.
Hunt Staff
Our hunt is led and served by volunteers, in the traditional roles handed down through centuries of foxhunting.
Master of Foxhounds
One of our longest-serving Masters, given the privilege of the mastership in 1988 and still carrying it today.
Master of Foxhounds & Huntsman
Hunts the pack as huntsman and serves as a Master of Foxhounds, accepting the mastership in 2022.
Master of Foxhounds
A Master of Foxhounds since 2022, who oversaw the two-phase restoration of the historic “Dog Trot” kennel.
Master of Foxhounds
Cares for the pack as our kennelman, a role she took on in 2019, and now serves as a Master of Foxhounds.
Master of Foxhounds
Long a leader in the field, welcoming newcomers and longtime members alike, and now serving as a Master of Foxhounds.
In loving memory of our founding Master, Mrs. Alex S. Payne, Jr. “Whitey,” MFH (1980–2006).
In the Field
Moments from our country — the Blessing of the Hounds, the bagpipes, the pack, and the field.
The best introduction to Chula Homa is a morning in the field. Arrange a cap day and ride with us.