Clydetta Poe Talbot
Clydetta is a highly regarded horse and hound enthusiast and professional who began pursuing her life-long passion when just a child growing up in Hume, Virginia. With nearby relatives forging a legacy in the fox hunting and horse industry, it was only natural for her to follow in the footsteps of her uncles Melvin and Albert, both accomplished horsemen and huntsmen in their own rights.
Clydetta's aspirations led her to Middleburg Training Center where she was the longtime assistant to Barbara Graham, one of the more prominent Thoroughbred trainers in the region who trained for many notable owners including Bert and Diana Firestone. During her many years at MTC, Clydetta also found time to exercise and school horses for Virginia horseman Don Yovanovich who captured numerous training titles within the Virginia Pt. to Pt. series. Between the MTC and her days fox hunting, Clydetta became known for her skill and ability to gallop horses and jump big fences so it was no surprise that she was regularly named on mounts during the Spring and Fall steeplechase meets where she won her fair share of races over fences and on the flat. She rode in many of the more prestigious timber races including the Virginia Gold Cup and My Lady's Manor.
With a desire to get back to her roots, Clydetta opened CPT Stables in 1998 with a focus on boarding fox hunters. Her services expanded based on the demand for her expertise in not only selecting fox hunting prospects, but her natural ability to "make" a fox hunter depending on her client's needs. Her business includes many other aspects of horsemanship such as preparing horses for steeplechasing careers and legging horses up to compete at the track. She is also very involved with the day to day tasks encompassing her role as Honorary Whipper-In for the Warrenton Hunt. She is sought regularly for her insight and expertise in developing and caring for the foxhounds that make up her livelihood. Clydetta and her husband Jeff Talbot, a successful equine dentist, live on a farm in Warrenton with their two Labradors and three Jack Russell Terriers.
History of Foxhunting in America
By the early 1700's, the sport of foxhunting was quickly becoming quite popular in the Mid-Atlantic region after a settler named Robert Brooke introduced what is thought to be the first pack of hounds upon his arrival in Maryland in 1650. The earliest surviving record of American foxhunting known as an organized hunt, is for the pack instituted by Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax in 1747 in northern Virginia. Little information is recorded about early hunting but letters written by Lord Fairfax and the diaries of George Washington were invaluable. Washington was an avid foxhunter who owned his own pack of hounds. To add to a rising trend in the region, the Warrenton Hunt was established in 1883 and continues very successfully to this day.
Click here to learn more about foxhunting.
Warrenton at a Glance
Located in the upper Piedmont region of Virginia at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Warrenton is part of Faquier County's historical landscape. Known for its farmland and equestrian community, Warrenton appeals to everyone whether it's shopping and dining in the charming boutiques and cafes in Old Town, tasting wines at local vineyards nearby, learning more about the history and role the region played in building this nation, or attending the famous Virginia Gold Cup races on the first Saturday of May. For more information about where to stay and how to spend your time in Warrenton, click here.
