[Moo] Demo scheduled in Sudentorre

[Laurie Clarkston]

The Canton has been invited to do a Demo

 

When:  Saturday, September 27, 2008

Where:  Izaak Walton League, Spotsylvania County (directions listed below)

 

The Canton of Sudentorre has been invited to participate at the Annual Dog Mart at the Izaak Walton League (IWL) site.  They are hosting this historical annual event and would like the Canton to set up a display area and do fighting demos throughout the day.

 

We will be organizing and planning between now and Sudentorre's business meeting.  If you would like to participate, please contact Blitha of Wolfhou (Thewolfhou at aol.com) or Cairistiona (garadh at verizon.net).  You will get a chance to see what the site looks like for the next Defending the Gate Event.  

 

The Izaak Walton League members are very excited that we are using their site for our event.  They think we will add a unique flair to this event.

 

This is a fund raiser for IWL.  They will be selling hot dogs and hamburgers, sodas.  They are charging $5 per vehicle (not per person!!)  

 

This event starts at 9:30 am.  We are looking at arriving around 7:30 am to set up.  There will be all sorts of activities ongoing throughout the day.  We are thinking of setting up display tables showing archery equipment, heavy, garb showing different time periods.

 

We need heavy fighters and rapiers to do a fighting demo.  The fighting will be at set times during the day; worked into the other scheduled demos.  We also need a couple of marshals.



Directions to Izaak Walton League Park: 

>From Route 3

Take Route 3 west approximately 9-10 miles to Route 621 (Orange Plank Road)  

Make a left on Route 621 - go approx. 500 yards to first road on the left - Route 600 (Herndon Road)

Make a left on Herndon Road for approx. 1 mile - IWLA will be on the right 

The Izaak Walton League is the granddaddy of conservation groups. Founded in 1922, their goal, stated simply, is "to save outdoor America for future generations."

 

 

Also, here is a little history of the Dog Mart.

 

The Maury School occupied a central place in the community life of Fredericksburg.  In addition to the education functions of the school, the stadium was the largest public gathering place in Fredericksburg and served many community functions. Maury School and Maury Stadium were the site of many events embraced by the community, including football games, track meets, dances, graduations, and concerts. Few events seem to have been more beloved by the community of Fredericksburg than the annual Fredericksburg Dog Mart.  The Dog Mart was an annual event that was marked by parades, ceremonial visits by delegations from the local Pamunkey tribe, and a day-long festival that included the dog shows, dog races, and auction of dogs to members of the local community.  The history of the Fredericksburg Dog Mart extends into the 17th century, when an annual mart, or fair, was established for the exchange of goods between the Pamunkey Indians and the settlers of Leaseland, which would in time become Fredericksburg.  One of the favored exchanges was the exchange of furs and corn from the Pamunkey, for hunting dogs raised by the settlers.  This annual fair continued through the Revolutionary War. The Dog Mart was revived in 1927 and became an annual event -held at the Maury School -until it was suspended during World War II. The revival of the fair always included a delegation from the Pamunke. 

 

After World War II, the Dog Mart was once again revived. On October 14, 1949, its first year back after the war, an estimated 15,000 people gathered at the James Monroe (now Maury) High School stadium to witness the show.  Visitors represented some 30 states, Canada, Mexico, and England.  The Dog Mart was preceded by a "mile long parade" led by bands from the University of Virginia and the James Monroe High School.

 

Following the bands was the dog parade.  A dog show was part of the event.  In addition to such categories as "Best Pet Dog of the Show," the show included additional categories such as "Ugliest Mongrel Mutt," "Best Looking Mutt," and the intriguing "Miscellaneous Class," suggesting that good breeding was but one path to a blue ribbon.

 

The 1949 Dog Mart featured a delegation of 100 Pamunkey from a reservation in nearby King William County, led by Chief T.D. Cook.  The Pamunkey were key participants in this annual fair in the 20th century, with the occasion serving as an important market for pottery made at the King William reservation.

 

The Fredericksburg Dog Mart, held at the Maury School, was one of the important social events that tied together the community of Fredericksburg.  The Dog Mart became nationally known and was the subject of a June, 1951 story in National Geographic and a 25 October 1937 story in Time, The Dog Mart festival continues through the present day, held every October, now at the Izaak Walton League Park, State Route 600, Spotsylvania County.
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