Since the founding of the fox hunt here in 1914, the Moore County Hounds have had only two homes.

The first home was the tile kennels, which still exist, behind the barn at Weymouth Center on Ridge Street in Southern Pines. Brothers James and Jackson Boyd started the hunt here, and the pack was recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 1921.

In 1942, the hounds were turned over to Pappy and Ginny Moss, and the pack has been housed at Mile Away Farm on North May Street since then.

The death of Ginny Moss last January left doubts as to the future home of the large pack of crossbred and Penn Marydel foxhounds.

On Aug. 31, the Moore County Hounds purchased 10.6 acres that includes the kennels, huntsman's house and small hunt barn and several paddocks at Mileaway Farm, Inc.

"We would like to publicly thank Mrs. Moss' heirs for working with us to make this a smooth transition," stated the three MCH joint-masters Richard Webb, David Dillard, and Cameron Slade in a news release. "We are very appreciative of the generosity of the shareholders of Mile Away Farm, Inc.

"Because of this generosity, we were able to purchase this property well below the appraised value.

"We are very excited about the coming hunt season and beyond. We have so much to be thankful for the Moore County Hounds will have a bright future."

New huntsman Jodie Murtach and his daughter, Kerrie, professional whipper-in, are gearing up for a busy season, which will be kicked off by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America's centennial celebration here in November.

There will be joint meets, a hunter pace event and parties, parties, parties. Mounted hound exercise started this weekend at 7 a.m.

For information, call 692-6889.

Walshes Field Winner

Lemon Drop Gal, a 4-year-old owned by Denise and Tommy Walsh of Southern Pines and Timber Bay Farm, broke her maiden Aug. 24 at Saratoga, N.Y., with a win in the $72,000 Grab The Green Stakes for fillies and mares. The turf run was five and a-half furlongs, and the winning time of 1:02:13 was a second off the track record.

Lemon Drop Gal, by Lemon Drop Kid out of a Storm Cat mare, drew the inside pole position and was the odds-on favorite of the eight-horse field.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkins and ridden by Kent Desomeaux, she broke well, and steadied easily along the rail at the half-mile pole. The pace setters were angled four wide at the first turn, but Lemon Drop Gal charged to the front in mid-stretch to win by one and a-quarter lengths over Bucky's Prayer.