Retro 80s RFHers’ Hunt Hoopla

RFHers of the 1980s at the Hunt
Photo/Jill Sorrentino

A hunting they did go … RFHers in the 1980s, that is.

Where there was a Hunt, there was a way to party back in the day when the infamous Hunt came to the Haskell estate in Middletown. Yes, there’s still a Hunt, but it’s not this one — the one that became a decades-long rite of passage for RFH students and grads, among many others.

Yes, there were horses. Yet, most don’t remember them or the actual event in its authentic intent — a race meet of sorts.

What’s most remembered is the social aspect. The party. The misadventures. The tailgating. The pure “had to be there” allure. And for each RFH clique on those picturesque hills in October every year for decades, there was a statement in the group shot.

Unposed or posed, it was always a classic. This group of RFH posers was having a moment back in the day — an unbeknownst moment of how hip it is to gallup into the festivities.

Yes, the horses were there — somewhere. But, everyone’s eyes were on the party prize that the Hunt was.

It’s that time of the year when thoughts turn to Hunt memories. Your best Hunt year? Best tailgate set-up? Outfit? Who were your Hunt besties?