Local Life

Retro RFHers’ Hunt for TGIF

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RFHers of the early ’80s gather at the Haskell Hunt
Photo/Glenn McCauley

It’s October and it’s Hunt season. And any RFHer knows what that means — a sporty party in the great outdoors.

While there still is a Hunt, it’s not the same as what used to be over the bridge and on the hills of the Haskell Estate in Middletown in 1932 and went on there for decades. Oh, there’s still what is called the Monmouth County Hunt Race Meet, as it really was anyway, but locals always just knew it as The Hunt.

The organizers, on their website say that the Hunt was on the Armory Haskell Estate in Red Bank, which is not a fact. While the Haskell Estate grounds on which the Hunt was held for decades may have a Red Bank zip code, the grounds are officially in Middletown, not Red Bank. Middletown, as many do not realize, is a some 42-square-mile municipality with about a dozen hamlets. It has had a zip code issue for decades, so much of the largest municipality in Monmouth County borrows zip codes from neighboring towns. But, enough of that.

Now that we’re clear on the former location of the Hunt, let’s take a journey back to the hilly Haskell Estate and hunting in the ’70s and ’80s.

Yes, back in the day, those Haskell hills were alive with the sound of …. lots of RFHers, among others, partying, tailgating, mingling and, yes, taking in the sights and watching the horses and the whole shebang of the infamous hunt race meet.

Peppering the hills were preppy tailgating parties, fancy socialite sort of gatherings with food from wings to caviar and drink from beer and soda to champagne and lots of socializing. It was a time, aside from honoring the horses and great outdoors, to toast to lifelong friends and the fairytale surroundings in which all grew up together.

That’s exactly what the Retro Pic of the Day encapsulates. Gathering. Good times. Lifelong bonds. No need to hunt for it. It stays in the memories. The photo may be a bit of a blur, but the memories are razor sharp and bright.

Now, hunt for your friends from the ’80s in this freeze frame of film.

Cheers to a reason for galloping into a good reason to smile among friends!