It may have been the end of January, and it may have been pouring rain, but it was a good day for 20 members of Fraser Valley Hunt to take to the backcountry of Abbotsford and Aldergrove for their weekly ride to exercise horse and hound.

FV Hunt is the only active Canadian club west of Ontario, and its 80-plus members come from far and wide to ride to the hounds.

"There are beautiful places to ride where you'd never get to go otherwise if you're not with the hunt," said huntsman Karen Hatch on Saturday.

There is no actual fox involved, just a man on a horse, who rides the route about 10 minutes ahead of the hunt, spreading the smell of fox urine from a scent bag attached to his saddle.

With the call of the bugle, the English foxhounds take up the scent and charge ahead. Following close behind, the field master, in his blazing red coat, leads the riders over a varied terrain of 10 to 20 kilometres during a two-hour span, which includes several 'runs' of 3-5 km each. After each run, he calls a check, where the hounds are gathered and the horses are rested. Then they prepare for the next run.

Horses and their riders gallop through private agricultural land, granted permission by the owners, jump logs and ditches, and wind their way down rows of raspberry canes.

"One of the bonuses to ride with the hunt is you get to go over private land where landowners are sympathetic to the hunt," said Joint Master Kathrine von Trebra. "Without the country, this sport wouldn't exist."

The hunt season runs all year in the Fraser Valley, weather permitting, with the largest hunts happening in the fall.

"It's unheard of back east for sure, where most of the hunting takes place," said von Trebra of the year-round venture in the Fraser Valley.

For more information check www.fraservalleyhunt.com.