Join us for the 2nd hunt of the week at MacBurn Plantation, a fixture with deep significance to the Wateree Hounds. MacBurn was our first fixture and served as the foundation of our hunts for the first three seasons. Spanning over 5,000 acres, this remarkable property has been in the Clyburn family for over 200 years.

MacBurn’s terrain is flat and sandy, providing excellent footing for horses. The land features rolling sandhills, winding trails through woodlands, and fields of native grasses, making it ideal for riding. Once one of the largest cotton plantations in the country—large enough to be seen from space (before Google Earth, that is)—the property has undergone a transformation over the past 20 years. The Clyburn family has worked to restore native habitats by planting grasses and returning portions of the property to woodlands, all while maintaining much of it in conservation programs.

Today, the fixture has a vibrant and thriving ecosystem, a testament to the family’s dedication to preserving the land. We are proud to have Virginia Clyburn as one of our whippers-in when she isn’t saving lives as a doctor, and her husband, Charlie Clyburn, as a landowner when he isn’t saving souls on Sundays as a Chaplain—a fitting balance for his day job as an attorney. While the area’s sandy soil may be perfect for horses, it didn’t win over George Washington, who once described the region as a “miserable pine barren” during his travels as president. Luckily for us, what Washington saw as misery, we horse folk see as opportunity.

After the hunt, join us at the lodge for a hunt breakfast hosted by the Fab Five from Sumter and beyond: Ashley Mooneyham, Sherry Wood, Jody Fate, Brittany Newman, and Jessie Duffee. This dedicated group of rough riders don’t miss a hunt or a jump if they can find it, so their breakfast is sure to be a treat—not just for the food, but for the fun and creativity they bring to the table. You never know what these five will get up to, but one thing’s for certain: it’s always memorable.