 The hounds pursue the trail of the fox and the riders follow, by the most direct route possible.Since this may involve very athletic skill on the part of horse and rider alike, fox hunting is the origin of traditional equestrian sports including steeplechase and point to point racing.The hunt continues until either the fox evades the hounds, "goes to ground" (that is takes refuge in a burrow or den) or is overtaken and usually killed by the hounds.