Overall high scoring foxhound, Elkridge-Harford Magnum, #37, tunes in to trial huntsman Adam Townsend before moving off. / Karen Kandra photo
Two Crossbred foxhounds from the Elkridge-Harford Hunt (MD) finished one-two in the overall top ten scores after two days of hunting at the Andrews Bridge Foxhound Performance Trials. With that strong finish, Elkridge-Harford was the high scorer of all the competing hunts as well. The trials were hosted by Andrews Bridge in Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, on September 23 and 24, 2021.
The six competing hunts were Andrews Bridge Foxhounds (PA), Elkridge-Harford Hunt (MD), Essex Fox Hounds (NJ), Last Chance Hounds, Red Oak Foxhounds (VA), and Wicomico Hunt (MD). This was the second of nine qualifying trials scheduled around the country this season.
Andrews Bridge huntsman Adam Townsend watches working hounds / Karen Kandra photo
All hounds placing among the overall top ten scoring hounds in any of the qualifying trials will qualify to compete in the tenth and final trial of the season―the Grand Championship Trials―to be held on March 26 and 27, 2022, in Hoffman, North Carolina.
Elkridge-Harford Magnum 2019 and their Danger 2018, both Crossbreds, were first and second in the overall hound scoring after both days of hunting. Magnum, the winner, now a third-year hound, is by Green Spring Valley Potter 2016 out of Elkridge-Harford Madam 2016.
Coincidentally, the topline of the winning hound, Magnum, and the topline of the winning hound in the previous trial at Millbrook, Rose Tree-Blue Mountain Bridle 2015, have something very much in common. Both winners go back on the sire’s (top) line through Mooreland and Fox River Valley sires, originating in both cases from sires at the Midland Fox Hounds (GA).
On the dam’s side, Magnum goes back through a strong Elkridge-Harford female line to an English bi*ch at the Hamilton Hunt (ON). Magnum was the top-scoring hound on Day-1 and the second-placed highest scorer on Day-2. With that consistency, he proved himself a worthy winner.
“Magnum is a big, striking hound with a big, booming voice,” said Elkridge-Harford huntsman Geoffrey Hyde. “You can definitely hear him. He’s active, always in the thick of things, bulling his way into the thickest coverts despite his great size. And he’s a good strike hound…often the one that finds.
Second-place overall high scoring foxhound, Elkridge-Harford Danger, #23, also earned Huntsman’s Choice for the foxhound the huntsman would most like to have in his kennels.
The overall second highest scoring hound was Magnum’s kennelmate, Elkridge-Harford Danger 2018. Danger didn’t even show up among the top ten scoring hounds on Day-1, but on Day-2 he was the winner, pushing the very consistent Magnum down to second-highest scorer.
Danger was, in fact, the Huntsman’s Choice after the trial, meaning Danger was the foxhound that trial huntsman Adam Townsend chose as the hound he’d most like to have in his own kennel! I asked Townsend what he saw in Danger that the judges hadn’t seen on Day-1, but certainly noticed on Day-2.
“Day-1 was such a good hunting day that all hounds were busy and working,” said Townsend. “It was ‘full cry’ for most of the morning, and all hounds were catching the judges’ notice. Danger was busy along with the others, but perhaps not quite as eye-catching as some others. But he was a constant work-horse…continually working and contributing.”
“On Day-2 we hunted a different sort of country―denser with thicker covert. It was a harder hunting day for hounds…also warmer…and some that had been so busy on Day-1 were having a harder time. And some were lagging.
“Danger worked as usual, but probably got noticed more. It seemed to me he could hunt in any country.”
Betsy Harris, MFH, Andrews Bridge Foxhounds leads the field on Day 1, followed by huntsmen Marty Morani, Wicomico; Geoff Hyde, Elkridge-Harford; Bart Poole, Essex; and James Dean, Radnor (not competing). / Karen Kandra photo
Elkridge-Harford huntsman Geoffrey Hyde noted that Danger’s maternal great-grandmother, Rattle 2002, had been chosen as the Huntsman’s Choice by trial huntsman Tony Leahy at a performance trial more than a decade ago. There’s a good reason why top hunting establishments nurture and maintain in their kennels those lines with the genetic material proven to reproduce those hard-hunting foxhounds generation after generation.
The top four scoring hunts at Andrews Bridge were, from first to fourth, Elkridge-Harford, Wicomico, Essex, and Red Oak. Those four hunts accounted for all the foxhounds finishing among the top ten.
Posted October 6, 2021
Andrews Bridge Masters (l-r) Stephen B. Harris, William Kimmel, and Betsy Harris welcome competitors and visitors at the reception. / Karen Kandra photo