The first foxhound show in North America in three years, and Hillsboro Wagtail ’20 has good reason to wag her tail…er…stern!
Grand Champion of Show is Hillsboro Wagtail 2020 / Wendy Butler photo
The fourteenth annual Southern Hound Show was memorable for several reasons. Nigel Peel, Ex-MFH, North Cotswold Foxhounds (UK), was ill and unable to come and join Co-Judge Marion Thorne, MFH, Genesee Valley Hunt (NY) and Apprentice-Judge Steven Thomas, MFH, Fort Leavenworth Hunt (KS). Ann Hughston, MBH, Ripshin Bassets (GA), who has judged foxhounds at Carolina, Virginia, the Canadian Hound Show, and Bassets at Peterborough, was a capable stand-in.
The mood was particularly festive as this was the first hound show in three years to be held in North America thanks to the Corona Virus. Sadly, Midland Fox Hounds (GA) had kennel cough and was unable to bring hounds, but eight packs showed hounds: Belle Meade Hunt (GA), Fox River Valley Hunt (IL), Goodwin Hounds (NC), Hillsboro Hounds (TN), Iroquois Hunt (KY), Live Oak Hounds (FL), Mooreland Hunt (AL), and Palm Beach Hounds (FL). Hounds competed under blue skies, but with chilly temperatures in the forties and low fifties and relentless high wind that made the seated lunch for over 150 people look like a food fight, with fried chicken, plates, napkins, and utensils flying through the air, all as the tent was trying to collapse!
Reserve Grand Champion of Show is Live Oak Norseman 2020 / Wendy Butler photo
Dog Hounds
Live Oak Hounds won five of the seven Open classes for dog hounds, the Dog Championship and Reserve Grand Champion of Show with Stallion winner Norseman ’20 who is a quarter College Valley through his dam. Fox River Valley garnered the Unentered Dog, Couple Unentered Dogs, Reserve Champion Dog, and the Unentered Championship with big, scopey Nutshell, who is reminiscent of Tony Leahy’s winning K-hounds. Goodwin Indigo ’20, who was voted best hunting hound in this year’s Performance Trial Grand Championship, got blue in Restricted Entered Dog, and Goodwin Batchelor won the Restricted Unentered Dog class as well.
Fox River Valley Nutshel is Champion Unentered Hound. / Wendy Butler photo
Bi*ches*
The afternoon belonged to Hillsboro and their beautiful Grand Champion of Show, Wagtail ’20. Wagtail and her relatives also accounted for Hillsboro huntsman Johnny Gray, who is retiring, being given the check for most points won.
According to Orrin Ingram, MFH, Hillsboro, eighty-five percent of the hounds they showed this day share the blood of one recent forbear in common―Hillsboro Sable ’13. Sable figures in the pedigrees of nineteen ribbons given during the day, eight of which were firsts and four of which were other hunts’ ribbons. Both the Champion and Reserve Champion Bi*ches are granddaughters of Sable, given to Hillsboro by Marty Wood, MFH, Live Oak Hounds.
Ian Farquhar, MFH, Duke of Beaufort’s, can also claim credit for Sable. Her sire, Live Oak Farrier ’10, Grand Champion of Virginia and littermate to Live Oak Fable, also Grand Champion of Virginia, is out of a pure Duke of Beaufort’s bi*ch, Live Oak Famous ’06, whose dam, Live Oak Sarah ’10, by Duke of Beaufort’s Bailey’03 bred ninety bi*ches his last season in England.
Live Oak Farrier goes back in tail-male to Live Oak Drummer ’89, said by Marty Wood to have been the best hunting hound he has bred yet in forty-nine years. Drummer was Champion Crossbred Foxhound at Virginia in 1995 at age seven. Sable’s grand dam Fox River Valley Sadie ’07 is largely tail female English back to Pembrokeshire Crimson ’88.
A lively come-as-you-are celebration dinner was held after the show at the Wood’s house just over the hill with lots of catch-up stories being told after our long separation.
The 2023 Southern Hound Show will be held on April 15th. We hope to see you there!
Posted April 14, 2022
* Re our use of “bi*ch” to designate the female hound: we have no sensitivity to the word or the complete spelling, but we have discovered that some computer firewalls will decide the associated content is porn and will block the entire e-magazine from delivery. We use the asterisk to foil any unnecessary censorship.