Hounds

Tot Goodwin, MFH and huntsman of the Green Creek Hounds with Carolinas Hound Show Grand Champion Bankrupt ’13  /  Don West photo Following in his sire’s footsteps, Green Creek Bankrupt 2013 was judged Grand Champion foxhound at the Carolinas Hound Show on May 10, 2014. Bankrupt’s sire, Why Worry Braveheart 2009, garnered the same honor at the Carolinas in 2010. Bankrupt is an English dog hound with Duke of Beaufort’s bloodlines throughout the top half of his pedigree. His dam, Green Creek Ransom 2010, was bred by the Live Oak Hounds and goes back in tail female to Mooreland bloodlines with contributions from the Mid Devon, Ledbury, North Cotswold, Heythrop, and College Valley and North Umberland. A first year hound, Bankrupt entered well and hunts well according to Tot Goodwin, MFH and huntsman. “He’s not the fastest hound,” admits Goodwin. “He’s a middle-of-the-pack hound, but he’s always in there…hard to fault.” Posted June 17, 2014  ... This content is for subscribers only.Join NowAlready a member? Log in here

Joan Jones presents the Grand Championship Trophy for Golden's Bridge Phoenix to huntsman Ciaran Murphy. / Liz Callar photoFor the second time* in history, a Penn-Marydel foxhound was judged Grand Champion of the Virginia Foxhound Show. The William W. Brainard, Jr. Perpetual Cup was presented to Golden’s Bridge Phoenix 2012 at Morven Park in Leesburg on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Golden’s Bridge huntsman Ciaran Murphy showed the Champion.

The following weekend, for the first time in foxhound history, the same Penn-Marydel repeated his stunning Virginia victory by being judged Grand Champion of Show at Bryn Mawr.

The Penn-Marydel as a breed is justifiably loved by its admirers for a number of reasons—nose, voice, biddability—none of which includes a reputation as the standard for foxhound beauty. Yet Golden’s Bridge Phoenix prevailed over the usual suspects so often in the Virginia lineup for the final class of the day: Live Oak Hounds (FL), Midland Foxhounds (GA), and Potomac Hunt (MD). At Bryn Mawr, Phoenix topped the other breed champions from the Blue Ridge Hunt (VA), Potomac Hunt, and GreenSpring Valley Hounds (MD).

 

Grand Champion Wentworth Audrey 2013, shown by huntsman Kami Wolk, MFH  /  Eric Schneider photo Wentworth Audrey 2013 was judged Grand Champion of Show at the New England Hound Show on Sunday, May 4, 2014. The show was held at Echo Ridge Farm in Lee, New Hampshire and was hosted for the first time by the Wentworth Hunt. Audrey is by a Penn-Marydel sire, Red Mountain Van Gogh 2008, out of an American dam, Keswick Nipper 2010.

Audrey's sire, Van Gogh, has his own history. After a couple of stops in the Carolinas, his intelligence earned him a new home in New England where he could hobnob with all the Ivy Leaguers. More on that later.

Huntsman Charles Montgomery from the Bull Run Hunt (VA) judged the foxhounds. Montgomery knows a good hound when he sees one. As huntsman for the Live Oak Hounds (FL) for many years, he consistently fielded a pack of hounds of which an astounding percentage were hound show Champions and Grand Champions.

Wentworth is a drag pack in southern New Hampshire that changed over from Crossbred hounds to American and Penn-Marydel when the current huntsman Kami Wolk, MFH, took up the horn. Kami explained that Audrey was one of two litter sisters that huntsman David Raley drafted to her from the Moore County Hounds (NC). David, in turn, had received the pair from Katherine Gunter, huntsman at the Aiken Hounds (SC) who bred the litter.

 

Grand Champion Kid Rock 2012 was shown by North Hills huntsman Tyce Mothershead with the help of wife and whipper-in Hillary and daughter Finley. / Glen Carter photo

North Hills Kid Rock 2012 was judged Grand Champion of the Central States Hound Show in Stilwell, Kansas on Saturday, May 3, 2014. The handsome white Crossbred dog hound (North Hills Ira 2011 ex Their Passion 2012) is the product of outstanding bloodlines from Fox River Valley (IL), Iroquois (KY), and Midland (GA).

Brazos Valley Mystic 2010—multi-time Grand Champion foxhound in past years—was Reserve Champion for the second time this year.

Huntsman David Raley from the Moore County Hounds judged entries from the Brazos Valley Hunt (TX), Bridlespur Hunt (MO), Fort Leavenworth Hunt (KS), Mission Valley Hunt (KS), and North Hills Hunt (NE). Foxhounds were judged in two divisions: American and English/Crossbred.

 

Mount Carmel Onyx was Best Penn-Marydel foxhound. / Karen Kandra Wenzel photo

For once in the thirty-nine-year history of the Maryland Foxhound Club’s annual puppy show, the weather-gods cooperated. On a marvelously sunny day, supporters of twelve foxhound packs and seven foot hound packs met on the lawn of Tim and Vicki Shaw’s lovely home to show the products of their breeding programs. The show is restricted to unentered hounds as well as the stallion hounds and brood bitches that produced these hounds.

With one ring devoted to foxhounds and another devoted to foot hounds, Jeff Blue, MFH of Middleburg Hunt (VA) and Bob Dougherty, MB of Hidden Meadows beagles and ex-MFH and huntsman of the Plum Run Hunt (PA) had a full day of judging to do. A total of 141 foxhounds were entered and 73 foot hounds went through the rings. In the only combined class of the day, nineteen young fox and rabbit hunters paraded before both judges in a really tough junior handler class. No doubt Masters Blue and Dougherty worked their hardest to pin that class!

 

Fox River Valley Convoy, unentered Crossbred dog hound shown by Tony Leahy, MFH, is Grand Champion of Show at the Southwest Hound Show. / Sammy Buczkowski photo

Fox River Valley Convoy, an unentered Crossbred dog hound, was judged Grand Champion of Show at the Southwest Hound Show. Brazos Valley Mystic 2010—Grand Champion of Show for the last three years running—made a hard run at an unprecedented fourth consecutive title, but finished as Reserve Champion to Convoy.

The Southwest Hound Show was held on April 19, 2014 at Greenwood Farm in Weatherford, Texas. All hounds are shown in the same ring, and were judged this year by Tony Gammell, professional huntsman for the Keswick Hunt (VA).

“It’s a lovely, small show; you can walk around and see everyone, said Tony Leahy, Master and huntsman of the Fox River Valley Hunt (IL), who looks forward to entering Grand Champion Convoy in the fall. “It was my first visit to Texas, and the people couldn’t have been nicer, more accommodating, or more welcoming.”

Live Oak Dandy was Grand Champion of Show at the Southern Hound Show this year. / Cathy Taber photo

The hound show season, now underway, provides an excellent opportunity to improve one’s eye for foxhound conformation by judging from ringside just for fun. The exercise not only makes the day more interesting, but educational as well. Especially when you can collar a friendly judge after the class and ask him why he didn’t like the hound you adored, or why he picked a hound you thought was common. (Obviously, you must frame your question such that the judge understands that you are seeking an education and not leveling criticism!)

It can be intimidating to watch a procession of foxhounds enter and leave the ring and wonder how in the world the judge can sort them all out. For example, how does he compare a hound he is looking at to one he saw ten minutes ago? Ten years ago, I asked some top judges how they judged a class, and here's what I learned.

Grand Champion of Show Live Oak Dandy and (l-r) Sally Bickerstaff; Daphne Wood, MFH; Judges Linda Armbrust, Nigel Peel, and Franklin Whit Foster, MFHs; Marty Wood, MFH; and huntsman Dale Barnett / Cathy Taber photo

The eighth annual Southern Hound Show was held at Live Oak Plantation, Monticello, Florida on April 5, 2014.

It is interesting to note that of the fifty-four ribbons awarded, not including Two-Couple or Championship classes, thirty-seven ribbons went to Crossbreds and seventeen went to English hounds, which proves the value of breeding the best English hounds to the best American blood.

The day was cloudy and cool which made the spectators comfortable and allowed hounds to show at their best in the large grass ring. Kennels were set up nearby in a three-sided hay shed where hounds from Fox River Valley (IL), Green Creek (SC), Hillsboro (TN), Midland (GA), Mooreland (AL), and Bear Creek (GA) were kenneled. The Live Oak were shown out of their home kennel.

Just about one year ago, Cathy Eising wrote and asked Foxhunting Life if we could help with advice on how to raise her young "mostly foxhound" as a family dog in a suburban environment. She was especially concerned about whether or not she could curb its hunting instincts to the point where she could take it for long walks in the woods off the leash.

We submitted her question to our FHL Panel of Experts, the consensus of which cast some doubt on prospects for the achievement of Cathy’s goal, primarily because of the hound’s young age. Our Experts were right! Cathy has written to bring us up-to-date on her project:

“I’m not sure I would adopt another foxhound as family dog,” Cathy reports, “but I have learned much, stayed in good physical shape, and grown to appreciate the world of foxhunting.

“Although my first goal—having this animal walk off-leash and follow me in wooded areas—has not been achieved, much has been learned in the ongoing efforts to fulfill his energy and redirect his drives!

Champion dog hound Tipperary Chieftan '12 shown by huntsman Derrie Donegan  /  Noel Mullins photo

Stradbally Hall in County Laois, the Cosby Family seat since the 1500s, provided once again an impressive backdrop for the annual Irish Masters of Foxhounds Show. Held in Mediterranean style sunny weather, it made it all the more difficult for hunt staff who were wearing their heavy Melton wool jackets more suitable to the weather conditions of the hunting season.

Hunt Staff Changes
The show is the culmination of an extraordinary amount of preparatory work by hunt staff from thirty-two foot and mounted packs representing most counties around the country. Many of the packs have used each others stallion hounds, or drafted surplus hounds, but that said it is also a time for an annual catch-up on changes in hunt personnel.

Ado Moran former whipper-in to the Kildares has taken on hunting the Carlow Farmers Foxhounds, and Mikie Moran who whipped-in to the Killinicks has replaced him.

Graham Buston has left the County Limericks for sunnier climes in the USA, hunting Hal Barry’s Bear Creek Hounds in Georgia. Buston is succeeded by James Bradley of the North Herefordshire.