Sandy Dixon, MFH and huntsman and Brazos Valley Meadow 2006 / Greg Germann photoWhen Sandy Dixon put her Brazos Valley Catfish 2006 to a Potomac-bred bitch that she entered as Brazos Valley Meadow 2006, it was no chance encounter. Dixon knew what she was doing. She is Master and huntsman of the Brazos Valley Hunt (TX), and her success as a breeder of hound show winners was already established.
With this breeding, Dixon was starting with good material. Catfish was Grand Champion of the Southwest Hound Show three years running: 2007, 2008, and 2009. On the distaff side, Potomac-bred Meadow brought a few credentials of her own.
Bred by Potomac huntsman Larry Pitts, Meadow was by Potomac Jefferson, Grand Champion of both the Virginia Foxhound Show and the Bryn Mawr Hound Show in 2007, the two premier hound shows in North America. At the time, Jefferson was hands down the Clarke Gable of the American foxhound world.
The resulting litter from this union is now getting attention. Last year, Brazos Valley Mystic 2010 (Catfish ex Meadow) was Grand Champion of the Southwest Hound Show. (Also last year, Mystic’s dam Meadow was Grand Champion of the Central States Hound Show.)
This year at the Southwest Hound Show on April 14, 2012, Mystic was once again judged Grand Champion of Show. Two weeks later, on May 5, 2012 at the Central States Hound Show in Kansas, Mystic’s littermate Brazos Valley Marley 2010 was judged Grand Champion.
Dixon and Brazos Valley Marley 2010, Grand Champion, Cetral States HOund Show / Greg Germann photo“Marley and Mystic both hunt up front,” said Sandy Dixon. “Mystic constantly has his nose to the ground searching. When he speaks, Marley honors him, and we are off to the chase.
“Their personalities are somewhat different. Marley is a bit quiet and reserved, while Mystic is a clown. In kennel Mystic is always playing tag with his kennel friends. I am more than thrilled with this entire litter.”
Readers will remember the dangerous weather and numerous tornadoes that devastated areas of the central states and Kansas around the time of the hound show.
“The show went well,” said Dr. Steven Thomas, MFH of Mr. Jackson’s Oxford Hounds (KS) and secretary of the Central States Hound Show. “It was hot but we beat the tornadoes by a few hours so we are thankful for that.”
Click for complete results from the Southwest Hound Show and the Central States Hound Show.
Posted May 19, 2010