Full Cry Largo, hunting back home, just after being judged top hound at the Belle Meade Foxhound Performance Trials. She still carries her number 17, which was painted on her for the competition. Adrian Jennings photoFull Cry Largo was judged top hound at the Belle Meade Foxhound Performance Trials held in Thomson, Georgia on February 25 and 26. Belle Meade Lifeguard was runner-up to Largo, and, with three hounds in the top ten, Belle Meade took top honors among the hunts. For complete results, click here.
“Largo’s story is a great testament to how hunts and huntsman can work together to help each other out and find the right fit for hounds,” says David Hyman, MFH and huntsman of the Full Cry Hounds (AL). “It’s truly a unique fraternity.”
Hyman gives all the credit for his fine bitch to Ben Hardaway, Steve Clifton, and Rodri Jones-Evans.
“All three of those gentlemen have been great friends over the years drafting hounds to us and offering wonderful advice about hounds,” said Hyman, “and they all had a hand in her success.”
“Largo was drafted to us by [huntsman] Rhodri Jones-Evans at the Mooreland Hunt in 2006. In the mid-1990s we had bred to College Valley Wager at the suggestion of [Eglinton and Caledon huntsman] Steve Clifton. Mr. Hardway had Wager and his get were wonderful hounds, but we never had an opportunity to keep the line going. Rhodri came to Mooreland, and he had liked the College Valley Wager line as well when he was whipping in at Midland. He got some hounds from Midland that go back to Wager and kept that line going in the Mooreland Kennel. I took over the Full Cry pack from Dr. Lowery in 2005, and I wanted to get the Wager bloodline going again.
“Largo goes back to College Valley Wager top and bottom. Rhodri had a litter out of Midland Ramrod [by Wager] and Mooreland Legacy. Largo, of that litter, was very shy, and Rhodri let me have her since we have a lot smaller pack than the Mooreland does, and I could give her more attention and a chance to come around. After a couple of days she came around and is now a Happy Girl and a lot bolder.
“As far as hunting goes, she was great from the get-go. She is very accurate and is amazing to watch at a check. She doesn’t take long to figure things out. She is an invaluable asset to our small pack. She is as hard as a coffin nail. No matter how banged up she gets, she is ready to go. She draws really hard and has never been a problem on deer. She is fun in the kennel and always jumps up on my shoulders to say a quick “Hello” every morning. (None of the others in the kennel are allowed to do that!)
“I loaned her back to Rhodri a couple of years ago to breed to a Fell dog he had named Jonesy, and he along with [Hillsboro huntsman] Johnny Gray got pups out of that litter and like them. Rhodri has her two sisters, and they are stellar hounds. The “L” line is a strong line in their kennel. I’m planning on breeding Largo this year. She is one of my favorite hounds of all time. Perfect in every way—at least to me she is—and I guess that is all that counts at the end of the day.”
Six hunts participated in the trials: Belle Meade, Full Cry, Hillsboro, Mells, Midland, and Snickersville.
Live Oak huntsman Charles Montgomery served as trial huntsman. Judges were Billy Benton, wheel judge; Fred Berry, MFH and huntsman, Sedgefield Hunt (NC); Glen Epstein, MFH, Old Chatham (NY); Danny Hazel; and Michael Hoffman, ex-MFH, Loudoun Hunt (VA).
Posted March 9, 2011