Live Oak Fable 2010, shown by huntsman Charles Montgomery, is Grand Champion at Virginia. / Janet Hitchen photoFor the second straight year a live Oak English hound was judged Grand Champion at the Virginia Foxhound Show. Last year it was Live Oak Maximus 2009, a dog hound; this year it was Live Oak Fable 2010, a first-year bitch.
“That’s the most unexpected win we’ve ever had,” said Live Oak Joint-Master Daphne Wood.
She was acknowledging the background of the two judges—Jake Carle and Elias Guy—two experienced breeders of American foxhounds. Which all goes to prove, once again, that a good hound is a good hound, breed preferences notwithstanding.
“When Melvin saw this bitch he said, ‘If she’d been in the American ring, colored Orange County red, she would have won there!’” continued Daphne.
Joint-Master Marty Wood is the genius behind Live Oak’s consistently successful breeding program, but Fable’s is somewhat of a potluck story. Her sire, Live Oak Architect 2004, goes back in tail-male to Live Oak Drummer, Marty’s all-time favorite dog hound, but her dam, Live Oak Famous 2006, came to Live Oak while still a puppy via a dispersal draft!
Famous was out of Duke of Beaufort Footloose 2003, who had been given in whelp to Moore County MFH Dick Webb around the time that huntsman Jody Murtagh was introducing his Penn-Marydel hounds to the Moore County country. Shortly after Footloose whelped her litter, the puppies were drafted.
“She’s very good in her work,” said Marty, “and it’s the work that matters in the end. Her litter brother went to Arapahoe and killed a coyote in his first hunt! Marvin [Beeman, MFH and huntsman] likes him so much, he bred him in his first year. That’s unusual, but Marvin was taking no chances!”
“This was a very gratifying win,” Marty continued. “It was serious competition. All the big English packs were here.”
Marty cocked his head, thought for a moment, and smiled.
“Maximus has a new bride,” he said.
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The other judges selected for this year’s show by the Virginia Foxhound Club were huntsman Jim Atkins and Anne McIntosh, MFH in the American Ring; MFHs Skip Crawford and Leslie Crosby in the Crossbred Ring (under thirty-five couple); Marvin Beeman and Jeff Blue in the Crossbred Ring (thirty-five couple and over); MFHs Tony Leahy (dog hounds) and Otis Ferry (bitches) in the English Ring; and Stanley Petter in the Penn-Marydel Ring. The Performance Trial hounds were judged by Joyce Fendley, MFH.
Prior day (Saturday) activities included the Horn Blowing Contest—a draw between Deep Run huntsman Adrian Smith and Sewickley huntsman John Tabachka—and the induction of the Poe Brothers—Albert and Melvin—and Mrs. John D. Hannum into the Huntsmen’s Room at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting.
Complete resuls by class may be seen on the MFHA website.
Posted June 1, 2011
With Fable are (l-r) huntsman Charles Montgomery, Masters Marty and Daphne Wood, Virginia Foxhound Club President Joan Jones, and whipper-in Michelle Moore. / Janet Hitchen photo
Joint winners of the Horn Blowing Contest — Metamora huntsman Adrian Smith and Sewickley huntsman John Tabachka — congratulate each other. / Karen Myers photo
The Poe Brothers, Melvin and Albert, and Mrs. John B. Hannum were inducted into the Huntsmen’s Room at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. Representing the late Mrs. Hannum is her daughter Carol. / Karen Myers photo