Grand Champion Midland Striker 2015 (Midland Rocket ’11 ex Staffordshire Moorland Stunning ’11) with (l-r) Daphne Wood, MFH, LIve Oak; Mason Lampton, MFH, Midland; Mary Lu Lampton; and Marty Wood, MFH, Live Oak / Leslie Shepherd photo
“I can’t take credit,” admits Midland huntsman Ken George, “because I didn’t breed him, but he’s one of a kind!”
A sober demon could be considered a contradiction in terms, but Ken describes Midland Striker 2015 as a foxhound possessing surprisingly contradictory traits. The handsome Crossbred dog hound was judged Grand Champion of Show at the tenth annual Southern Hound Show on April 9, 2016 at Live Oak Plantation in Monticello, Florida.
“The whole litter is fantastic,” continued Ken. “As an unentered hound last season, Striker was in on ten kills. He’s always right there.
Huntsmen sometimes worry about a first-year hound being too precocious. Often, by the second or third year, such hounds begin to think too much of themselves as individuals to fit in as good team members of the pack. Ken’s not worried about Striker in that way.
“He’s a sober and cautious hound,” he said. “In the kennel on a hunting morning, while the other hounds are jumping about, I have to walk over to the bench where Striker is still lying quietly in order to put his tracking collar on. But once he’s hunting, he’s a demon. In the field, he knows when he’s right, and he hates coyotes!”
With my first look at Leslie Shepherd’s lovely photo of Striker, I immediately pegged him as a born showman, happy to pose and be admired. I was wrong.
“He’s high maintenance in the show ring.” Ken says. “I really have to work on him ahead of time to get him up for it.”
The way Ken describes his sober hunting demon—his laid back king of the show ring—makes me think of the those savvy Thoroughbred that save themselves during the post parade while the other starters are up on their toes, two-tracking, cantering in a teacup, and running their race before it starts.
“He has such grace,” Ken added. “On hound exercise, he’ll just lock in next to me and keep up an effortless pace for as long as he wants. It’s easy for him.” Ken pauses, shakes his head. “I love that dog,” he says.
***
Judges at the Southern Hound Show this year were Mr. Alastair Jackson, ex-MFH, Cattistock Hunt and longtime Executive Director of the British MFHA and Dr. John W.D. McDonald, MFH, London Hunt (ON). Mrs. Michael Moran, MFH, Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds (PA) was scheduled to be an apprentice judge, but was ill.
Nine hunts exhibited their best hounds in the large, shady ring on a sunny, cool, fine day for hounds: Bear Creek Hounds (GA), Fox River Valley Hounds (IL), Green Creek Hounds (SC), Hillsboro Hounds (TN), Live Oak Hounds (FL), Lowcountry Hunt (SC), Midland Foxhounds (GA), Mooreland Hunt (AL) and Palm Beach Hounds (FL). The night before, exhibitors enjoyed a live band and barbeque at the show grounds.
Alastair Jackson said, “The overall standard was very high, and the dogs on the whole were even better than the bi*ches,* with the Unentered Dog Class being one of the strongest of the day. The numbers and quality in the Two Couple Classes were extraordinary. It was hard to find a weak one in each entry, which is unusual.”
Striker’s litter mate, Stellar, was Champion Entered Bi*ch.* Leslie Shepherd photo
Last year’s Unentered Champion, Midland Striker ’15, was a deserving Grand Champion of Show. His sire Midland Rocket ’11 (a Crossbred dog hound mated to the imported English bi.ch, Staffordshire Moorland Stunning ’11) won the Stallion and Three of Get Class, and Striker’s litter mate, Stellar ’15, won the Entered Bi*ch Class.
It was a family affair also for Live Oak with litter mates Assault ’13 and Accurate ’13 winning the Stallion and Brood Bi*ch Classes before going on to be Reserve Champion Dog and Reserve Grand Champion of Show, respectively.
The Champion Unentered Dog, Fox River Valley Godfrey, is by imported South Shropshire Goblin ’12. Godfrey is big and scopey, and should be even better next year.
Underscoring the importance of keeping experienced, durable, older hounds, Mooreland won the Senior Hound class for the second year with ninth season Eden.
Posted April 25, 2016
* To employ the commonly accepted term for a female foxhound is to run the risk of our e-magazines being labeled as spam and blocked from delivery by some internet providers.