Hosting Bull Run Hunt earns
top tricolor at inaugural 'performance trial'
BR Sheila, Michael lead way
for area pack
By Betsy Parker
Times-Democrat Staff Writer Taking an ancient game and making it new, the inaugural Virginia Foxhound Performance Trials last week gave four area hunts a chance to show off the best of the best. The Bull Run Hunt and Rappahannock Hunt hosted the March 22-24 event, with hounds from the Rockbridge Hunt and Deep Run Hunt also taking part. Organizer Oliver Brown explained that although judged field trials — in which judges mark individual hounds for singular performance — are a long-standing tradition in Virginia and around the nation, performance trials are a relatively new game. "Unlike the field trials, where you just have an overall individual winner, at a performance trial, you're adding up scores of all the hounds to get a 'pack score,' " Brown said. "Basically, this is an all-star meet," said judge Epp Wilson, master of the Belle Meade Hunt in Georgia. "These hunts have brought their best hounds, the ones that can work under trial conditions," for an unknown huntsman alongside 30 hounds they've never seen before. "It takes a special hound, but that's what you get at these trials." Wilson said that the first performance trials took place at the Midland, Ga., hunt in 1996. Brown said he was pleased to introduce the pack judging trials to Virginia. "You better believe I was pretty apprehensive," Brown said. "With so many people, spectators, judges, staff members coming and going." Judges included Wilson, Why Worry Hounds (S.C.) master George Thomas, Master of Foxhounds Association executive director Dennis Foster, and Elkridge Harford (Md.) master Liz McKnight. Tony Leahy acted as huntsman for the combined pack that included up to 10 hounds from each participating hunt. Judges were mounted so they could follow, or even get ahead of, the action. They carried radios, tape recorders and notepads, and had assistance from aides who rode along with them. Hard hunting days Though Wednesday's relentless rain made for difficult scenting and paucity of game, 75 field members and 20 various staff members (competing hunts' huntsmen and whippers-in), plus judges, mounted up at The Hill near Boston. Out for two and a half hours, the 37 hounds worked well as a "pack," acting huntsman Leahy said. "It was a frustrating day," said Leahy, one-time huntsman for Bull Run who is now huntsman for Chicago's Fox River Valley. "The weather was tough: It really kept the foxes clamped down. "The hounds were right busy, though, and they did a good job" to get two foxes on the run for the judges to mark their sodden cards for trailing, speed, drive and endurance. Rockbridge Wally, in particular, caught the judges' eyes on Wednesday, winning for trailing, speed and drive, and endurance. Rappahannock Molson, judge Wilson said, earned top marks for his "finding" ability, notable especially given the tough scenting conditions. By contrast, Thursday's meet was one for the record books. Hounds met at Muckamoor south of Culpeper, near Mitchells. The field numbered about 65, plus the 20 assorted judges and staff. Leahy cast hounds northwest of the farm, heading for higher ground towards Cedar Mountain. In the first covert, Rappahannock Kaboom and Bull Run Michael pushed a fox westwards, with the entire pack falling in for a 20-minute chase. Rappahannock's Brown said that, next, two foxes broke covert within 20 seconds of each other, with hounds running to the one headed west. "The spectators viewed one of them away," Brown said, noting that hounds found yet again within 10 minutes, leading the pack up, across, over and down the north face of Cedar Mountain. Hounds and huntsman Leahy crossed U.S. Route 15, working west from the Brandywine Park racecourse all the way to Meander Farm along the Robinson River. Conservative estimates put the hounds on a 12-mile point, with five or six different foxes chased at some point in the five-hour hunt. "They got their money's worth today," said Leahy. Judges liked Bull Run Farmer for his speed and
drive, and endurance, as he was among the lead hounds to the very end of the
exhausting day. Rockbridge Wally earned top marks again for his trailing
ability, and was second-best to Farmer for speed and drive.
Final tally
When all the points were added, including marks from an informal bench show held after hunting on Wednesday, Bull Run Michael scored top honors in individual judging. His top points, along with kennel mates Ripley (fifth overall), Farmer (sixth) and Teasel (10th), earned Bull Run the pack championship. Deep Run Farmer, third overall, Keepsake (seventh) and Buckshot (ninth) keyed the reserve championship for the Richmond area pack. "These are two of the very best territories in Virginia," said Wilson. "They were selected to allow the hounds to 'show off' for the judges. I think it was a terrific success, in terms of hunting and judging." Plans are under way already, Brown said, for a hoped-for repeat — and possible expansion — in 2006. Results Bench show. Dogs. 1. Deep Run Krypton; 2. Deep Run Farmer; 3. Rappahannock Fierce. Bitches. 1. Bull Run Sheila; 2. Rockbridge Turkish; 3. Bull Run Siren. Performance trials. Hunting. 1. Rappahannock Kaboom; 2. Bull Run Michael; 3. Deep Run Farmer. Trailing. 1. Rockbridge Wally; 2. Bull Run Michael; 3. Rappahannock Smokey. Speed and drive. 1. Bull Run Farmer; 2. Rockbridge Wally; 3. Bull Run Michael. Marking. 1. Deep Run Buckshot; 2. Deep Run Keepsake; 3. Rappahannock Kaboom. Endurance. 1. Bull Run Farmer; 2. Bull Run Michael; 3. Rockbridge Wally. Top 10. 1. Bull Run Michael; 2. Rockbridge Wally; 3. Deep Run Farmer; 4. Rappahannock Kaboom; 5. Bull Run Ripley; 6. Bull Run Farmer; 7. Deep Run Keepsake; 8. Rappahannock Talon; 9. Deep Run Buckshot; 10. Bull Run Teasel. Pack championship. Ch. Bull Run Hunt; Res. Deep Run Hunt. |