A Voice from the USA

There are a great number of wonderful, dedicated people at the helm of packs of Beagles & Bassets in the USA, which come under the auspices of the National Beagle Club of America Inc.

An example of one of the growing the numbers of new packs is the Reedy Creek in Virginia, who have a beagle and basset pack in addition to the foxhounds, and were featured in TMV (May issue).

The Ashland Bassets, Virginia, with Mrs. Christopher Reed MH

The NBCA Field Trials are held in the Spring and Fall of each year at the Institute Farm in Aldie (Middleburg), Virginia, (only about 20 miles from Dulles International Airport) There are cabins which accommodate the various visiting participating hunt staff and members of hounds.

Indeed Hunting Field Trials are gaining in popularity this side of the pond, and also now in the UK too, I believe?

The Waldingfield Beagles of Charlottesville VA. are great travellers, and their gregarious Master, Arie Rijke, takes their hounds across country to take part in the Field Trials (‘Hunting Challenge’) held out West each Spring. They use horses for this, which is quite necessary to keep up with the chase on Jack Rabbits. The Paradise Valley Beagles from Arizona also take part, and in fact they hunt mostly mounted, in their home country around Phoenix.

On the East Coast, John Gilbert is one of the guiding lights, in New Jersey, with the Tewkesbury Foot Bassets, John is also Huntsman of the Essex Foxhounds, where he is ably supported by his delightful blonde daughters, and if one has been to the Hound Show in Leesburg, it’s a joy to behold to see this keen family wholeheartedly taking part.

In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Billy & Mandy Bobbit hunt, and have their own respective packs of hounds, the Glenbarr Beagles and the Bedlam Beagles. Billy is the Public Defender for Augusta County, and is President of the NBCA.

Pennsylvania has the Skycastle French Hounds, founded by the Streeter family; are hunted by James M. Schamberg MH. They are the wonderful distinctive Petit Griffon Vendeen Bassets, whom Sir Rupert Buchanan Jardine was so fond of with his Castle Milk Bassets in Dumfriesshire. Scotland.

The Ashland Bassets in Virginia hunt around the Warrenton area, under the guidance of their MH. Mrs. Christopher Reed, and have a beautiful Blue Mottled or Blue Tick (as they are known here) stamp of hound. To hear these good looking bassets voices will set up the hairs on the back of your neck.

One of the great personalities in the world of Basset Hound breeders is Jean ‘Jeep’ Cockran of the Calf Pasture Bassets in Maryland. Here you have a very down to earth character, who does not suffer fools gladly…but a wonderful kind hearted person who will be the first to help anyone starting a pack; ask Jim Culleton of the Reedy Creek. Jeep takes her hounds down to Beaufort County in South Carolina for part of the season.

Betsy Park is a well known and a much respected breeder of hounds, and is Master & Huntsman of the Sandanona Harehounds in NY State. She was also Huntsman of the Milbrook Foxhounds until just a few seasons ago. Her daughter, Eleanor Hartwell, is professional huntsman of the Bridlespur Foxhounds in Missouri.

All photographs reproduced by kind permission of Karen L Myers | KLMImages.com