Basset Hound Club of America Spring National Field Trial
The sunrise, which greeted the Basset Hound Club of America's Spring National Field Trial, was hidden by rain clouds when the competitors met at the Coraopolis Beagle Club for four days of field trials on May 28. The beautiful grounds in Clinton, Pa were in fine condition for the premier Basset Field trial event. The grounds are easy to walk and the rabbit population is healthy. Event chair Kay Reilly with the assistance of an experienced field trial committee had everything organized and running smoothly. The paperwork was under the control of Trial Secretary Carl Eisenmenger. The judges for all classes were Gerald and Mike Gilleot.
It was a real treat to watch these athletic and enthusiastic hounds in the field. Once on the trail of a rabbit, the are not deterred by brush, thickets, or thorn patches. They are powerful intense trailing hounds that proclaim their runs with their beautiful voices. Until one has seen Basset Hounds in the field, it is impossible to imagine the potential of the breed.
The Derby class ran through a steady rain that did not damped the spirits of the competitors. The judges called back 6 hounds for second series. These derby hounds are a real treat to watch. They bring such enthusiasm and spirit to their competition. Cedar Trail's Moki and Shellbark's Hud came back as high hounds and showed that the judges had selected the right dogs for the day.
By the afternoon, the rain had moved off and the sun came out for the Field Champion class. These are the real top Bassets in the field and their braces were extremely competitive. The first series was smoothly run with a number of the dogs producing expert runs. Judges Gilleot called back 6 hounds for second series led by Field Champion C.K. Melina and Field Champion Ma Rainey. These two hounds put on a terrific long run before the judges were able to select the winner.
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The 22 hounds entered in the Open Dog class were blessed with clear skies and effect running conditions. The hounds ran well and the judges had a real challenge to sort of the top hounds. The gallery, including BHCA president Randy Frerickson and Vice President Thad Makowski, had little trouble to produce rabbits for the hounds. Several braces of hounds took the judges and handlers far into the woods in pursuit of the rabbit line. The judges called back 6 hounds for second series. After a hearty lunch, the judges, gallery and hounds were back in the field for the final runs to determine the point winners for the day. The two top dogs for the day, Pettit's Magnum Force and Pettit's Full Metal Jacket, put on an outstanding run to the delight of the judges, handlers and spectators.
A beautiful Sunday morning dawned for the running of the Open All Age Bitch class. The Coraopolis Beagle Club grounds continued to provide ample rabbits for the hounds, as they always had done. The large gallery had little difficulty finding rabbits for the hounds, which responded with great runs. After a long morning of trailing rabbits and hounds, the participants broke for lunch in order to fortify themselves for second series. The judges called back 6 hounds and the final series runs were long and exciting. Cedar Trails Cory defeated Atwater's Main State of Mind to claim the top spot.
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Placements:
Derby (10)
1st- Cedar Trail Moki - Darelene & William Pratt
2nd- Shellbark's Hud - Lori Jo Roberts
3rd- Atwater's D.A. Coe - Fred Atwater and M. Matalewicz
4th- Pettit's Trigger Happy - Jeff Pettit
NBQ - Basset Rock Sunawi - Ray & Jim Riley
Field Champion (29)
1st - FC. Ma Rainey - Richard Harding
2nd - FC. C.K. Melina - Cheryl Long
3rd - FC. Sutton's Golden Charm - Harold and Peggy Sutton
4th - FC. Three River's Redy - Jeff Pettit & Cindy Barlow
NBQ - FC. Friend Brook Zoe - Robert & Laura Lyne Baugh
Open All Age Dog (22)
1st- - Pettit's Magnum Force - Jeff Pettit
2nd- Pettit's Full Metal Jacket - Cindy Barlow
3rd- Sutton's Blue Knight - Harold & Peggy Sutton
4th- C.K. Orlando - Cheryl Long
NBQ - Shellbark's Hud - Lori Jo Roberts
Open All Age Bitch (26)
1st- Cedar Trails Cory - William and Darlene Pratt
2nd- Atwater's Main State of Mind - Fred Atwater
3rd- Cedar Trail Moki - Darelene & William Pratt
4th- McWilliams Katydid - Ken & Jean McWilliams
NBQ - Friend Brook Macy - Laura Linebaugh
