Beagle Field Trials

2008 International Beagle Hare Futurity
Reported by Beverley Cross (Editor - North American Beagle)

The 34th International Beagle Hare Futurity, an event founded in 1974, sanctioned and attended by the American Kennel Club, was held in Buxton Maine on July 4 – 6th.  The IBHF trial is a specialty beagle field trial at which American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club IBHF registered litters compete according to AKC Large Pack rules. Litters are registered with the Futurity committee before their first birthday, and are then eligible to compete the year they turn two. This year there were 131 litters registered, and of that group, 114 futurity hounds, finished champions and their owners were able to travel to this year’s host of the trial, Southern Maine Beagle Club, to compete. Since its inception, the IBHF’s focus has been on recognizing breeders in the sport of Large Pack beagling. 

The field trailers who gathered from different states of the USA and provinces of Canada enjoyed a holiday weekend of beautiful Maine summer weather, running in all classes, and excellent meals served by the club, including a banquet after the Breeder Awards and Purina Cup Award ceremony on Saturday night.  Purina has sponsored the Futurity since 2004, and we enjoyed the presence of Purina Ambassador Vic Costanza at the trial.

As is tradition, the third day of the Futurity trial is all about the Champions, many of which are the sires or dams of the current year’s futurities. Many are also winners of previous Futurities. The Trial of Champions consists of two classes combined by size. This year we had a healthy turn-out of AKC and CKC finished Champions. There were twenty 13-inch Champions and twenty-three 15-inch Champions. Everyone attending shares pride the successes of these dogs. They are a good measure of our breeding criteria, and our training/trialing processes.

After the Trial of Champions, American Kennel Club Rep Bill VanDeBogart presented an advanced judging seminar which was very beneficial and greatly appreciated by the beaglers and judges. When most were packing up and heading for home, there were still many who stayed to attend this helpful seminar.

The trophy and plaque sponsors for the 2008 International Beagle Hare Futurity were Nestle Purina, The American Beagler magazine, the North American Beagle (Stud Book), and Happyrun Beagles of Canada. Tri-Tronics, Better Beagling magazine, Wildlife Materials, Collar Clinic, Sacandaga, Slip Check, Nite Guard and others donated either certificates or product in support of the trial. We’d like to say thank you to these very generous sponsors. Their sponsorship enables us to continue this milestone event in the quest of producing a better purebred field beagle.

Below are the results of another successful trial, and we look forward to the next International Beagle Hare Futurity in 2009.

13" Females: Judges Steve Guy and Wayne Heckley,  20 Entries

1st - Green Flats Tim's Punch II
Owner Robert Kroder

2nd - Al's Swampghost Northen Belle
Owner Dale Piche

3rd - Mountain Meadow Speedy Jet
Owner Andy Pauls

4th - Cryon K.C.
Owners George & Greg Steeves

5th - Rock Pond Ruby
Owners Gerry & Brenda Nadeau

15" Females: Judges Robert Foster and Shawn Rafter,  17 Entries

1st - Blackfald's I Love Lucy
Owner Greg McPherson

2nd - Hawthorne Hollee
Owner George Krug

3rd - Lackawana Maggie Mae
Owner John Lipko

4th - Tommy C's Babbitts Run Nina
Owner Tom Cheney

5th - Lonewillow Be-U-T-Ful Khelsea
Owners Terry and Cathy Williams

13" Males: Judges Jack Silvernale and Larry LeBlanc,  7 Entries

1st - Trailmaster's Snowflake Jr.
Owner Wayne Heckley

2nd - Cryon Whitefoot
Owners George & Greg Steeves

3rd - Brazier's Ranger
Owner Derrick Brazier

4th - Sabattus Mtn Dewey
Owner Robert Foster

5th - Westleigh's King Zeus
Owners Zane and Wendi "Westleigh

15" Males: Judges Chad Parks and Matt Glidden,   27 Entries

1st - Lone Willow Kool Kimber
Owners Terry and Cathy Williams

2nd - Goodall's Hot Shot Charlie
Owners David and Elaine Goodall

3rd - Hunlock Creek Tonka
Owners Jim and Cheryl Olejnik

4th - Lone Willow T.J.'s Kolby
Owners Terry and Cathy Williams

5th - Barker Brook's Waylon Willie
Owner Janice Mills

13" Champions: Judges Chad Parks and Gerard Perreault,   20 Entries

1st - FC Boylands Rooster
Owner Clark Steeves

2nd - FC Nemasket's Rabbit Stew
Owner Robert Foster

3rd - FTC Windy Hill Dusty Dawn
Owner Steve Corey

4th - FC Concert Lor's White
Owner Jeremy Flanders

5th - FC Higher's Winda Race
Owners Jennifer Terriah and Shawn Rafter

15" Champions: Judges Jeremy Flanders and Steve Corey,  23 Entries

1st - FC Babbitt's Smoker
Owners Sandy and Lewis Babbitt

2nd - FC Red Sun Bridget
Owner Gerard Perreault

3rd - FC Westleigh's Back Woods Wiley
Owners Zane and Wendi Westleigh

4th - FTC Steve's Shooting Star
Owner Steve Guy

5th - Windy Hill Trapper
Owner Joseph Cifelli

Special Awards:
2007 Purina Cup High Hound – Nemasket’s Rabbit Chase – Owner Joe Ward
2007 Purina Futurity Trial Sire –  FC Sabattus Mtn Otis – Owner George Pearce
2007 Purina Futurity Trial Dam – FC Nemasket’s Big Spring – Owner Joe Gamache
2007 Purina Futurity Trial Breeder – Joe Gamache, Massachusetts
2007 North American Beagler – Terry McBride (Canada)