Video
The Sedgefield Carolina's Foxhound Performance Trials invites hunts from all over the U.S. to bring five hounds to hunt 9,000 acres in the sandhills of North Carolina. Following a very successful season, 17 Glenmore members attended. Most of the group arrived on Friday afternoon and helped Huntsman Julie Bullock settle the hounds. Julie chose Tuesday, Tennessee, Rhythm, Ragtime and Bandana.
This year’s edition included hounds from Belle Meade (GA), Goshen (NY), Rockbridge (VA), , Long Run Woodford (KY), Limestone Creek (NY), Mecklenburg (NC), Red Oak (VA), Moore County (NC), Camden (SC), Goodwin (NC), Farmington (VA) and, of course, Glenmore. Green Creek (NC) and Sedgefield (NC) also participated without hounds. Flights for the trial include a Huntsmans’ Flight, First Flight, Second Flight and a Third Flight. Eager Car Toppers follow the action using the many roads that crisscross the country. A group of mounted judges, try to keep in front of the hounds, score the hounds on the following:
Hunting - Efficient drawing of the covert
Trailing - Following the game at a distance
Full Cry - Chasing and giving voice
Endurance - Calculated by the Trail President through a combination of Hunting or Trailing plus Full Cry
Marking - Accounting for the quarry by bringing it to ground
Exemplary Performance - Unusually brilliant work awarded by a two thirds majority of the judges
Codie Feureisen from Golden’s Bridge Hounds (NY) served as Huntsman for the two days. Now hunting the Golden’s Bridge Hounds in upstate New York and Florida, Codie grew up hunting in the North Carolina Sandhills and knows the country well. Rain the previous days and cooler weather promised good hunting on Saturday. Unfortunately, the hunt shared much of the country with soldiers on an orienteering exercise. The soldiers out on these maneuvers may have disrupted the game as the day was blank.
Tuesday, a crossbred hound out of Piedmont Grouse and Piedmont Tangent, managed to catch the eyes of the judges by his relentless efforts to produce his game garnering a fourth place for day one in the ‘Hunting’ category. Unfortunately, Ragtime and Tennessee became bored by the proceedings and were judged to be chasing deer and eliminated from further competition.
Sunday’s weather promised to be warmer so many of the riders embraced the casual dress suggested for the second day. In an effort to avoid the soldiers, Masters and Huntsman decided to hack to the far north end of the grounds to see if any game had taken shelter there. This decision resulted in a rousing morning of hunting providing fields and car toppers with the opportunity to hear much hound music.
The judges gave Tuesday high marks again for ‘Hunting’ ability, awarding him a second place for day two. This brought Glenmore an overall first place in the ‘Hunting’ Category. Other hounds of note included Rockbridge Oscar, brother to Glenmore Oprah, winning first place overall and Moore County Rutger out of Glenmore Ripple by Moore County Leonidas winning Exemplary Hound.
— John Meyer, previous MFH
