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The flawless and distinctive American foxhound Potomac Jefferson ’05 claimed the grand champion title at the end of a long, hot, humid day at the 60th annual Virginia Hound Show held at Morven Park, Leesburg, Va., on May 26.
The victory was especially sweet as it had eluded him last year, when he was named as reserve grand champion.
With more than 1,000 foxhounds on the grounds—double the usual number—the four rings swelled with entries, making the competition stiff. But Potomac Jefferson ’05 (Potomac Rapidan ’99—their Jezebel ’00) performed like a star for huntsman Larry Pitts. His presence was dazzling.
“It’s a great feat for an American hound to win this title,” Potomac Hunt (Md.) MFH Irvin L. Crawford II said. The striking unentered English hound Live Oak’s Rancher was named reserve champion.
“Jefferson is very well-balanced and correct, a nice hound,” said judge Coleman P. Perrin, ex-MFH Deep Run Hunt (Va.). “They are all nice hounds, but he moves very well and he’s very, very balanced. He’s the one I’d like to take home.”
Andrew Barclay, ex-huntsman, Green Spring Valley (Md.), who judged the American ring, concurred. “He’s just a lovely, lovely hound with a lot of substance, just very classy,” he said.
“If you look back at the history of his breeding you see many of the hounds that have won over the decades. His sire, Rapidan, is by Rombout Ranger, and Ranger’s breeding goes back to Potomac. Ranger’s dam was Rombout Damsel, who was sired by Potomac Krypton. Krypton won the Virginia show in 1980,” Crawford said.
Rombout Damsel ’00 was champion brood bitch at Virginia in 1995. “Jefferson’s ability in the field is outstanding too. He is always there; he goes out and does his job,” Crawford added. Potomac took ribbons in 10 other classes as well.
The American reserve champion title went to Old Dominion Hounds Romance ’05 (Old Dominion Jessie ’01—their Rosebud ’97). “She’s a lovely, lovely bitch, very feminine with substance. She has a lovely shoulder and neck and a lot of presence,” Barclay said.
“Her sire Jessie ’01 is a wonderful dog and was champion at [the Carolina Hound Show] two years ago. He is a fabulous hound,” Old Dominion (Va.) MFH Douglas Hytla said.
“Rosebud is a fabulous hunting bitch. A small hound, she is fast, fast, fast,” she said. “[Old Dominion huntsman] Gerald Keal will never show anything that doesn’t hunt. He will never be there for a beauty pageant. He only breeds the hounds that hunt the best. Romance’s name is never one you hear until the end of the hunting day. She is an ‘A-number-one’ hunting bitch,” she said.
The American ring has classes for hunts with packs of less than 20 couple and these hounds also compete in the open classes. One smaller pack that had several winners was Brazos Valley Hunt (Texas).
