Printotomac Jipsy '01 dazzled even huntsman Larry Pitts as the American hound sped around the grand championship ring at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show in Malvern, Pa.
Focusing only on Pitts' biscuits and direction, the bitch solidly outperformed the other contenders with her "look-at-me" attitude that nailed the top title for her on June 3.
"She chased my biscuits and came back and stood like a dressage horse. All the hounds had quality, but she just whizzed around like she had wings. She could not have done better," Pitts said.
Potomac Hunt (Md.) ruled the American ring, winning 11 of 14 classes and 21 prizes, including the pack class and high-point huntsman. Jipsy is the daughter of past champion Potomac Warcloud '96, who won best stallion and best stallion with get in 2001 and '03 at Bryn Mawr and champion dog in the same two seasons.
She's out of Jodi '97, an influential brood bitch who whelped Jezebel '00, the dam of 2006 Virginia Foxhound Show reserve champion Jefferson '05 and Joseph '02, who was champion American hound in Virginia in 2005 and won as best stallion at Bryn Mawr last year.
"Jodi is by Potomac Brampton '94 out of Breezy, who was a gift from Melvin Poe. Breezy was champion bitch at Bryn Mawr about 14 years ago," Pitts said. "The Brampton cross has that light, breezy look.
"I think that after many years--and it takes many years unless you're lucky--you know who the hounds are and that makes it easier to breed. I give hounds away to credible people so they will breed to good hounds. Then I can go back to them and avoid inbreeding. It keeps the lines open, you're linebreeding, but not too close," Pitts explained.
Fourteen other winning hounds in the Potomac kennel were sired by the influential stallion and solid black type winner Potomac Rapidan '99, by Rombout Ranger '94. "Rapidan has always been one of my favorites--he still goes out and hunts," Potomac Jt.-MFH Vicki Crawford said.
"The pack hunts like they show. They are racy and hunt just the way you'd want them to hunt. We don't do anything special. We hate ugly hounds--they last so much longer if they're built nice," Pitts said.
Not to be overshadowed by the Potomac hounds, Essex Chadwell '03 (Essex Winslow '98--their Betsey '98), last year's champion American hound, edged Potomac Jefferson '05 to capture the American dog championship.
"He's from a very large family, and he's the best," huntsman John Gilbert said. "He's very handsome, a nice mover and deer-proof--a real nice hound."
Essex also swept the ribbons in single bitch, unentered class with Bantam, Joyful and Buoy. Essex also took the couple of unentered bitches with Joyful and Bantam, whose sires are half-brothers.
"This year we ended up with the most even litters of unentered hounds. We are very pleased," Essex Jt.-MFH Alexandra Allen said.
Gilbert was somewhat humored by the pack class, where Essex placed second behind Potomac. He explained that the judges gave specific instructions that included going through a gate and hounds holding up with a whip until the huntsman advanced away and then they were to rejoin him.
"Our hounds knew they shouldn't go past the whip, so they took a different approach," Gilbert said. "Somehow, they all made up their minds together. They thought for a second and then ran around and retraced their steps [rejoining the huntsman without passing the whip]."
Focusing only on Pitts' biscuits and direction, the bitch solidly outperformed the other contenders with her "look-at-me" attitude that nailed the top title for her on June 3.
"She chased my biscuits and came back and stood like a dressage horse. All the hounds had quality, but she just whizzed around like she had wings. She could not have done better," Pitts said.
Potomac Hunt (Md.) ruled the American ring, winning 11 of 14 classes and 21 prizes, including the pack class and high-point huntsman. Jipsy is the daughter of past champion Potomac Warcloud '96, who won best stallion and best stallion with get in 2001 and '03 at Bryn Mawr and champion dog in the same two seasons.
She's out of Jodi '97, an influential brood bitch who whelped Jezebel '00, the dam of 2006 Virginia Foxhound Show reserve champion Jefferson '05 and Joseph '02, who was champion American hound in Virginia in 2005 and won as best stallion at Bryn Mawr last year.
"Jodi is by Potomac Brampton '94 out of Breezy, who was a gift from Melvin Poe. Breezy was champion bitch at Bryn Mawr about 14 years ago," Pitts said. "The Brampton cross has that light, breezy look.
"I think that after many years--and it takes many years unless you're lucky--you know who the hounds are and that makes it easier to breed. I give hounds away to credible people so they will breed to good hounds. Then I can go back to them and avoid inbreeding. It keeps the lines open, you're linebreeding, but not too close," Pitts explained.
Fourteen other winning hounds in the Potomac kennel were sired by the influential stallion and solid black type winner Potomac Rapidan '99, by Rombout Ranger '94. "Rapidan has always been one of my favorites--he still goes out and hunts," Potomac Jt.-MFH Vicki Crawford said.
"The pack hunts like they show. They are racy and hunt just the way you'd want them to hunt. We don't do anything special. We hate ugly hounds--they last so much longer if they're built nice," Pitts said.
Not to be overshadowed by the Potomac hounds, Essex Chadwell '03 (Essex Winslow '98--their Betsey '98), last year's champion American hound, edged Potomac Jefferson '05 to capture the American dog championship.
"He's from a very large family, and he's the best," huntsman John Gilbert said. "He's very handsome, a nice mover and deer-proof--a real nice hound."
Essex also swept the ribbons in single bitch, unentered class with Bantam, Joyful and Buoy. Essex also took the couple of unentered bitches with Joyful and Bantam, whose sires are half-brothers.
"This year we ended up with the most even litters of unentered hounds. We are very pleased," Essex Jt.-MFH Alexandra Allen said.
Gilbert was somewhat humored by the pack class, where Essex placed second behind Potomac. He explained that the judges gave specific instructions that included going through a gate and hounds holding up with a whip until the huntsman advanced away and then they were to rejoin him.
"Our hounds knew they shouldn't go past the whip, so they took a different approach," Gilbert said. "Somehow, they all made up their minds together. They thought for a second and then ran around and retraced their steps [rejoining the huntsman without passing the whip]."
