At the New England Hunts Foxhound Show, Myopia Feebee ’02 carried the day, taking the Crossbred single bitch, entered, and brood bitch classes on her way to the Crossbred championship before capping her performance by earning the Norfolk Hunt Challenge Bowl as grand champion.
Blazing sun, blistering heat, and high humidity plagued the show, hosted by Myopia Hunt, in Hamilton, Mass., on June 12. Both hounds and humans panted, and several hounds indicated that bellies on the grass would be much preferable to standing up correctly.
Judges Jeffrey Hyde, huntsman of the Elkridge-Harford Hunt (Md.), and Liz McKnight, MFH of Elkridge-Harford, noted that the extreme heat only seemed to bring out the congeniality and helpfulness of all from the three participating hunts, Myopia, Norfolk (Mass.), and Tanheath (Conn.).
The judges described Feebee, still forward and energetic in the sweltering afternoon championship as well as the pack class, as being of excellent type.
“It’s always difficult to place among different types, and of course the hardest class of the day is champion,” said McKnight, indicating that Feebee came closest to the ideal of a light, fast hound that they preferred.
Myopia Huntsman Eugene McKay described Feebee as a good-hunting bitch who has also won hound races, in addition to proving herself as a producer:
Two of her offspring won a couple class, and one of her dog hound pups, Myopia Freckle ’04, won the Crossbred single dog, entered class. “She is the best working bitch–no, the best working hound–we have!” he stated.
This year, special arrangement was made after consultation with Dennis Foster, executive director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, to allow drafted hounds to be shown in all classes. With placings often alternating between Norfolk and Myopia, this resulted in high good humor on all sides when Norfolk’s Myopia Farmer ’03 won the English single dog, entered, and the English championship.
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With Norfolk’s Myopia Fagan ’03, Farmer went on to win best English couple of dogs and best couple in show.
The judges stated that Myopia appeared to be keeping the heavier type of hound, while drafting the lighter, faster type.
The championship class in the American division came with another twist. In the single bitch, entered, class—the largest of the day–there weren’t enough handlers for Norfolk’s large number of entries, so Tanheath’s Amy Burnham volunteered to show a hound for them. When Norfolk Playdoh ’04 was brought to the top of the line, Burnham said she simply “couldn’t lose!”
After winning the American division, Norfolk Huntsman John Elliot spoke of the excellent spring season he’d had with Playdoh (by Norfolk Warrior ’95, a Kerry Glass hound) as well as his recently drafted Farmer and Fagan. Playdoh’s dam, Keswick Paisley ’99 (winner of last year’s brood bitch class and dam of the winning American couple Norfolk’s Astro and Atlas), was also present, placing in the retired foxhound class.
One of two spectator favorites of the day was the junior handler class, won by a very professional Fallon Childs, followed by the younger but equally composed Morgan Fahey. The other was the retired foxhound class, whose trophy (sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Fitzgerald in memory of Editor, a member of the Myopia pack) went to the still very fit-looking Nebeelya, shown by junior Madison Fahey.
The pack class showcased differing but very impressive performances. Myopia’s pack was sent sweeping out with speed and energy, then called back to McKay. Norfolk’s Elliot bested that effort by keeping his hounds perfectly together as if contained by an invisible net, to win the class.
The day closed with the horn-blowing contest. Hyde and McKnight carefully chose their backs-turned location so that echoes
and poor acoustics wouldn’t influence their decision. After Norfolk’s Elliot and Myopia’s McKay had each blown Moving Off, Gone Away, Gone to Ground, and Going Home, McKay received the nod.
