South Creek Foxhounds Attend Southern Hound Show
By: Vicki Reeves
Several members of South Creek Foxhounds (along with 4 foxhounds) traveled to Thomasville, GA on April 4th to attend the Southern Hound Show! An adorable little baby goat even joined in the caravan for part of the trip! (It was handed off in Live Oak, Florida to it's new owner). The South Creek Foxhound members spent an enjoyable Friday evening at a lovely cocktail party hosted by Live Oak Hounds and the hounds were placed in the temporary kennels provided at the Live Oak Hound Show Grounds.
Saturday morning was met with a DOWNPOUR of rain. We stalled at the hotel taking advantage of the "complimentary breakfast" hoping the rain would stop. Cherry Norris (the official "groomer") fluffed up the first two male hounds and made them look great --- applying her special secret formula to make fur look cleaner and fluffier than it naturally appears (especially when you are a mostly white hound standing in red Georgia clay in pouring down rain). Vicki had one male hound on the leash (Nix) and Mary Ann had the other male hound (Ninga). Tanner (our official "handler") was watching the other hounds perform. The sun was coming up. We were trying to stay clean (in our white lab coats and tan pants) and all was going pretty well. Several members of South Creek Foxhounds traveled up to the Southern Hound Show to watch and cheer us on.
Finally, it was South Creek Foxhounds turn to enter the show ring. A very nice gentleman came up to get us ready to enter the ring. Just at the moment we were to go into the ring, all hell broke loose! Hounds were howling and fighting in the temporary kennels which were set up near the show ring. Vicki's hound, Nix, went into total melt down mode. First, he went totally FLAT and tried to hide under the red Georgia clay which was barely covered with grass. When Vicki tried to yank him up so he could walk through the entry to the ring, he went totally spastic and almost yanked her arm out of the socket attempting to escape. There never was a clear report of who was more nervous, Nix or Vicki, when they fmally were able to enter the show ring. Meanwhile, Tanner and Mary Ann, along with their very well behaved hound, Ninga, were performing well before the Judges.
Needlesstosay, Nix did not make it past the first round. However, Ninga performed well, and while he did not win his class, gave the other hounds some keen competition.
Cherry "fluffed up" the two bitch hounds after lunch and got them ready to enter the show ring when their classes were called. Mary Ann and Tanner showed the first female, Barbaro's Girl and she performed like she had been showing her whole life; despite being only a year old and this being her very first show. She performed great and made several rounds before she was cut from her class. In the eyes of the South Creek Foxhound Members, she was the best in the class, but, like many classes that day, a Live Oak Hound won first place.
Then, the rain decided to come back and once again it rained so hard you could barely see in front of your face. Since it was a long drive home, a decision was made to not show the fourth hound (who was starting to act as nervous as Nix and Vicki acted earlier in the day). We loaded up the car with wet hounds, wet coats and wet handlers!
Despite not winning, everyone had a great time and felt very honored to show hounds on behalf of South Creek Foxhounds.
