After 70 Years, The Penn-Marydel Foxhound Is Emerging From Hunting's Shadows

The consensus among huntsmen with exclusively Penn-Marydel foxhound packs is that they're unbeatable for their nose, voice and ease of hunting.

These traits foster a fierce loyalty that not only appears to pass along through generations of foxhunters, but it also springs forth in the newly converted, making them as tenacious as their hounds.

Once hunted solely in Pennsylvania, and on the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Delaware--hence their name--the Penn-Marydel foxhound has now extended its reach across the nation and proven its versatility.

This is due in large part to its chief proponents--Todd Addis, Robert Crompton and Jody Murtaugh. Individually, they have pollinated packs from Connecticut westward.

Addis, who has an unrecognized pack, the Warwick Village Hounds (Pa.), also known as "Doc Addis' Hounds," inherited his love for Penn-Marydels from his father, who started the Perkiomen Hounds in Pennsylvania's Montgomery County.

"The Penn-Marydel is a hound that can give you everything you can take and more--stamina, tenacity to the line," Addis said. "This is the chief difference between the Penn-Marydel and other strains of hounds. You can go anywhere in the country and show whatever sport it provides."

The Addis' influence can be seen in both the De La Brooke Foxhounds (Md.) and Marlborough Hunt (Md.) packs.

"Years ago, the complaint was that Penn-Marydels weren't biddable, but hunts had just bought hounds from small, private packs, and those hounds were not part of larger packs," Addis said.

Easy To Keep
According to Crompton, jt.-MFH of Andrews Bridge Foxhounds (Pa.) and keeper of the Penn-Marydel studbook, 42 hunts recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association claim to have some Penn-Marydels in their packs. And about 24 hunt with exclusively Penn-Marydel packs, with both listed and registered hounds (see sidebar). In addition, many small, independent packs along the Eastern Shore and in Pennsylvania hunt with Penn-Marydel packs.