“Phenomenal!” This was Western Challenge judge John Lang’s summation of the closing day of the seventh annual Western Hunt Challenge Tour, hosted by the Red Rock Hounds of Reno, Nev., on April 3.

Lang, Jt.-MFH of the Golden Vale (Ireland), and fellow judge Duncan Stewart, huntsman of the Moore County Hounds (N.C.), were unanimous in scoring this day’s sport as the best of the tour. Red Rock’s designated charity, the Nevada Women’s Fund, will for the fourth time in seven years receive the contribution of about $5,000 comprised of capping fees and donations collected throughout the Challenge Tour.

The Grand Canyon Hounds of Flagstaff, Ariz., in their second year of existence, were judged to be the second-best hunt of this year’s Challenge Tour, followed in third place by the North Hills Hunt of Omaha, Neb.

Lang and Stewart noted that the Red Rock pack worked diligently and were attentive to their huntsman, Jt.-MFH Lynn Lloyd, to successfully find and pursue two coyotes over rugged terrain during a five-hour-plus day, and were all on at the end of the day.

Lloyd believes that she won because she uses a substantially bigger pack than many hunts. On the final day, she drew 28 couple–and having more hounds increases the chances of finding a coyote in unforgiving country, often with poor scenting conditions. In addition, Lloyd adheres to the nconventional practice of allowing her hounds to riot on jackrabbits, which often leads them to a lurking coyote.


Beginning With A Blizzard
In a sense, this year’s Western Challenge picked up where the 2005 Challenge left off.

Last year’s judges were Eleanor Hartwell, huntsman of the Bridlespur Hunt (Mo.), and her mother, Betsy Park, M.B. of the Sandanona Hare Hounds (N.Y.) and retired huntsman of the Millbrook Hunt (N.Y.).

Both were very much present for the beginning of the 2006 Challenge Tour, as on March 16, Bridlespur hosted the inaugural meet at Hill ‘n Hound Farm in Kane, Ill., with Betsy whipping in to her daughter. Hartwell drew 121�2 couple of hounds, including two couple of first-season hounds. Huntsman and pack worked diligently throughout the five-hour day, but the warm and windy conditions produced only a few short runs.

From Illinois, the hunting caravan proceeded to Adel, Iowa, for the Moingona Hunt’s meet on March 18. Hunting conditions were much improved here, with temperatures in the 30s and light breezes. Moving off from the meet at ex-MFH Diane and Rick Hickman’s Grand River country, huntsman George Dixon cast his pack. They quickly found and were away.

But the hunted coyote soon joined up with another pair, which ran briefly as a trio before executing a three-way split, each coyote luring part of the pack in its wake.

After regrouping, the pack was hunted to the west, where they found again and were quickly away, outdistancing staff and field before too long.

After a long gallop to get back on terms with hounds, huntsman Dixon gathered hounds and called it a day after four hours. After a nice warm meal at the Silver Spur in Grand River, the Western Challenge convoy proceeded to Omaha, Neb., for hunting with the North Hills on March 19.

The meet at North Hill’s kennels saw the assembly of huntsman Mary Walker, MFH Luke Matranga, 151�2 couple of hounds, and an enthusiastic field of 23. Moving off in what would become a raging blizzard, hounds worked diligently in the first two coverts but drew blank.

The third covert in the terraces was a charm as they quickly found and were away into the snow and wind. Staff and field had to work hard to stay on terms with the pack, as visibility ceased. Hounds lost briefly at the “wee creek,” and, regaining the line, their noses were carrying them toward forbidden territory, so they were stopped and cast again near the creek, only to pursue another line toward a highway.

Hounds were stopped again and roaded down a gravel road to the next draw. Here, two more coverts proved blank, as the quarry saw this as a good day to stay snug and warm in their dens.

However, hounds persevered and found what was presumed to be a regularly hunted fox, which they hunted well for about 20 minutes. When they lost, a decision was quickly made to give the weather best and head for warm and dry environs.

Despite the awful weather, or perhaps because of the North Hills hounds’ and humans’ ability to persist and hunt in such awful conditions, the Western Challenge judges declared this the third-best day of the entire tour.

Fort Carson Debuts
The schedule allowed the traveling foxhunters a couple of days to make the drive to Colorado. On March 22, the Arapahoe Hunt welcomed all travelers to an afternoon bye day at their kennels.

Although not a judged participant in the Challenge, Arapahoe hosts a bye day for the tour whenever the schedule allows, to raise funds for the MFHA’s Hunt Staff Benefit Foundation while offering tour participants an enjoyable day of sport in their galloping country at the extreme western edge of the Great Plains.

On March 23, the Bijou Springs Hunt of Parker, Colo., took their turn hosting a Western Challenge meet. Huntsman Nancy Mitchell and the pack decamped in front of a field of 40 riders, and hounds soon found a number of cold lines that produced only short bursts of activity. And they were fortunately diligent in avoiding a passing porcupine.

Before long, they hit the jackpot and were away on a viewed coyote. The lead hounds pursued their quarry through Lemon Gulch and the neighboring subdivision, while the back of the pack kicked up a second coyote, which quickly joined the fray. This run took pack and followers to the extreme north end of the country before the coyotes were given best. Hounds then worked diligently in Woody Gulch, but without reproducing their earlier success. At day’s end, all hounds were on.

March 24 saw the debut of a new pack, both to Colorado and to the Western Challenge. The Fort Carson Hounds met at their 79,000-acre fixture at the Fort Carson Military Reservation. With light winds and temperatures in the 50s, Jt.-MFH and huntsman Gary Worrall and 11 couple of Walker hounds drafted from Red Rock commenced their efforts in a forested area.

The pack enjoyed two good runs early in the day, staying with the hunted coyote despite viewing others, but as the 51�2- hour day progressed and scent diminished, shorter runs became the norm as hounds were unable to carry the line in the hot, open areas.

In their first year of existence, the Fort Carson Hounds showed their avid support of the Western Challenge concept of hunting for charity by earning possession of the Western Challenger trophy for one year, as the hunt that raised the most money for the prize fund awarded to the winning hunt’s designated charity.

With only one full day to make the 12-hour drive from Colorado Springs to Flagstaff, the Western Challenge convoy didn’t have much of a respite. Their push was rewarded by three good days of hunting.

On March 26, the Paradise Valley Beagles hosted the crew at their Red Hills fixture. The pack hunted well, pursuing several different jackrabbits over good distances, with notable contributions in the finding of quarry by Paradise Valley’s new Irish Beagle, Walker.

Not Just Seeing The Sights
On March 28, the Grand Canyon Hounds of Flagstaff, which made its debut in the Western Challenge last year, during its first season of existence, hosted the tour. This year, with professional huntsman Peter Wilson carrying the horn, the small pack consisting entirely of drafts from other hunts moved off from the SP Crater fixture, a volcanic cinder cone from which spectacular views of the Painted Desert can be enjoyed.

The hounds weren’t out for the scenery, however, soon finding and providing a good first run on a viewed coyote before losing in a small valley. Intending to head for a nearby water tank, Wilson’s and the pack’s plans changed as a hilltopping phaeton pulled by a lovely pair of Welsh ponies kicked up a coyote lying in the grass.

The pack was brought to the view and commenced a three-mile run before coming to a loss, with another couple of miles thereafter once the line was recovered. Rose Tree Ox and Smith Mountain Tank held the pack on the hunted coyote when two more coyotes popped up along the way, and Santa Ynez Dixie and Dolly were instrumental in recovering the line after the first loss.

Hounds were unable to find again after the second loss, and after another stop for water, the day’s end was declared after an action-packed three hours, judged to be the second best of this year’s Western Challenge hunting days.

The next day, the Kingsbury Harriers of Inyokern, Calif., hosted their Western Challenge meet at the Walking Cane Ranch House, by permission of the High Country Hounds. Normally accustomed to hunting at home alone, M.H. and huntsman John Auborn welcomed a field of 24, four car followers, and the services of Wilson, Lloyd, and Angela Norrell as whippers-in.

Auborn’s 51�2 couple of English Harriers provided non-stop sport for 21�2 hours, even though scenting conditions prevented any sustained runs. The jackrabbits were kind enough to steer staff and field toward Rattlesnake Crater, where they couldn’t resist taking a slight detour all the way to the top to enjoy the views and the Anasazi ruins.

After a couple of leisurely driving days from Arizona to Reno, Nev., a bye day was held on March 31, hosted by Red Rock. On the next day, the Woodbrook Hunt from Washington took their turn in the Western Challenge, with Jt.-MFH and huntsman Jean Brooks drawing five couple of American and Crossbred hounds. This day of hunting mainly in the Dogskin Range produced a few good runs along with views of wild Mustangs and antelope.

Hound Performance Trial Mechanics
The hounds entered in the competition are randomly numbered to eliminate any possible bias toward a particular hunt club, and the judges use hand-held digital voice recorders while riding to observe the hounds in their qualities of “hunting,” “trailing”, “full cry” and other characteristics.

During a post-hunt meeting, the judges then tally their individual results on paper, and the frequency for which a hound was observed by each judge, during each hour, is entered into a model in the computer software Excel that weights the points and produces a score in each category and overall for the coveted top-10 combined highest general average.

Sharon Wilson aptly compared the judges’ post-hunt meeting to a “game of bingo” or a live auction as each hound was reviewed, and the chatter of numbers and times were shouted out in an organized but seemingly chaotic frenzy.