GALLIA COUNTY, Ohio — The Huntington Beagle Club hosted the American Kennel Club Gundog Brace National Championship over a weekend, according to WSAZ, which reported the club is situated in Gallia County rather than in Huntington itself.
The station said this marked the fourth year the club put on the event. Hounds arrived from Georgia, Wisconsin and Canada, numbering in the hundreds, and competed on grounds off Lime Kiln Road to determine which dog ran rabbits best.
Judging the heats were Wayne Wilson and Gary Brown, who worked from horseback, per the report. Brown told WSAZ he wants a dog that holds tightly to the scent line, comparing the ideal to a train staying on its track, and that he favors as much speed as the dog can manage. Richard Sawyer of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, likened the competition to the NCAA tournament.
Field director Brett Jones said the event requires considerable dedication and called the field very competitive, noting that valuable dogs were entered.
All details come from WSAZ's account; no independent confirmation was obtained.