Coonhound Heaven

My friend Terry and I became buddies about 20 years ago, sharing a common interest of horses and art. Since she retired, she has gone to the dogs, showing her beautiful collies and shetland sheepdog. She has taken me to Kentucky to see one dog herd sheep, to various towns and states to see her show her conformation dog, and to hospitals and schools where her therapy dog works miracles daily.

Just for fun she has taken me to a miniature horse sale where I almost bought a mini donkey whose ears were longer than its legs.  We've been to 4-H horse shows, and I took her to the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show in Jackson.  I am a Quarter Horse person, and she is not. But she liked the free-style reining.

Today tops it all. We went to a National UKC Coonhound Winter Classic at the Batesville Civic Center.  Thank goodness she didn't want me to go to the night hunts last night.  I don't do cold and wet in the dark.

So today we joined the other thousands of visitors to the event.  We really went to see her friend Sabrina show her Redbone Hounds.  This was the bench show where the dogs are judged on their conformation. See photo below and right.

While there we walked around looking at the vendors. I've been to a lot of dog and horse shows where there were vendors' booths. But just look at the floor of this arena.  Vendors showed off their wares which included every kind of night head gear, tracking devices, dog food, collars and yes, even a booth of camouflage lingerie trimmed in pink lace.  No thanks.  People were standing in line to have their dog's 10-minute pencil portrait drawn.

Well, I'm glad I've been, but don't know if I want to go back.  The next adventure for us may be my idea to visit a labrador training facility in the area.   Life is good!

One of the exhibitors gets a hug from an affectionate Treeing Walker Coonhound.

For more information visit one of my favorite community newspapers, The Panolian, for this article.

http://www.panolian.com/contentitem/251473/1180/winter-classic-12213