THE WALKER HOUND
I
By Mrs. Robert D. Smith
t was in Madison County, Ken- tucky that three strains of Fox- hounds had the foundations for this breeds’ development: Goodman, Trigg and Walker. In April 1894, seven men drew
eared, deep voiced, narrow chested. Th eir colors were black-tan, red pied, black pied and blue speckled. When the red fox first crossed into Madison County, it required the fox hunt- ers to look for new blood for crosses. On a November morning in 1852 Tom Har- ris caught a black-tan hound out of a deer chase in Tennessee. He knew there was a ready market for hounds with speed in Madison County, Kentucky. Wash Mau- pin on November 20, bought the hound, and Tennessee Lead became the first hound to run a red fox to earth in Madison County. He became one of the foundation sires of Maupin, Walker, Goodman and Trigg hounds.
English daughters on the Ben Robinson’s Maryland stock. Th is added more speed. Neil Gooch’s Spotted Top was by Couch- man a Maryland- English hound of Uncle Wash. Col. Trigg also bought no fewer than 20 hounds from Wash Maupin to cross on the Birdsongs from Georgia. After the War hound breeding picked up with the Walker brothers of Garret county buying Spotted Top. In 1867, we begin to see a split of the 2 strains. Match races began, and in 1867, Uncle Wash and Ben Robinson met at Oil Springs in Clark County, Kentucky. Side bets and envy produced preju- dice that drew the line of breeding. Wil- lis Goodman moved to Bourbon County to add the speed of the Maryland hounds, while the Walkers over in Garrard stayed with Uncle Wash and the English cross. In 1891, the Walker’s knew they had to outcross and Col. Chinn was able to borrow or smuggle out of England three hounds through the Pinkerton Agency. Th ese hounds came to Harrodsburg, Ken- tukcy and the Walker brothers. Th e three hounds were Imp. Striver, Relish, and Clara. Th ey did not improve the hunting qualities but certainly improved com- formation. Conformation was becom- ing important because of the addition of bench show classes to field trails. Th e Walker hounds have more speed than any other breed of Foxhounds. Two men can be held responsible for the modern Walker hound Edwin H. Walker (1843-1910) and Sam Wooldridge (1879- 1946) both from Kentucky. “The Walker hounds have more speed than any other breed of Foxhounds.”
up the first American Foxhound Standard, among them were W.S. Walker, W.C. Goodman and Col. Haiden C. Trigg. It all began in Henrico County, Virgin- ia when Asaph Walker married a Watkins and moved to Madison County, Kentucky in 1785. His son John had four sons: W. Stephen, Edwin H.J., Wade and Arch K. In the fall of 1857, another son, Wil- liam had a son, Jason who imported two hounds, Rifler and Marth. Jason’s son—
“In April 1894, SEVEN MEN DREW UP THE FIRST AMERICAN FOXHOUND STANDARD, among them were W.S. Walker, W.C. Goodman and Col. Haiden C. Trigg.”
Col. Charles, and his nephew, William Walker Watts (Buck) took the first Walker foxhounds into Texas soon after the end of the war. Th e 3rd son, James, married and had 2 daughters. After James’ death, the girls were raised by their guardian a well-known hound man. Th e girls married brothers, Mary to George Washington Maupin and Nancy to his brother Dan- iel. It is this family, Maupin and Walker who blended all of the hounds they raised, imported and bought into what is today called the Walker hound. Daniel Maupin came from Virginia to Kentucky in 1784. Both men, Asaph, and Daniel brought with them their Virginia hounds, long
Wash Maupin could not read or write, so he kept no records of his hounds, that task was left to the Walk- ers. Wash was a great business man, and at his death was worth over $100,000 and owned broad acres of bluegrass, and much land in the South. Neither the Walker’s nor Uncle Wash ever got to breed Lead to the imported hounds of ’57. Th en the Civil War broke out and no records were kept and few hounds bred during this dark period. Th ree of Wash Maupin’s nephews—Neil Gooch, W.C. Terrill and his brother, Dan, as well his niece’s husband Arch Kavana- ugh were crossing Tennessee Lead and
t4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& " 13*-
Powered by FlippingBook