wITh cAmIle mcArdle, suzI PAIne & jerry m. wATson
q&A bloodhound
JERRY M. WATSON
by the artistry of Bloodhounds’ construction, which facilitat- ed their mission: such a perfect example of form following function. I quickly became enamored of their majestic beau- ty, unique personalities and great intelligence. Put simply, I was hooked on these magical creatures for life. I’ve person- ally only bred a few Bloodhounds. I prefer living with males and found that breeding, while extremely rewarding, was not a good fit for my lifestyle since I live alone, work long hours and travel fairly frequently. I have been privileged to share in many litters bred by friends and mentors. These experiences helped to develop an eye for the many important features of an outstanding hound. I have been fortunate to have great mentors who have taught me so much along the way, most notably the late Judy Robb of Pinehollow Bloodhounds. I’ve been a parent club member since 1980. I have been a par- ent club trailing judge since 1993, approved by AKC to judge Bloodhounds since 2003, and hold AKC Breeder of Merit sta- tus. I had the honor and privilege of judging the Futurity Stake for the 2014 National Specialty. I hope to eventually judge all hound breeds and have a serious interest in many of them, but Bloodhounds will always be my first and deepest love. I have shared my home and life with Bloodhounds since 1980, and have actively participated in conformation, obedience and trailing events. I have been an American Bloodhound Club man-trailing judge for over 20 years, and an AKC judge since 2003. I showed and finished many Bloodhounds of my own and for others as an owner-handler prior to obtaining my judging approval. Did very limited breeding under the Mas- terpiece kennel name. I am also a parent club-approved breed mentor/presenter, with a special interest in educating aspir- ing judges regarding the form/function of our unique breed. “I hoPe To evenTuAlly judge All hound Breeds And hAve A serIous InTeresT In mAny of Them, BuT BLOODHOUNDS WILL ALWAYS BE MY FIRST AND DEEPEST LOVE.”
I am approved to judge Sporting, Hound and Working Groups as well as three Herding breeds. I have bred and shown Basset Hounds and Bloodhounds. My Kennel Club affiliations include American Bloodhound Club (I served as President for two years and on the Board of Directors for sev- eral years) and Tupelo, Ms KC (Board of Directors for several years). I have judged in almost every state in the US and also have judged in China, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia. I have totally enjoyed judging! In addition to always loving dogs, it has provided the opportunity to visit places in this world that otherwise I would not have seen. The best aspect of judging is the many, many nice people you meet over the years. There are exceptions to every rule but I have always said that most everyone who likes dogs also likes people. I live in Savannah, TN, a small town on the Tennessee river that is equidistant from Memphis, TN, Nashville, TN and Huntsville, AL. For Civil War buffs, Savannah is 16 miles from Shiloh Military Park. For movie fans, it is 8 miles from Buford Pusser’s home as depicted in the movie “Walking Tall”. 1. What five traits do you look for, in order, when judging Bloodhounds? What do you consider the ultimate hallmark of the breed?
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