THE AMERICAN FOXHOUND

This year at the recent Westminster Dog Show in New York City an American Foxhound, nicknamed Jewel, won the Hound Group.  A few days prior to this I had been reviewing old-time American Dog Show History and found this article about the American Foxhound from 1897:

http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_30/outXXX02/outXXX02d.pdf


To continue, President and General Washington was one of the first in the United States to import Foxhounds from Europe.  Some may have been English Foxhounds, although he received French Hounds (Grand Bleu de Gascogne) as a gift from General Lafayette.  He maintained a large Foxhound kennel and breeding program in Virginia.  Washington supposedly also obtained dogs from a lineage of English Foxhounds introduced to America by a Robert Brooke in 1650 and bred these with the dogs given to him by General Lafayette.  The following is a mural representation of Washington with his hounds:  

The mural was painted by John Ward Dunsmore in 1909.    The famous Faunces Tavern of New York City is associated with the art of Mr. Dunsmore:  

http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/dunsmore.html

A link to the American Kennel Club provides a summarized timeline for the American Foxhound in the United States which was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1886: 

http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_foxhound/did_you_know.cfm 

I am glad Jewel won the Hound group this year and cheer for every other dog at the Westminster Dog Show.  I have my favorite dog breeds including my own pets and have always dreamed about having one of my own dogs showing at Westminster some day!