What is the Woodbrook Hound Challenge?
Our first hound challenge in 2021 was an idea of Huntsman Jennifer Hansen from challenges she heard about in New Zealand, and her experience judging the Drag Hound Trial at Belle Mead, GA. For members, the real fun has been following your hound in the Challenge Hunts, learning their voice, watching them respond to the horn and seeing who the leaders are when our foxes are run to ground! The Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion and the “Worst of the Worst” hound will be announced at our Closing Hunt on April 7th!
How does the Woodbrook Hound Challenge work?
The winner will be the hound with the most accumulated points up to and including our Closing Hunt. We have three judges for each Challenge hunt, we’ll call on Huntsman, staff, foxes and distinguished guests to judge. Each judge will fill out a score card giving 5 points to their top hound, 3 points to second, 2 points to third, and 1 point to forth. Hounds will be judged on hunting, voice and marking.
What if I don’t hunt or don’t know all the hounds?
What if I don’t hunt or don’t know all the hounds? Hound profiles can be viewed on our website www.woodbrookhuntclub.com and will be posted on the Instagram. You can ask any of the staff members for recommendations, just remember staff will be bidding too and may lead you astray! Bid by yourself or as a team, just make sure you aren’t bidding against one of your teammates!
Are there prizes?
The Grand Champion Hound and its sponsor will have their names inscribed on the Hound Challenge Perpetual Trophy in the clubhouse along with a picture of the hound and winner(s) for the clubhouse wall. And bragging rights for the next year!
Where does the money raised go?
All proceeds go directly to the Hound Fund for our hardworking pack!
Which Hounds are in the Challenge this Year?
Delaware – this lemon-colored hound was drafted from Mill Creek in 2016, and was a natural drag hunter from the start! He is VERY independent but his distinct and natural voice from the start is listened to by the pack. He is consistently with the front of the pack this season, and this could be his year!
Iggy – besides winning the first two Hound Challenges, Iggy has sired some of our best hounds, seven of his offspring, the “J” hounds, are competing against him this year! Iggy is as keen as ever, but does he have another win in him?
Jodphur – last year Huntsman Hansen said of this good looking lemon hound “I expect Jodphur to be near the top of results this year (2023)” and he won! Jodphur continues to excel this season in the hunt field and could be getting even better, will he take the title a second time like his sire Iggy did?
Jolene – Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, tri-color gorgeous athlete, the ONLY hound who consistently scales 7’ and 8’ kennel walls to go hunting (on non-hunting days)! Jolene is one of the BEST hunters, her speed and marking have earned her top scores last year, a good hound to bet on!
Joshua – Joshua’s GREAT hunting ability more than makes up for having only one eye due to an early infection! Joshua is all business when hunting, his nose is as good or better than most, and his high-pitched voice will make it easy to find him in a challenge. Joshua could surprise us this season and make his original owner, Sr. Jt. MFH Mike Wager proud!
Casey – this is Casey’s first Hound Challenge; he is a tan dog hound from Mill Creek Valley Hunt who joined our pack in 2021. Casey learned the game quickly and is always consistently near the front of the pack, working hard to find the foxes! Casey should have good results this first year!
Jazz – this beautiful tri-color hound, another Iggy offspring, while small, Jazz has the characteristics of Iggy, she’s energetic, inquisitive and steady on the hunt. With her classical hound look, nose low and stern high, Jazz is catching up to her siblings and we expect a strong showing this year!
JBLM – (pronounced J-Blam) Huntsman Jennifer is impressed as JBLM continues to improve year over year, this lemon and white hound is lighter in statue than his litter-mates but JBLM’s consistency and drive contributed to higher hound scores last year!
Jetty – Jetty, a lemon and white hound most resembles his sire Iggy in stature. From his very first season, Jetty excelled at hunting with his focus and interest in following drag lines. Like Iggy, Jetty has a strong voice and doesn’t let anything distract him from his job, he’s just a cool hound, watch him!
Opal – is a black and white French crossbred sister to Oso, and while Oso seemed to take to hunting faster (Oso was probably born first, lol) than Opal, Opal is now catching up! This year Opal’s speed, drive and very BIG voice have really helped the pack out, do hounds have sibling rivalry?
Anaseed – Anaseed is a tri-color bitch drafted last year of Blue Ridge breeding. Originally she hunted coyote, and at first it was questionable whether the drag would interest Anaseed, but she surprised us! She’s a keen hunter with a unique voice, and could be a dark horse this season!
Jasper – is a handsome tri-color offspring of Iggy, and like some of his other siblings, he has been slowly improving every season. Jasper may be making a move out of the middle of the pack, he works hard to follow the lines and is a steady team player for the younger hounds, watch him!
Oxford – purchased last year by Jt. MFH Theresa Lazares.
2023 Hound Challenge Champions
2023 Champion: Jodhpur (sponsored by Tami Masters & Lynne Wilber)
Second Place: Iggy (sponsored by Jackie Fleckenstein)
Third Place: Joshua (sponsored by Jane Cowles)
Fourth Place: Delaware (sponsored byChris Borgen)
Second Place: Iggy (sponsored by Jackie Fleckenstein)
Third Place: Joshua (sponsored by Jane Cowles)
Fourth Place: Delaware (sponsored byChris Borgen)
About Our Hounds
Mill Creek Delaware 2015 is a lemon colored dog hound. He was drafted from the Mill Creek Hunt near Chicago in 2016 after just one very short season hunting with Mill Creek. Delaware took to hunting our drag like a fish takes to swimming. His distinct and natural voice was a very welcome addition to our pack at a time when increasing voice was a top priority; he opens on a line and sails along! Hunting is such a natural and unconscious feeling for him that, in the beginning, on the odd day when conditions were challenging or the line disappeared, he didn’t know what to do. It took him a few seasons, but he really has become an important part of our pack and pulls his weight even on the more difficult days now.
In the kennel, Delaware is very mouthy and has something to say about everything! He is always concerned there may not be enough breakfast for him. When it’s his turn to get on the food he makes sure all the other hounds know he’s there. He’s very good on a couple and is quite helpful teaching puppies to walk out with the pack.
In the kennel, Delaware is very mouthy and has something to say about everything! He is always concerned there may not be enough breakfast for him. When it’s his turn to get on the food he makes sure all the other hounds know he’s there. He’s very good on a couple and is quite helpful teaching puppies to walk out with the pack.
Woodbrook Iris 2017 is a tri-color bitch, out of Mill Creek Ketchup, sired by Los Altos Homer. The name Iris was sure to encourage her strong will and independent nature; she was named in honor of Iris Bryant whose father founded WHC. Later, she herself was huntsman. Iris, the hound, has an interesting mind. She seems to not always be paying attention but at other times has the intent focus to work out a cold line. Some days she is right in the action, eagerly part of the team. And other days you hear her name more than any other hound, and she’ll be the last to come in!
In the kennel Iris is an honorary dog hound because she had trouble living with the bitches from the time she was young. We had her spayed and she very happily lives with the boys! She has a very distinct voice and she uses it to alarm us when wildlife is roaming near the kennel.
In the kennel Iris is an honorary dog hound because she had trouble living with the bitches from the time she was young. We had her spayed and she very happily lives with the boys! She has a very distinct voice and she uses it to alarm us when wildlife is roaming near the kennel.
Woodbrook Iggy 2017 is a very masculine and stout red and white dog hound, the litter mate to Iris and Isaid. He was a challenging youngster, always feeling his oats, and overqualified for the job of following our drag. In his first two seasons he made his share of mistakes and really thought be belonged in a pack that hunts coyote! Each season he has become more steady and by the end of his second season he was really a hound to give notice to.In is third season he has been quite brilliant, I really can trust him, so consistent and such a beautiful voice. Whips did not always appreciate his tenacity, however. But it's quite appreciated now that he’s so steady. In the kennel, Iggy can be a bit big for his britches. He feels the need to teach the youngsters, which is helpful out hunting but not so much in the yard! He was all white as a puppy and affectionately named Polar Bear. He fathered the "J" litter: Jolene, Jasper, Jazz, Jetty, Jodhpur, Joshua, JBLM, Joules. The winner of our 2021 and 2022 Hound Challenges, Iggy is definitely the pack leader and our stand out all around hound.
Woodbrook Jolene 2019 is a tri colored bitch out of Los Altos Domengine and sired by Woodbrook Iggy. Jolene is an amazing athlete, tenacious hunter, and has as incredibly calm demeanor with a long, lean build. Quite early on when we had settled the “J” litter into the kennel, Sarah or Jennifer would walk in and find Jolene in a different kennel than expected! Soon she showed us how she was climbing 7’-8’ fences within the entire kennel! She would freely jump in and out of the feeding room; we were never sure where we would find Jolene or what mischief she would have gotten into! No hose, bucket or cleaning implement was safe from her or out of her grasp as the “Flying Hound.” •••
Then the season began and it was our first hunt from the kennels. It’s a tight area and with a big field our Huntsman Jennifer had not planned to take young entry. We hacked about a quarter of a mile when Jenn was alerted by radio that Jolene had jumped out of the kennel! Moments later she caught up with us and settled into the pack right below Jennifer’s stirrup. That was the last time she tried to leave Jolene in the kennels. She hunted the whole season with many beautiful runs. She can hold the line out front and she can diligently work to find scent when the line is lost. Upon finding our quarry she is quick to find a drink of water and then lay down and take a nap until we are ready to move off. ••• Jolene was always content to play inside the kennel confines until COVID caused our season to end abruptly. Jenn’s not sure what she thought she was missing out on, but she began jumping out and following her home after morning hound walk and breakfast! Then our kennel huntsman (Sarah) found her on her bed and that’s where she decided she’s supposed to sleep. Jenn laughs: “I’m hoping she is like the animals many of us had in our classrooms growing up; she just wants to go home with someone for the summer!”
Then the season began and it was our first hunt from the kennels. It’s a tight area and with a big field our Huntsman Jennifer had not planned to take young entry. We hacked about a quarter of a mile when Jenn was alerted by radio that Jolene had jumped out of the kennel! Moments later she caught up with us and settled into the pack right below Jennifer’s stirrup. That was the last time she tried to leave Jolene in the kennels. She hunted the whole season with many beautiful runs. She can hold the line out front and she can diligently work to find scent when the line is lost. Upon finding our quarry she is quick to find a drink of water and then lay down and take a nap until we are ready to move off. ••• Jolene was always content to play inside the kennel confines until COVID caused our season to end abruptly. Jenn’s not sure what she thought she was missing out on, but she began jumping out and following her home after morning hound walk and breakfast! Then our kennel huntsman (Sarah) found her on her bed and that’s where she decided she’s supposed to sleep. Jenn laughs: “I’m hoping she is like the animals many of us had in our classrooms growing up; she just wants to go home with someone for the summer!”
Woodbrook Joshua 2019 is a lemon and white dog out of Los Altos Domengine and sired by Woodbrook Iggy. He’s very substantially built and moves well. He’s easy to tell apart from his litter mates because he’s quite tall and he only has one eye! One was removed due to an infection when he was about 9 months old. Turns out he does just fine with only one eye and has a wonderful nose. He was a real contributor to the pack in his first season and his distinct, but unfortunately high pitched, voice means we always know where he is when hunting in thick cover. In the kennel Joshua is full of shenanigans with an active mind. He loves food and quickly learned how to open the gate to be the first to breakfast; he always has a plan to rile the other hounds up and get them to play a game of chase around the grass yard.
Woodbrook Jetty 2019 is a lemon and white dog hound out of Los Altos Domengine and by Woodbrook Iggy. Jetty is solidly built with masculine features, he has a very strong resemblance to his father. Jetty loves to hunt; in just his first season he showed tremendous interest and focus following our drag lines. He has a strong voice and nothing seems to distract him. We are so eager to see how he matures in the coming season. In the kennel Jetty is a quiet hound and always seems to just be biding time till we walk or hunt. He sticks very close to Jennifer in the kennel and she think it’s often because he doesn’t want to miss out on the next adventure.
Woodbrook Jodhpur 2019 is a lemon and white dog out of Los Altos Domengine and by Woodbrook Iggy. Stout and masculine with very distinct eyes, Jodhpur was really hoping for a hound show this spring so he could show off his good looks and movement. He hunted at least 35 days this season and really put in a solid steady effort for a young entry. In the kennel Jodhpur takes after his mother Domengine and will do absolutely anything for a biscuit!
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Woodbrook Jasper 2019 is a tri-color dog out of Los Altos Domengine and by Woodbrook Iggy. He was a very easy hound to enter and we think he will really show brilliance in future seasons. Jasper has a very masculine look about him and takes after his sires line in size and nature. In the kennel Jasper is buddies with Ernie and Rover, all three are comical characters and fun loving. Jasper is quite friendly, and did I mention handsome.
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Woodbrook Jazz (unentered) is a tri colored bitch out of Los Altos Domengine and by Woodbrook Iggy. She is a lovely hound and we are very eager to see her out hunting this coming season. She is small but mighty, and incredibly energetic and inquisitive. Jazz is very easy to get along with in the kennels. Jenn thinks, due to her small stature, that she loves to get on things in the the pasture to be taller, but thankfully she does not jump out of the kennels like her sister Jolene!
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Woodbrook JBLM 2019 (pronounced J-Blam) is a lemon and white dog hound out of Los Altos Domengine and by Woodbrook Iggy. J-Blam is light in stature compared to his litter-mates and has soft kind eyes. He’s a hard worker and definitely contributed to the pack’s good effort this season. We are excited to watch this hound mature and follow his nose. In the kennel J-Blam is very easy and agreeable. He’s been quite biddable in every way, and has the same speckled markings as his Grandfather, Homer, Dad, Iggy, and sister Jolene
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Mill Creek Gillian 2020 is a lemon and white bitch. She placed 6th last year. In her second season with us, Gillian seems to be even more enthusiastic for the game of drag hunting. She has the enthusiasm of Gearhead and a voice almost as distinct as Delaware. She will definitely give the boys a run for the lead! Last year Jennifer said "If she had not come into the season late nor missed the final challenge hunt, I do believe she would have made the top 3 placings!" In her second season with us Gillian seems to be even more enthusiastic for the game of drag hunting. She has the enthusiasm of Gearhead and a voice almost as distinct as Delaware. She will definitely give the boys a run for the lead!
Woodbrook Oso 2022 is black and white French bitch. Oso was born July 27, 2020 at Santa Ynez Vally Hunt in CA. She is a French crossbred hound out of the crossbred bitch SYV Heidi ’18, by the Grand Gascon Saintongeois sire SYV O’Clock ’19. She was drafted to Woodbrook in October 2020. She is quite friendly and loves attention and going for walks on 7N. Her ears are incredibly long and she’s tall and lanky like a saddlebred horse. The french hounds are known for their big voices and cold noses. A strong competitor last season. I expect her to have a very good result this challenge.
Woodbrook Opal 2022 is a tri-color French bitch. She was born July 27, 2020 at Santa Ynez Vally Hunt in CA. She is a French crossbred hound out of the crossbred bitch SYV Heidi ’18, by the Grand Gascon Saintongeois sire SYV O’Clock ’19. She was drafted to Woodbrook in October 2020. Opal is a quick study and very motivated to learn new things. She loves to snuggle and show off how quickly she can come when her name is called. Opal has the more refined features of the two puppies and beautiful fawn points to accent her white and black coat. She’s still young but her speed, drive and her big voice, have really have helped the pack out this year.
Previous Hound Challenge Results
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2023 Champion: Jodhpur
2nd Place: Iggy 3rd Place: Joshua 4th Place: Delaware |
2022 Champion: Iggy
2nd Place: Joshua 3rd Place: Isaid 4th Place: Jolene 5th Place: Delaware 6th Place: Gillian 7th Place:Jetty 8th Place: Oso 9th Place: Jodhpur 10th Place: Joules |
2021 Champion: Iggy
2nd Place: Jolene 3rd Place: Delaware 4th Place: Joshu 5th Place: Jazz, Isaid, Jetty 6th Place: Jdhpur 8th Place: JBLM 9th Place: Ketchup 10th Place: Joules |