Let me start by saying I trust that each one of you had a safe and happy holiday.

Now where to start...

For those of you who don't know The Ol Sweetwater Pen is back up and running and is being managed by the Summey boys of TN.

I remember well the First time I went there about 18 years ago to the TN State Hunt and how good the running was and how friendly the people was. I also remembered the last time about 14 years ago(until yesterday) that I was there before the pen was closed down and later sold.

I have thought many times about this place and how well we liked going and seeing all the people, but thought it was gone forever.

Back in the early spring I heard rumor that Mike and the boys had got the pen, so I called Mike and he confirmed this and what memories begin to flood my mind. I then heard later on that a good buddy of mine Merl Hogue was bringing the Twins Lake Hunt to Mike's this Summer. Me and brother begin to talk and thought we might try to see if we had anything worthy of going to a field trial. We decided we might have and yet we still are running and watching hounds often to see who we want to take we called Merl and got us a few ##.

So now you have that let me tell you about what is going on there at the pen.
Mike and the boys have put a road all the way around the wire accessible by a 4wheeler or Side by Side. The road to the cabin is good enough you could drive a caddilac down it. The road to the old turn around is that good as well. Mike and the gang has built a building that is 2nd to none that I know of with a good room for the Judges to meet, 2 bathrooms (Men and Women) with a full shower, a Kitchen with commercial style oven and Central Heat and Air. Also he has back and front porch and is working on having swing on the Front porch. Mike has assured me that he will maintain a Family Style atomshere.

Now to the part that really matters to us Foxhunters, the running.
Me and Big Jon Left my Kennel at 3:30 on Monday Morning and pulled to the Front Gate at 6:00am. We arrived at the Clubhouse to find Chase Summey already there working on the building. We let out shortly after shaking hands and good morning to one another and I will say with in 5-6 minutes the Race was on. We cooked 2lbs of sausage and a 1/2 dozen Yard eggs as Mike and Dawson had arrive shortly after cast. By now oh about 15 minutes into the race we already had 2 races going and had only cast 24 hounds. We continued to fellowship and they give us a good lay out of how things were to be and what they were doing and where. They decided to take us around the pen and we rode the Rangers and stopped every so often to listen. It was a continuous Roar and 2 and sometimes 3 races going all the time. We arrived back to the Club House and the Summey Boys went to work. Jon D and my self decided we would go see if we could see anything. We was able to get real close to the hounds as they have put more 4wheeler style roads in the pen so this really helps about seeing your hounds and getting them up. We had outstading running until about 10 or so and we had a little let down for maybe 15 minutes or so. The hounds jumped another after cooling in themselves in the spring feed pond on the back side and it was on again. We all decided to get the hounds about 11:15-11:30 and by 12 we had ours up. Amy and Chloe had rode over to visit and brought as bro Floyd use to say the Whole WalMart with them so of course we break bread again. We bid our friends in TN GodSpeed and rolled out towards home around 12:30.

We made it home and back to work this morning and I reckon Chase was running some young hounds with someone else this morning. There is so many people to thank for this as so many has Helped with getting this pen going and I don't know who all they are but you know who you are and I want you to know that The Blakeley Boys from down in Alabama THANK YOU for all you have done and continue to do that there might be a pen to Field Trial in and on occasion hunt with our friends in.

The Sweetwater pen IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!
Good Friends, Great Running, and Good Facilities what else could a poor ol Foxhunter ask for.
Go Check them out sometime, I feel sure you will find it the same as we did.
I must give Thanks to The Summey's for allowing us to come and most of All I must thank my Lord and Savior for keeping the hand of protection around us in our Journey and for all he has given and blessed us with.

Happy Hunting and Lord Bless,
True Grit Kennel
Etowah County
Kyle Blakeley