First off I know there's some that won't like this post. Some won't agree with what I say, and possibly some will bad mouth it, but that's fine. To each their own opinion. I get bored at times and think a lot so forgive me if its long winded. I set and think about the hounds I've owned, ran with, seen preform and so on, and I can't help but ask myself are we doing the bloodline of the foxhounds any justice or have we gotten away from improving the hounds performance and let it become about money and small fame? I talked with a gentleman earlier this month about field trials, and why he had stopped trialing. Time wasn't the issue, money wasn't the issue, but the things you have to do show up in a trial these days have you to where you're not running against other hounds, but their recipes. There is no baseline of a hounds natural ability that you compete against in a trial. If you don't run using PED's, you're already 2 steps back before the hunt begins. Let's face it, I know few folks that don't use them that very seldom get their name called and those people typically have the better hounds that I've ran with while not at a trial. Question 1 to ask yourself, when we crown a champion are we actually crowning the true best hound that we had the ability to find, or are we crowning the hound we found that takes a certain mixture better than others? "All the best do it." The main excuse most use when publicly admitting they've lowered their standards, and have joined in. I'm sorry but if that's what the best do that just tells me they're afraid to run against what I've got raw dog to dog. Definitely nothing I'm interested in breeding to, to improve my bloodline. Next on the list, ability. Now that's going to knock A LOT out of the top 10 in my book. Pick a hunt, any hunt. Now select one single dog from that hunt champion-10th place. Turn that hound loose by itself. Could it run 1 day 5 hrs by itself? Perhaps 3 days? If it can't, why is it competing to be the best when it can't even handle the basics? Let me say this, if you're going to run in a field trial I believe a hound MUST be able to hunt, trail, jump, and run its own game long before it's even considered a to be a hound worthy of competing for the title of a champion. Bringing this to a close, take away the PED's, take away the styles of pen running, just take away the pens, competitions and all together to where it is just you, and your dog. Now ask yourself are we breeding for better dogs? Can your dog do what is necessary right by itself in order to pursue full chase? Do you know without a doubt the hound your breeding to can do the same? Can they handle 3 days of truly intense running without the use of PED's? If you can't answer yes to the last three of those questions, then the answer is no we're not breeding for better hounds anymore and the system of field trials which were designed to improve our quality of hounds has failed. Thank you to those who read the entire thing regardless as to if you agree to it or not.

P.S.- I understand one day hunters don't necessarily need a dog to run three days. This is strictly about 3 day hunters. However you can still relate to the basic abilities a hound must have in order to compete to be the best. (Hunt, trail, jump, and run)

So your saying that all the winners and placers of today are all dope heads? And your saying that all winners and placers hounds are all junk? Man you must be brave to get on here an say that. Oh yeah i'm pretty sure any of the top hounds of today could run with what you say you have which is raw ability any day of the week. Put them bad dogs of yours and there raw ability in the truck an go field trailing more than one time a year.

No I'm not saying all dogs that win and place are dope heads, and no I'm not saying that none of them have the ability to run one true, but I am saying that there's a good many that is bred to today and that place in hunts that a real houndsman wouldn't give you a plugged nickle for. Some of them would turn and look at you like you owed them something if you turned them out alone cause they need another hound to jump it for them. Now I'm sorry if you got your butt hurt but I'll come run with you any day and time I promise ya I ain't scared to shake your hand if ya beat me. I'd field trial more if I could but my work schedule don't allow for it. I actually enjoy trials. I'm just stating my opinion as to what I see going on.

Mr Hessions point is could they run it by their self, I think. I'm not knocking anyone's dog they feeding it not me but for the larger part the dog that will straddle a track and come and go with it is about over for whatever reason mostly training I suspect. There is probably more foot speed in hounds than ever before but you could take a large percent of them and never have over a five to ten minute race soon as they lose it they just keep going till they run into a piece of game.
I used to trial a good bit and judged a good bit as well, if hounds were watched and scored as they were 15-20 years ago a lot of these hounds would be scratched, just another opinion everyone has one. I would also add that back in the day heart and grit was a valued trait today most folks run 4-6 hours which was a cull back in the day. I realize why they do it but a few years ago that wouldn't have been accepted.
In closing you feed um and if they suit you that's great, happy hunting to all.

I start mine on the yard if they can't leave and find a piece of game an run it till I go to bed I don't feed him. I field trial a lot but he better do the same in the pen. Find it run it all night or 6hrs witch ever I choose if they can't do that they don't eat my feed. 👍🏻👍🏻

Bruce Leroy could he could do it in the pen are outside with a pack or by himself he could move some game He ran on the out side when he was a pup till he got to wining a lot then we quit running him on the outside hope we have a pup take after him

I agree with Stump! My neighbor called me Saturday and said 2 of my 5 month old King Kong pups were running a grey fox in his field and they were on his ass! Good hounds are made in the yard!!

Hunter u must be guilty u sure do act like u are.Chad and Mike I agree with both of u, but I am more a pleasure hunter.I don't puppy hunt because some are not the age owners say they are.Like a 3 day if I score a point or not.Like a speed and drive hunt if they can run it past the edge of road and judges will scratch but they worried some big time hunter will get mad.Sorry to hear about Bruce Leroy Mr. Joe.

Thanks Brad he will be missed we got some Good hounds but not as good as he was hope his pups turn out

Something in the National rule book that always seemed odd to me until a few years ago is Article 3 of the Articles of Incorporation. It has two explanations of field trials or contests and their purpose. One understanding of a field trial is to select the best hounds so we can improve the breed. The other definition is a contest held for amusement or to win a prize or for recreation (nothing about selecting the best hound for breeding). I always thought it was odd to have two separate paragraphs with two definitions but eventually I realized even from the beginning there were two types of hunters that take part in field trials. Them that care about improving the American Foxhound breed and them that don't. Some only care about winning a prize or having a good time (not that there is anything wrong with that). I always wanted field trial results to mean something and have some value in making breeding decisions. Reality is field trial results have become unreliable for helping to improve the breed. These days I am actually surprised when an honest to goodness true top hound wins a field trial. There are a lot of reasons for that, some of which have been mentioned above.
If you go all the way back to the first field trials you find they were held more for the purposes of amusement and prize winning, bragging rights, etc. They were not really holding trials to help them pick the hounds to breed to that would improve the bloodlines. Back then the hunters made their breeding decisions based on their own knowledge of hounds and hunting or they relied on trusted breeders to point them in the right direction.
In defense of field trials, they have helped us select the most athletic hounds for breeding and that is one thing that has improved is the overall athleticism of the American Foxhound.
In sport you hear people talk about "intangibles" which are the characteristics you can't really quantify. Sometimes you hear them talk about the "eye test" when the stats don't really tell the whole story. Well, a foxhound is a very complex machine with a ton of intangible characteristics that are hard to assess in a field trial setting. The best way to evaluate a hound is to watch him yourself and apply the eye test (or get help from a hunter who has the eye for picking out good hounds). In this part of the country Sky Scott has become the foxhound guru with the skill for knowing a great hound when he sees it. Just a few years ago that distinction belonged to Sky's mentor Stewart Baxley.
When thinking about breeding better hounds it is almost comical to consider how difficult a task it really is. We should envy the folks that developed and improved the modern livestock strains. They only have to consider a handful of traits like meat production, ease of birthing, general health, feed efficiency, etc. Even race horses are pretty simple creatures. Mostly they just need to run around the track really fast. An all around foxhound has to be bred with consideration to the physical attributes that make him competitive in a bench show, the overall conformation, fitting the breed standard, etc. He has to be bred for general athleticism, speed, endurance, etc. He has to be bred with Desire to find and pursue game, desire to keep going when he is tired and hurting, and Ability to find and pursue game. He has to hark to other hounds and know how to handle them when he joins in. He needs to have a good mouth and know when to use it and when not to. The list goes on and on. A foxhound is a complex machine. It is really a miracle that such a thing as a foxhound exists. It has taken thousands of years of breeding to get where we are, starting from the first men who tamed wild canines to help them hunt and put meat on the table. I sure am glad those that came before us took the time to develop and preserve the foxhound and improve it a little along the way. We may be in the last days of the American Foxhound now as the sport could be wiped out within a generation, but if there are still foxhunters 100 years from now I hope we have left them some good hound blood to work with. If we aren't careful with breeding decisions we can quickly destroy what took a long time to build.

Now I have out-rambled Chad so I will stop here.

I want apologize for my statement. I missed the big picture. A lot of good points being made. Happy hunting.

Thats pose to say that I want TO apologize.

Well said Heath Howell