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Which breed will win the $25,000 top prize in the American Kennel Club's World Coonhound Championship this week?
Black and Tan?
Bluetick?
English?
Plott?
Redbone?
Or Treeing Walker?
The best coonhounds in the country, their owners and handlers are at the fairgrounds this week, participating in the World Hunt, held at night, to earn points for the top honor.
There's also an AKC coondog show Saturday, free and open to the public, along with two youth events, a national hunt and bench show.
Steve Fielder, AKC assistant vice president of coonhound events, explained there won't be many dogs seen at the event until Friday and Saturday. These first few days are dedicated to the point-scoring hunts to determine the top dog. No animals are killed, although plenty of raccoons will be treed.
The dog handlers, who may or may not be the dog's owner, are called to "casts" or groups of four in the afternoon. As of Tuesday, 157 dogs were registered. They are assigned to one of nine regional sites, from Bryant to Wyatt, Ind., and scheduled to arrive with their dogs by 7 p.m.
"They go out with a guide from the local club, where the guide would normally hunt, and at 7 p.m. the dogs are let loose," Fielder said.
Points are scored for "strikes" and "trees." Coondogs have a particular bark or bawl when they catch a scent and another when they've treed a raccoon. Each handler knows his or her dog's voice.
"Just like English Setters have the instinct to point, Australian Shepherds to herd, a coonhound's instinct is to tree."
One of the hunters is selected as judge in these preliminary rounds, which began Monday and continue through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, official judges will accompany each group.
Dogs receive 100 points for barking out a trail first; 75 for second; 50 for third and 25 for fourth. The dog who hits upon the trail last could be the first dog to tree a raccoon and receive 125 points for first; 75 for second; 50 for third and 25 for fourth.
"It's all done by listening. The first dog must stay at the tree for five minutes," Fielder said. Points can be taken away, too. The dog must stay on a trail. The handlers must be able to spot a raccoon in the tree within eight minutes.
The handlers wear head lamps and someone will probably have a "coon squaller," which makes a distress sound. Just because a raccoon is up a tree, doesn't mean it wants to be seen.
"What the raccoon doesn't know is its eyes are reflective. It may not look down into a bunch of lights, but it will look down at a distress call."
Fielder has nothing but praise for the fairgrounds location and says this area has everything needed for a successful event: plenty of hunting territory, lots of raccoons and a good, supporting club.
The Kosciusko County Sportsmen and Farmers Conservation Club, based in Silver Lake, is the host club for the 2006 world hunt.
According to Roger Webb, a founding member, the club was established 30 years ago in his garage. They moved to the conservation club after a few years.
"Of our 35 members, many are older guys who don't hunt anymore," Webb said. "Coon hunting is a very athletic sport."
The grey-haired Webb brings a host of skills and experience to the hunt. He doesn't mind going out with younger and taller fellows because, he said, they get taken out by tree branches.
Travis "Bird" Zile, another member of the local club, towers over Webb. He rolled his eyes at Webb's statement and shook his head in resignation.
Webb went on to relate how his son-in-law went on a hunt once. For some reason a spare helmet light couldn't be found for the younger man. He followed close behind Webb during the night hunt so he could see. When Webb suddenly ducked to miss a tree limb the light went straight down. The son-in-law, temporarily without a lighted way, took the limb right across the chest.
"What could I do?" Webb asked. "You've got to be careful. But my son-in-law said he'd never go out on a hunt again."
Coonhunters enjoy their breakfast at 2 a.m. That's when a lot of stories are told.
Fielder said what most people don't know is the extent of the clubs' philanthropy.
Every April an AKC Coonhunters Show raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Last year, more than $280,000 went to the hospital. The association has given a total of $3 million to the hospital.
The Silver Lake Club raised $1,200 for the American Red Cross last year and adopted a local needy family during the Christmas holiday.
So far, area owners and handlers have made a good showing.
Of the 23 casts hunting Monday, five local dogs scored in first place. They are: Grabber's Dan, owned and handled by Mervin Hostetler of Nappanee; Charley Creek Locktile Tease, owned and handled by Dick Brothers of South Whitley; Arnett Tree Talking Turn It Up, owned by Eli Arnett of Claypool, handled by Mike Arnett; CW Zero owned and handled by Joe Newlin, Silver Lake; and Tree Grippin Bailey Joe, owned by Ron Manns, Claypool, handled by Tammy Newlin.
Of last night's 17 casts, area winners were: Schlemmer's Trimble Creek Ghost, owned by Tim Schultz or Rick Hendrickson, Etna Green, handled by Hendrickson won his cast, as did Kidd's Tree Choppin' Renee, owned by Henry Kidd of Rochester, handled by Jeff Cole.
Dogs placing second through fourth Monday and Tuesday may re-enter tonight and Thursday. The highest-scoring 16 dogs will hunt Friday. Saturday is the final hunt with the awards presentation scheduled at midnight. The four-hound hunt will be broadcast live on the Internet.
The local club receives a small portion of the entry fees. The club also will make money on a raffle and 50/50 drawing. The Burket United Methodist Church will benefit from the event, too, when they open their kitchen Friday and Saturday.
Zile said the show dogs arrive Friday. The public is welcome to come out and talk to the owners and handlers. The show arena is set up for a crowd. The bench show format means the dogs will be lifted to a platform so the judges can look at their conformation.
Zile can't wait for the national youth events. "They're the future of our club," he said.
The 2006 AKC World Coonhound Bench Show Championship begins at noon Saturday. The first round, judged by Vallen Nelson of Joplin, Mo., will determine the best of breed winners and breed world champions. The second round selects the AKC World Champion and Reserve World Champion, judged by Don "Whitey" Smith of Moundsville, W. Va. There is a $2,000 purse.
The National Youth Bench Show will be judged by Bonnie Casner of Centerburg, Ohio. Casner also will present a seminar for youth and beginning handlers at 10 a.m.
Entry fees for the adult show is $30; $15 for youth, ages 18 and younger. The deadline to enter is noon Saturday.
On the Net: To check results, go to www.akccoonhounds.org, then click on the Message Forum listed on the left-hand side of the page. Scroll down to and click on "2006 AKC World Coonhound Championship," then click on the message topic you wish to view.
Membership in the AKC is for people who love dogs almost as much as dogs love people.
