Carolina Peach wins St. Jude Hunt
4/13/2009 4:05:30 PM
Parsons, TN - The 34th annual Decatur County World's Largest Coon Hunt Benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital drew huge crowds and a total of 280 dogs in the AKC-licensed Nite Hunts, the AKC-licensed Bench Show, the AKC-licensed Western Tennessee State Youth Championship, and the Ladies Hunt. Many additional entries were received for the non-licensed treeing contests and water races. Large crowds filled the Decatur County Fairgrounds each day and no doubt, a strong financial contribution will be made to the benefactor, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To date, $3,440,000.00 has been raised by the Decatur County volunteers and those that support the event annually.
Winning first place in the Nite Hunt this year is an eight-year old Treeing Walker female that is no newcomer to the winner's circle in major coonhound Nite Hunt events. Billy Bell's Carolina Peach put together two cast wins and a total of 1575 plus points to cinch th e prestigious win. Bell is a local hunter, hailing from Parsons, Tennessee. Adam Dunavant of Bath Springs, Tenn., took Opposite Sex honors with his Treeing Walker male, Joe. Joe's combined two-night score was 925 plus.
The overall winner in the annual AKC Black Gold Bench Show Spectacular Signature Series show was a Plott male, County Line Uncle Sam, owned and handled by Christina M. Farthing of Irvine, Kentucky. Twenty-five of the nation's top-winning coonhounds participated in the Saturday morning show.
The final tally has not been made but Nelda Pritchard, secretary of the Decatur County association that hosts the annual coon hunt event was hopeful that the proceeds would at least equal the $185,000.00 that was raised in 2008. The record year's contribution, received in AKC's first year of involvement was $205,000.00 that came in in 2006.
See the complete results and photos on the Message Form.
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