Message #214364

[hoghunter_1985]

Here is some info i have found on goodman hounds.

Willis Goodman, he cannot be given full credit for developing this strain of hounds, but he was the guiding influence. Mr. Goodman was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. As a young man he moved to Paris, Kentucky and took with him some of his hounds of Virginia breeding. He served in the Confederate Army and it was after the war between the States was over that he began his strain of hounds. We will begin with what is said to be the first mating that originated this strain of hounds.

Goodman had a female named Goodman's Lizzie. She was of Maupin breeding. You would probably know this particular bloodline as Walker. Her Maupin blood consisted of the imported English breeding crossed with the great Tennessee Lead. Tennessee Lead was a major contributor the the development of the foxhounds as a whole. Lizzie also carried a trace of Ben Robinson breeding. Cunningham's Ben was straight Ben Robinson breeding. Both his sire and dam came from the Irish hounds of Maryland that traced back to the original importation of Mountain and Muse by Governor Ogle in 1812. Mountain and Muse were the famous pair of hounds that were bred extensively from 1812 until their death and are considered to be the single greatest contributing breeding pair to the development of the foxhound breeds. The Robinson hounds were highly regarded all over the country and their reputation as excellent red foxhounds became mythical. About 1876 Lizzie and Ben were bred. These pups are considered to be the first litter of pups born that would later be called Goodman Hounds.

Goodman should be given credit for supplying and supervising the early outcrosses of this breed. He was able to do this effectively because of his vast knowledge of the various bloodlines. Virginia Bolivar was whelped about 1878. He was bred by Sam Yates of Virginia and given as a present to Goodman by his cousin, William Durrett of North Garden, Virginia. Goodman used Bolivar as a stud dog with good results. Goodman later sent him to New England after he was used extensively as a sire in Kentucky. Scully was purchased by Goodman and Colonel Clay from Colonel William Johnson of Nashville, Tennessee. Scully was used with great success on the females having Bolivar as a sire. Their was much debate among the foxhunters of that day on whether or not Scully was a July hound. Scully shows the Durrett and Cole hounds of Virginia up close in his pedigree. In his third and fourth generation pedigree he shows practically the same blood as does Bolivar. Scully was said by Goodman to be, "A good game hound with plenty of speed and guts which he imparted to his pups". Mollie Trevis may be considered to have been one of the foundation brood matrons. She was owned by Asa Spahr of Winchester, Kentucky. She had several crosses of Maupin's Imperial Rifle and Tennessee Lead in her bloodlines and was definitely a hound that represented Goodman's ideas of proper breeding. She is found quite frequently coming into the pedigrees from crosses on Fidler, a son of Cunningham's Ben out of Goodman's Lizzie.

Mr. Goodman made no claims that his hounds were superior to any others. He was not one to brag on hounds of any breeding. Most of the foxhunters of that day believed that speed was the thing to breed for. Goodman was of the opinion that speed alone was not the important thing. He tried to breed for courage, endurance, speed, a good nose and fox sense. He wanted hounds with good feet and plenty of bone. A necessary factor if they were to pass his test of being able and willing to run five consecutive days and give a good race each day. He believed that no other hunters, with the exception of the Walker brothers, put their hounds through such a severe test as did he and his hunting companions.