As I was watching the huntsman and handler get into position with the winning cup and ribbon for one of the English classes at the Virginia Hound show last weekend at Morven Park, the great photographer Jim Meads turned to me and gestured to step up. I was deferring to this living legend to get his shot, but he motioned for me to join him. "Age before beauty" I said; he replied "very aged!" We chuckled, and snapped away. Having never met the man formally, I instantly knew why he was such a beloved gentleman.

The evening before the show, three preeminent North American huntsmen, Andrew Barclay, Sherman P. Haight, Jr., and John White, were honored by their peers and a large gathering of foxhunters and family members at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting North America. How fitting to be surrounded by a collection of over 60 of Wallace Nall's paintings in the exhibition of his work, "From Imagination and from Life." (It goes on through June - go see it!) Later below on the lawn, the Virginia Foxhound Club was holding its very popular cocktail party and horn blowing contest with no less than a dozen vying for the title. The subtlety and depth of Potomac Huntsman Brian Kiely's tones earned him first place, and a chorus of baying hounds back in the kennels seconded the motion.

The morning doghound classes went along at a pretty good clip then as we enjoyed lunch the juniors showed their hounds. It was heartening to see these two classes overfilled with youngsters so young they could hardly keep their caps on, so many it looked like traffic on the beltway. Most of the hounds seem to take it in stride, but Spocket of Loudoun Fairfax was right on cue with Evan Dombrowsky and judges Iona Pillion of Blue Ridge Hunt and Celeste Vella of Warrenton Hunt gave him the well deserved blue ribbon in the 10 and under.

With the afternoon sun getting lower, everyone gathered for the pack, performance and Grand Champion classes. Tommy Lee Jones read to the audience the declaration from the Virginia State Legislature recognizing Melvin Poe's contribution to the nation, community, and to the sport of foxhunting. Albert stood quietly at his side. Tommy Lee recalled a funny story about his show days with Melvin, followed by Albert's sweet story about Melvin's love of baseball and wearing a uniform so big "he could turn around in one leg." "People didn't realize how crazy he was about baseball" he described, "he didn't want to talk about foxhunting. He wanted to talk about baseball." Next time you see him, ask him to tell you the story.

In the Grand Champion class, we were given a very unexpected show as the four champions ran around to show their form. Of the four, English Champion Hillsboro "Siskin" was the lone bitch, and she seemed to enjoy playing tag with Crossbred Champion Midland Striker. Around and around they went, searching for the tossed biscuits, then the chase was on again to the delight of everyone. One might suspect love was in the air. The judges seemed to love her too.

Hillsboro Huntsman John Gray described how the newly crowned Grand Champion was a narrow chested puppy when Tony Leahy shipped her to Tennessee from the South Shropshire kennels. A year of hunting and maturity, this elegant bitch has already become a good hunter in her freshman year, "very intelligent and biddable." "We never thought we'd win at Virginia. We didn't do well earlier in the day with our dogs, but were surprised and happy" with Siskin. First a good hunter, now a Grand Champion. Obviously, beauty does as beauty is!