FC Covington Cocoa Star Aug,1, 1998 - Jan.6, 2008.
This weekend started out pretty normally as far as beagles go. Tony Martin brought a bitch by to breed to Star on Friday. Star did his job just like he always did. I was up early on Saturday and Ken and I went down to Poplar Branch to run a pair of young females. While I was at the trial my wife called to say Star was in the yard playing. Star was never the kind that got out of his kennel. Mostly staying in his dog house unless it was feeding time or he could here the sound of a dog lead giggling. The point is, I was quite surprised to hear he had escapes his pen. Amy was kind enough to catch Star and place him in one of the whelping pens. When I got home I saw that Star had simply torn through the chainlink wire. I've seen dogs do this but never Star. I fed Star a little extra Saturday night as I thought I could see he had been loosing weight the last week or so. On Sunday morning I went to the kennel to load some started pups to go for a run. I was surprised to see Star laying stretched out in his pen, His body was cool but not stiff.

I buried Star on the hillside opposing the kennel.
I've heard it said the most important contribution we make to the world is those we leave behind. Star certainly made a large contribution to the world of beagles. We are blessed to have a number of very high class females sired by star. They will allow us to continue the work we have started. Most of the dogs that carry Sta's genes are owned by rabbit hunters. This very fact may keep him from his just recognition as one of modern beagles great sires.
While discussing sires, I remember reading years ago a beagle writer who wrote "If your hunting buddies aren't breeding to your stud dog something is wrong." I can't remember who the writer was or the exact quote but I can tell you this. Houndsmen who saw Star work, breed to him. Anyone who hunted with him knew, he was a rabbit machine. Many hunters had never seen so much intensity from a dog that straddled the track. A couple years ago I got a call from a rabbit hunter wanting to look at some dogs.It was Jimbo Williams. I didn't know Jimbo and he didn't know me. I told him I was running the next day and he was invited to come watch dogs run. I ran Star for him that day. We talked and watched dogs, pretty much the norm. The next day my phone rang, it was Jimbo. He told me he wanted to get some dogs like he saw and how much he liked Star. I think I caught him by surprise when I ask him, "what did you like about Star." He answered me " I just liked the way he ran, I liked how he just turned right where the rabbit went even when the other dogs missed the turn."
I was fortunate enough to co-own Star with Doug Grant since Star was three years old. Star taught me a lot about rabbit hunting. What traits and actions were important and which ones are not. Thanks to Star I was able to make friends and meet people I would have never met. I am lucky to have known such a fine specimen of the breed. Star lived a long life for a stud dog. He was rabbit hunted right up until his death. Star was in the truest sense of the meaning, A RABBIT DOG.

# posted by Scott Wilson @ 5:08 PM

 

Well folks it pains me to write this, but we had a big loss yesterday when the vet contacted me and advised me that they did not know what was wrong with outlaw and he wasn't getting any better. Now let's back up and let me explain what happened. A friend of mine "Terry Willard" came over to the house on Sunday afternoon to pick up some kennel wire to repair his kennels. Terry had brought his ivermic with him and asked if the dogs needed to be wormed. I said "sure go ahead." So he did, well when we got to Outlaw we could tell that he didn't feel good. I told Terry about him catching a couple of rabbits and eating them up. So we figured that he was wormy. Later that evening I started feeding and notice that he was eating slow, but he was eating. The next morning I got up at 4 am to solo Trucker at the club. I figure that I would get Outlaw out and put him in my pen to run. When I opened his kennel door all I could see was him and a lot of last night and the night befores food everywhere. So I left him there because there was nothing I could do at 4 am. I returned home around 10:45 am he wasn't any better sorry I called my vet and then transported him there. Well the rest is history. I really loved this little rabbit dog. Maybe one day I'll get to run him again, ya never know! God Bless!

 

Todd Herndon

10/15/2008 @ 11:44 am