Page 436 - ShowSight - December 2019

Tricia L. Snedegar continued
ued to carry the White River Kennel name. This dedication gave them many National, State, and World Bench Show and Nite Hunt Champions. The Treeing Walker Coonhound runs deep in my blood and I’m proud of it. I have spent my entire life attending Coonhound trials, and found my joy with them in the conforma- tion ring throughout the world.
What made me know that this was what I wanted to do? I have always had a deep passion for the breed because of my family’s 75 plus years of involvement and accomplishments. Supporting the Treeing Walker Coonhound breed in AKC and the conformation ring was a dream that I shared with my late fiancé. For Christmas John gave to me a male pup as a gift, Stackem Up I Did It My Way (Frankie) with the dream he would be the top winning and repro- ducing sire for AKC. Frankie was one of the first TWC to be titled an AKC Champion with handler Ed Thomason, but more so pro- duced the first TWC to win the breed at Westminster Kennel Club Dog show with offspring Stackem Up My Way or Highway (Frog). Today Frankie has produced multiple AKC Champions, as well as 3rd and 4th generations well on their way to success.
Who were my mentors? Outside of the ring my parents! I have grown to see the time, energy and miles spent to promote the breed through good and bad. Being involved in any competitive sport can sometimes bring out the worst in people. I have learned from my parents to stay focused on the task at hand, as competitors will come and go. It was their passion and drive to succeed in the show ring that has given me the drive to take on and mentor many young people as well as newcomers in the breed.
Inside the ring, I turn to my friend and professional handler Tracy Szaras. Tracy and I meet in 1996 when she attending the Southeastern Treeing Walker Days coonhunt and bench show trial held in Kannapolis, North Carolina. I just happened to have my first bred by litter of pups there. Tracy spent hours admiring and evaluating each of them. When the day come to an end, she and I had partnered on a male pup Blacks Creek Hardwood Legend (Timber) that carried us to multiple National Bench Show wins including a World Bench Show Champion title in 2000 with PKC. Tracy is my coach and the toughest critic I have, but more so my friend. She knows the business and what it takes for a dog to be a winner, I know the pedigrees and their many years of history. We are blessed that we continue to breed and exhibit generations of offspring from Timber and we continue our 20 year friendship and love we have for the Treeing Walker Coonhound.
The best thing about being a breeder? Success in the whelp- ing box and smiles on the young people. Breeding Treeing Walker Coonhounds is not all about the ribbons and titles. It’s about the friendships you gain and the families you grow old with. I breed for brains and a loving family member just as my grandfather did. I currently share the joy, happiness, and fun a Treeing Walker can bring to single parent homes, families with multi aged children, and newly married couples as well as in search and rescue from coast to coast, Canada, and now Norway. My proudest accomplishment in the show ring, is with the young people.
The toughest part about being a breeder? The fight honest, good and dedicated dog owners have with organizations such as Peta, puppy mills and backyard breeders, rescue groups, and lawmakers.
Do I work outside of the home? I am an Office Manager for a concrete company as well as a local Village Clerk. During certain months of the year we work very long hours and some weekends. This is hard for me because I am my own kennel help! I’m fortunate to live in the country where most of the property is fenced. My daily routine assures that all of my hounds get multiple hours a day to frolic and play freely about the yard in order to build strong muscle, sharp minds and joyful personalities.
Is my family involved? I’m widowed and have only one son that, unfortunately, is a duck hunter more than a coonhunter. We do on occasion enjoy a few hours in the woods with my father. I will take anything I can get. My parents share the success of the Treeing Walker alongside me and play as the library when I need to adven- ture into the archives of a pedigree. I’m lucky to have my mother in attendance when we won the breed at Westminster, and my recent adventure to show outside the U.S with our travels to Norway. My brother Mic as well as my cousins Kip and Trent Gordon still own and hunt Treeing Walker Coonhounds in central Indiana.
Am I involved with a breed club or all-breed club and held posi- tions within the club(s)? Unfortunately I am not a member of the TWC parent club, but proudly support the Bluetick Breed club. I have been involved with the Michigan Hound Association.
How did I come up with my kennel name and is it registered with AKC? My start in exhibiting the Treeing Walker Coonhound was in UKC Coonhound bench shows. If you have never seen a bench show, we enter the show ring and perform a gaiting pattern then asked to stop in front of the show bench. A show bench is simi- lar to a grooming table but cannot exceed 27” in height. Once the entire class is accounted for, the judge will ask the handler to “stack them up” meaning we place the dogs on the show bench and begin to set structure just as that in the conformation ring, allowing the judge to do a hands-on evaluation. I took the “stack them up” and shortened to be Stackem Up.
Do I co-breed and co-own with others? I proudly co breed and co own several Treeing Walker Coonhounds as well as Blu- eticks, Redbones and an American Leopard Hound with the best of people. I strive to partner and mentor young people in the sport of Coonhounds.
Is my breed easy to place? Coonhounds are not commonly known amongst the pet world. Sadly we are overrun in rescue facilities leaving a bad eye for Coonhounds in general. I have been blessed to have the best of show and forever pet homes on contracts because of my AKC Marketplace listing. I do not advertised any stud service. I am content with my breeding program and the suc- cess I have had thus far. My recent adventure has taken me to Nor- way where I have exhibited my Treeing Walker Coonhounds at the Dogs4All event and currently have Norway’s first two Champion Titled Treeing Walkers Coonhounds. My goal is to someday exhibit my breeding program at Crufts.
Do I think “Breeders’ Showcases” as a special event at an orga- nization’s site will give breeders the recognition they deserve? Not only for the breeder, but for the breed. For example, the Coonhound breeds. We have been labeled a small family and community. What we have are fun loving, great family dogs, with brains. We make excellent family pets, excel in search and rescue, as well as fulfill the competitive nature. Breeders’ Showcases can only help to share in the world of dogs who and what we are.
What can AKC do to help breeders attain great results? In my opinion the greatest thing AKC can do for any of us is to keep us informed of the Legislation activity. We must team together to fight for our rights to own, exhibit and breed our Champions for genera- tions to come.
Any hint or trick I can share with fellow breeders? Education and study are the key components for me. As a breeder I believe we must look into the history of a pedigree. Success in the whelp- ing box starts with knowing the history of the dog. We must also keep up with the world we live in and how current events around us effect our future.
Do I show my own dogs? Yes.
The most amusing thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? The best advice I have been given, and the most amusing is from my son. After winning the Breed for the first year eligible to complete
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Breeder Q & A