Flying Cloud

Happy Holidays!!

(Article below by S.L. Wooldridge from January 1955 The Chase magazine )

Wooldridge's Flying Cloud
S. L. W. August 1937

Wooldridge's Flying Cloud KR-8 8385- Wooldridge Kennels, S.L. Wooldridge, Versailles, Ky. , owner. C.C. Maupin, Richmond, Ky. , breeder. (Walker-Maryland) BW&T Dog , Whelped Sept 30, 1924. By Sampson 4657 ex Bettie Pearl 7120, Bettie Pearl by - Champ - Clark - ex Zenia; Champ Clark by Jake ex Fan Hisle; Zenia by Blossom ex Lace. Sampson 4657 by Scott ex Black Kate; Scott by Hub Dawson ex Skinnie; Black Kate by Black Dan ex Gypsy Ann.

August 1937 Chase
S. L. W.

Flying Cloud, a nice sized BW&T hound, was first registered as a Walker, but the committee changed it to Walker-Maryland, as in the fourth generation he has a cross of Maryland blood in him.

I will never forget the first time I hunted Flying Cloud. It was at Cotton's Cliff, where the hounds had been hitting a hard running fox. Every time they would go through a plowed field it was a loss and the race was over. When Flying Cloud put in, although he was a young hound, I was at once attracted by his clear, high mouth, and when he hit the field he never made a bother. From that day on, under any condition, Flying Cloud was never known to lose a fox. There might be an east wind blowing through a dry field, the ground might be-so wet that the hounds could hardly run; yet Flying Cloud could handle his -fox and do it in the most beautiful way.

Flying Cloud's popularity was what you would call checkered. Some kennels would not have his blood because of the fact that he was not a full bred Walker hound. Others swore by him and inbred his blood. I belong to the latter class, as I have never seen blood that suited me as well as the Flying Cloud blood. He bred hounds with lots of gameness and speed, and hounds that had fox sense and the best noses I have ever seen.

Flying Cloud, during the many years he ran at my kennels, was never beaten except by one hound, Low Cloud. Low Cloud was by Flying Cloud out of Br. Ch. Cleo (b), a Big Stride-Tena bitch, and had the most beautiful ringing mouth I have ever heard. He sired Flying Heels, Bobbie Stivers (the dam of Ala. Ch. Warsaw Stride (f&b), and many other noted hounds trace to Flying Cloud through Warsaw Stride blood. Low Cloud was killed by an automobile in front of my place. I will never forget one remarkable race that be ran at John Branham's during one of the May hunts. He seemed to get better every jump and his mouth got clearer and clearer. Really, at the finish there were very few hounds left for Low Cloud had mowed the pack down. I have only owned two hounds that I thought were good enough to bury at the foot of Big Stride's monument-Flying Cloud and Low Cloud.

Flying Cloud died hanging in a wire fence on March 22, 1932. The hounds had gone out of hearing and when we went to find them, went in the wrong direction and got hung in a fence. The boy who took him down instead of taking him to shelter, laid him on the ground, and life went out of possibly one of the greatest hounds this country has known since Big Stride's Time.

It would be hard to give a list of all the winning hounds that trace to Flying Cloud, but in my opinion he was one of the great hounds of the country, and his outside blood did the Walker blood a lot of good. He would have made fame in the state of North Carolina alone. I never will forget one field trial there. Every hound that won prominently on the bench and every winner in both the Derby and All-Age in the state hunt were descendants of Flying Cloud.

Crossed on Lou B. (Glenn-Lady), Flying Cloud produced the sensational bitch, Little Fly. This hound's work at the National was outstanding, and she lost the race only in the last few minutes of the last day. Half interest in Lou B. was sold to Dr. Paul de Nicola, of Nashua, N. H. Dan Shaw's Flying Lou is a mate to Little Fly, and has been a consistent winner on the bench and in the field. She has a beautiful, clear mouth and knows how to handle a fox. Flying Lou and Little Fly will go down in history as two hard running hounds, hounds that are hard to beat.

At Crab Orchard during the Kentucky State Hunt in 1933 first was won by Cynthiana (Flying Cloud-Lark), owned by Conrad & Vest; second was won by Roxie Gentry (Flying Cloud-Mary Davenport, a Champ Clark bitch); and fourth by a mate to Roxie Gentry, Kit Gentry. These two bitches were later sold to 0. H. Belshe of Richland, Mo., and he writes us that he has sold over $1000.00 worth of pups out of Kit.

Another hound that left Kentucky and made good in a big way was Theo Hurt's (Marion, Ala.) Jake Givhan 16188, who was by Flying Cloud out of a full sister to CH. Alleen (B), and Polly Ann 9767 (John Branham-Queen). Jake Givhan won second Highest General Average in 1934 and 1935 at the Alabama State Foxbunters' Association, being the only hound to have two legs on that cup. He was injured by a truck in 1936 so was not taken back to that hunt. Mr. Hurt writes that he is an excellent foxhound and all of his pups are showing up fine.

Another hound of note by Flying Cloud was Lake Russell's Silver Cloud, out Monaca. This hound was bought by Frank Jones of Evansville, Indiana, and sired splendid hounds both at Macon, Georgia, and in Indiana.

E.F. Bolton's Buzzard Wing (Flying Cloud-Hattie Griffith, a CH. Herrin bitch) has a clear mouth like Flying Cloud, is a beautiful BW&T hound, and is being bred to a great deaL Recently half interest in this hound was sold to Roy Towns Athens , Ga., for one of the longest prices a hound has brought in several years, but a price in keeping with his value. I had Buzzard Wing in my kennels at stud this year and his work was outstanding. Practically every pup he has sired is a beautiful BW&T.

Ed Fox's Roy Tucker, who won the Kentucky State Derby, and was sold to L. B. Shouse, was by Flying Cloud out of Lou B. Before he died at the Walker Kennels, he sired some great hounds, and was a winner on the bench. Stride, out of a Big Stride bitch (in Winchester) is a noted breeding hound by Roy Tucker, one that North Carolinians swear by.

T he Billie Bristol hounds are also a credit to the Flying Cloud blood. Billie Bristol was by Flying Cloud out of Alberta Ruth, and I have heard Nat Taylor say, "If you just want to get a real licking, tie on to the Billie Bristol hounds. Billie Bristol is now owned by N.W. Weldon of Stovall, N.C. and has sired winners of the North Carolina several times. Recently Lynn Mays' King' by Billie Bristol, won the AllAge at the Southeastern.

Mac Swinford's Flying Ace, by Flying Cloud out of Oceda deserves special mention, and I cannot close this article without mentioning Bettie Pearl, the dam of Flying Cloud. She was noted everywhere for her wonderful endurance, and how strong she finished a long race. Sampson, the sire of Flying Cloud has sired a great many other good hounds.