Meet The Comittee
Chairman - Keith Long
President - Elin Richards
Treasurer and Vice Chairman - Rob Franks
Secretary - Sam Clark
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Chief Steward & Cup Steward - Jo Franks and Christine Green
Show Secretary - Tracie Howie
Acting Trails Secretary: Jo Franks
Regalia Secretary - Darren Mortimore
Other Committee Members:
Dave Scrivens, Lynda Hayden, Cindy Flowers & Christine Jones
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Our Chairman
Keith Long
Keith first joined the club in 1965, he joined the committee in 1986,
and became chairman in 2008.
Special Memories - Spending many days over the years out in the field competing, judging, assisting or just enjoying watching the hounds hunt and the company of fellow enthusiasts.
Future Vision - The continuation of our ancient breed and the hope that all breed enthusiasts can live in harmony.
Our Secretary
Sam Clark
Sam has been a club member since 1991, and already served on the committee in the past.
Sam, with her Farlap Bloodhounds is actively involved in both the showing and working side of the breed and has a special interest in breed health.
Special memories: Has to be the three ‘Farlap’ best of breed wins at Crufts.
Future Vision: Ensuring we have a healthy dual purpose breed, that is fit for function.
Photograph â“’ Alan Walker
President
Bobbie Edwards
Bobbie Edwards is the Club's longest serving officer. She was secretary from 1968 until standing down at the 1984 AGM, after more than 15 years in the role, but remained on the committee.
After recharging her batteries she became Chairman in 1986 and continued in this role until she stood down from the committee in 2001.
At this point she was invited by the committee to become the Club's President so that her vast experience could be put to use in an advisory capacity.
Treasurer & Vice Chairman
Rob Franks
When did you first start to be involved bloodhounds – 30 years ago when Jo Franks (mum) took me to my first working trials where she hunted a line with ‘Biggles’ in record time – I was hooked from then on!
Best memory of bloodhounds – Achieving second in the Junior Stake on Tuesday, competing in the Intermediate Stake on the Wednesday and winning – all with the great ‘Biggles’
Vision for the future of the club – To grow the club by embracing the members’ enthusiasm, innovation and strong traditions both at working trials and the show ring
President
Elin Richards
David and I bought our first Bloodhound from Mrs. Joy Piper (Abingerwood) in 1967 as a pet. We were lucky and she turned out to be both a Champion in the show ring and a senior tracking hound.
Our last hound (Ch. Cilgwri Starlight of Chasedown) died in 2016 at the age of almost 11 years.
We bred and showed over 20 Show Champions including a Group winner and a 3rd place group winner at Crufts, 2 W/T Champions, one a Dual Champion, and 5 International Champions .
Although I don’t think the dog world will ever be the same as it was when we started breeding, I hope the Club will go from strength to strength promoting the Pure Bred Bloodhound and looking after its members
Show Secretary
Tracie Howie
I have been around dogs and animals all my life and trained at 18 as a veterinary nurse.
Before becoming involved with Bloodhounds We bred and kept Weimaraner’s, mostly as working gun dogs. When we lost our last home bred bitch Helga, I could not face another as I would always compare a new one to Helga she was truly a special unique character.
We still had my daughters aged Labrador and Jack Russell., but there was a void. I have always loved Bloodhounds and growing up in London had never actually seen one live except on the “Beverley Hill Billies”, I used to say as a child when I’m big I’m going to get a Bloodhound.
When researching the breed I ended up speaking to Sue Emrys-Jones who typically didn’t mince words on the pitfalls and responsibilities of Bloodhound ownership she put me in touch with Nick Sutcliff. Trying to persuade Nick to let me have a pup I stated that I wanted to show and would make her a champion. I think this amused him and he let me have Daya (Sanft von Jagersmann) in 2011 when my childhood wish came true and got my first Bloodhound.
Daya was hardcore dominant, headstrong and difficult. I had gone in at the deep end. We survived, 7 CC’s later we finally had our Champion I was smitten and haven’t looked back.
Through Showing (my passion) I got to know Sue Emrys-Jones better and eventually ended up bringing on 2 Marksbury Puppies at different times Marksbury Wheedle (Bluebell) and Marksbury Hessie. This was after another bitch from Graceminister Prudence (Lilly).
Both Bluebell and Hessie became Champions and multiple CC’s and BOB’s. Hessie was top Bloodhound in 2019. Sue made me her partner at Marksbury as she was retiring I was very honoured to accept the challenge. Sue will always be my guiding light in the breed.
We bred Bluebell and kept Bert and Bertha. We had 2 litters with Hessie one in lockdown and one in October 2022 We kept Victor (Marksbury Ruthenic of Millvery) and Violet (Marksbury Regina of Millvery) We own these 2 in partnership with Colin Avery and Ken and Pat Miller of the Millvery Affix. We are looking forward to trying out trials with `victor soon.
Highlights
This year Bert (Marksbury Malfoy) became a champion at Crufts and got Best of Breed he was also shortlisted in Scotland and to date has 6 CC’s. Violet is doing amazingly well at 9 months ad acquired 4 RCC’s was shortlisted in Wales.
Future Vision
I am an ardent supporter of Breed Health and am keen to promote this going forward.
With the wish to see fit, healthy happy hounds fit for purpose.
Looking foreword working with the committee and hopefully have a positive impact.
Regalia Secretary
Darren Mortimore
My journey with Bloodhounds began back in 2016, when my partner Daisy and I were sat ringside watching the Bloodhounds being judged in my first ever trip to Crufts. We were debating if this would be a good breed for us. I remember one hound who was sitting near us, come up to check us out and stood up on our legs, we both loved how affectionate they were.
Daisy went to see a couple who had 3 hounds with them, she came back saying they had swapped details and we were meeting them at another show the following month.
Fast forward to 2017 and we picked up our first Bloodhound Ralph (Houndseeker Alaric).
My Favourite memory was seeing Ralph come first in class at Crufts, just three years after I first sat ringside, and just 18 months after having our first Bloodhound.
Since then I have become a firm member of the committee with lots of fresh ideas and influences.
My Future Vision for the club is help bridge the gap between the traditional club ways and the ever enhancing digital age we find ourselves in, as to encourage younger people to be involved with the breed, at the same time being careful to maintain the traditional ethics which is what has made the club so successful.
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Jo Franks
I got involved with bloodhounds due to emotional blackmail from my husband, Tony, following a heart attack. He had secretly yearned from childhood for a Bloodhound (whilst recovering from meningitis he used to cycle over to Tring Museum just to gaze at stuffed Chattley Blazer), so, in a moment of weakness and misplaced affection, I succumbed and bought him ‘Hubert’. This was the first stage of Bloodhounds taking over my life.
The second stage was when, having only been a member of the Bloodhound Club for a couple of years, I found myself pitchforked into the role of Working Trials secretary which dumbfounded a lot of people and me. I had made the fatal mistake of letting on I could map-read and survey land for Trials. I was doomed and stuck with the job for in excess of 20 years. I loved it though it had its moments. Line-walking at night, when stuck waist deep in a muddy ditch at 03:00 hrs in rain and pitch blackness, I did question my sanity.
I suppose my best Bloodhound moment was owning and making up a working Trials Champion, to wit, the infamous Biggles (aka Brumbies Eclipse). A bloodhound known to make arrests if the line-walkers moved away after being ‘identified’.
The Bloodhound Club has always been a happy club and I should like it to continue to be so. We are very lucky in our new younger (to us oldies everything is relative!) and enthusiastic committee. A big thank you to them.
Christine Green
Before I married my husband Robin I realised he came with strings attached as he kept on saying ‘we must get a bloodhound’ (his father had bloodhounds from the 1920s).
My first meeting with bloodhounds stole my heart. Working Trials always attracted me. I enjoy walking lines (even in the middle of the night). I learned to map read at school, which came in handy. I started to handle hounds when Robin had to give up. Working a hound is exhausting, exciting and unpredictable!
One of my most exciting moments was when Walnut (Marksbury Humility) following a line went into a field of sheep (she was correct) and completely ignored them, and did not turn a hair. Fabulous!
The Club has always promoted bloodhounds and with the keen new ‘blood’ joining the committee, I am sure will continue to do so.
Dave Scrivens
I got my one and only Bloodhound when I was 21. She lived to the grand age of 13 years and was my constant companion.
My interest is mainly the working side of Bloodhounds and this is why I’ve remained a member of the club.
I regularly help at trials either line walking, assisting the judge or as a judge.
I live in Salisbury on the South coast with my wife and two daughters. I run my own company working in TV and theatre lighting. I’m a keen runner, mountain biker and canoeist and love being in the outdoors.
