2020 Grand American Coon Hunt - Treeing Walker Wins

The Final Four at the 2020 Grand American

The 55th annual Grand American Coon Hunt came to Orangeburg over the weekend of January 3 – 5. The weather always seems to play a role in the coon hunting, and 2020 was no different with heavy rain Friday night followed by lots of wind on Saturday night. The Grand American serves as a kick-off to an entire year of United Kennel Club (UKC) sanctioned events, and it attracts scores of coon hunting enthusiasts from around the country. At the end of the Saturday night hunt-off, a coonhound based out of S.C. was declared the Overall Hunt Winner for 2020.

            

The format of coon hunting on Friday night and Saturday night produces a Final Four of top coonhounds, who then compete in the early hours of Sunday morning to determine the overall winner. A three-year old male Treeing Walker coonhound named PR Hypersonic Wipeout Danger, beat out the other three competitors in that final cast. The winning owners are Bruce and Christy Rabon from Galivants Ferry, South Carolina and the handlers are Patrick Cribb from Whiteville, N.C. and Ernest Jordan III. The Treeing Walker breed of coon hound was by the most popular at the Grand American in 2020, finishing as the top dogs in most hunt categories.

            

The second place coonhound on Saturday night was a four-year old Treeing Walker named PR Mountain Valley Shorty, handled by Jonathan Long of Taylors, S.C. Finishing in third place was a seven-year old female Treeing Walker, GRNITECH GRCH PR Eastridges Tar Heel Tina, handled by Anthony Hammonds from Kingsport, Tennessee. The fourth place finisher was a four-year old male Treeing Walker named GRNITECH GRCH PR The Tree Slamming Judge, handled by Franklin Card of Johnsonville, S.C. The dog Judge and handler Card combo, won the Friday night hunt cast, vaulting them into the Final Four hunt competition, while the other three entries qualified on Saturday night. 

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries from the Grand American click on 2019 - 2018- 2017 - 2016- 2015 - 2014-  2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010