Brazos Valley Hunt was established in 1994, when a small group of people decided "we can do it better."  That spring, Sandy Dixon traveled to Virginia with an application to register the hunt with the Masters of Foxhounds Association.  The hunt was recognized by the MFHA that same year.

While in Virginia, Sandy collected hounds from the Middleburg, Warrenton and Fairfax Hunts.  Tommy Jackson, a huntsman from the Mission Valley Hunt (in Kansas), offered to drive the hounds back to Kansas and promised he would "throw in" a few more.  Kathy Brown and Sandy flew back to Texas with three hounds.  Once home, they made arrangements to have the remaining new hounds transported to Texas from Kansas.  Tommy was good to his promise: soon 20+ hounds arrived at their new home in North Texas.

The original kennel, built just after Sandy’s trip to Virginia, consisted of one 50’x50’ pen and two 4’x8’ shelters.  The kennel now boasts an exercise yard and 12 large pens with numerous shelters housing the hounds and 17 puppies.

When the hounds were unloaded, there were small ones, big ones, males, females, old and young. This collection of hounds became the foundation of what is now the Brazos Valley Hounds.

The motley crew began cubbing season on newly formed territory that fall of 1994.  There were a few old hounds that knew the ropes, but most of them were young, new entry, some barely a year old.  These youngsters were bred by Sandy and would become the breeding stock that forms the now famous American Hounds from the Brazos Valley Hunt.

“Docile” was the first BVH hound to win at the prestigious Virginia Hound Show.  She was later flown back to Albert Poe in Virginia to be bred to his Middleburg “Justice”.  From that mating, many of our hounds have gone on to win at the hound shows.  Echo, Elliott, Catfish, Hinkle, and Happy, to name the most recent champions, are now famous throughout North America.

Dierdre Hanna, a writer for HOUNDS, a magazine out of London, England, has published several articles about the BVH Hounds, and Elliot, because he is such a remarkably beautiful hound - full of freckles and elegant in appearance.  Kathy Cameron, a well-known English artist, made charcoal drawings of Elliott.  Sandy has one of the drawings at her home.  A second portrait of Elliott was commissioned by, and for, the Duke of Beauford.

Elliott won the Warren Harrover trophy an unprecedented four years in a row.  Hinkle, a son of Echo (Elliott's brother) won this trophy in 2007 at the Virginia Hound Show.  At the same show, Hinkle's sister, Happy, won the American entered class, under 20 couple.

These are all wonderful hunting hounds. They work hard every Saturday from late October to the end of March to entertain the members and guests of the Brazos Valley Hunt. 

The Masters and the members extend to you an invitation to join us in the age-old tradition of foxhunting.