By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
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LEDBETTER — It smelled of wet dog, but that circumstance was hardly avoidable on Saturday at the Richmond County Cooners Club hosted the 10th annual North Carolina State Water Race and Bench Show.
After all, the necessary ingredients for success include coonhounds and water. That’s about it. Add to that an accurate forecast of steady rain and, well, there was simply no getting around it.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Ruth, managed by Meredith Standridge, reaches the finish line first in her heat of the 50-yard water race
Dozens of dog handlers and family members and friends gathered for the annual event at the club, located on Ledbetter Road near American Legion Road. The main feature includes a 50-yard watered race course and a well-scented lure — in this case, a raccoon pelt — affixed to a steel cable. The pelt is put in front of the noses of up to six coonhounds, which are temporarily quartered in a stall much like horse racing. The dogs get the scent. When the gate rises, the dogs burst out and into the water to chase the only thing they care about.
First to the finish line wins that part of the competition, but there’s more to it. The first to tree the ‘coon also gets points.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
A heat of the 50-yard water race Saturday at Richmond County Coon Club.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Meredith Standridge and Ruth.
