BigGameHoundsmen.com

Hey,Does anyone remember Ralph Capehart and the Bigstride hounds.Is someone still breeding them.I havent heard of them in a long time.See Ya Curt

I remember Ralph well and we use to visit a god deal together. Ralph was a character for sure, and I miss him. Murphy Mears raised Big Stride and the foundation lines if the treeing walker ran deep in the line. It was Ralphs contention much as it had been that of the late Al Lynn that the genetics were all there still to produce a superior trail and tree hound that would not be just the pop up lay up coon dog but a treeing walker hound that would excell in all facets of the tree dog sports as they were intended to from the foundation breeders like Lester Nance and Raymond Motley. Ralph had papers from Al Lynn showing dogs that all had purchased from Lester Nance out of White River King II. I still have copies of these. Ralph was a little more inclined to prefer hounds along the lines of Shetler's Sonny Boy up thru Finley River Cheif, and his last stud dog that he claimed to be a genetic marvel was of that type. I think Ralph like some of the other breeders along this line had some very great theories but many found them rather radical, and some even claimed he was a bit touched in the head. I never did and had a good time visting with him. I think you will be hard pressed to find much Big Stride breeding these days but one never knows there are a lot of folks raising good dogs out behind the barn that you never hear about.

Good luck!