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The History of the BBOA
Front row left to right: Bud Massey, Thurman Houston, Dr. EG Fuhrman, Mike Mudd and OO Grant. Back row left to right: CW Coyan, Dr. Tom Wescott, Burnis Oliver, Don Davis, Jim McKinney, Elbert Vaughn, and Louis Schuler. Taken at the organizational meeting of BBOA at Sikeston, MO in 1959. Photo courtesy CW Coyan At a meeting of Bluetick hunters from around the country at the home of C.O. Smith in Greenville, Illinois in 1946, the Bluetick Breeders Association was formed. It was also at this meeting that the first Bluetick Breed standard was created. That same year U.K.C. began accepting for registration Blueticks as a breed separate from the English Coonhound breed. August 14, 1946 was established as the final date U.K.C. would accept registrations of Blueticks whose sire and dam were not both U.K.C. registered. The first President of the Bluetick breeders Association was O.O. Grant, a very well known and highly respected Bluetick Breeder of the day. Grant was from Willow Springs, Missouri. C.O. Smith from Greenville, Illinois was elected Vice-President, and Roy Campbell of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania was elected Secretary/Treasurer. Those in attendance at the meeting included: Dr. E.G. Fuhrman, vice president of the United Kennel Club, Inc Kalamazoo, Michigan; Mr. Floyd Reeder, representative of the National Coonhound Assn. Logansport, Indiana; Mr. Ray F. Campbell, owner of the Wolf Creek Kennels, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Mr. C.O. Smith, owner of the Bluetick Kennels, Greenville, Illinois; Mr. Elbert Vaughn, owner of the Bluetick Farm Kennels, Paragould, Arkansas; Mr. Thurman Houston, Bluetick Breeder of Leeton, Missouri; Mr. William H. (Bill) Harshman, Bluetick Fancier, and postmaster of Rockport, Illinois; Mr. Carroll Suits, Bluetick Breeder, Hillsboro, Illinois; Mr. Daryl Hunter, Lees Creek, Ohio; and Mr. O.O. Grant, owner of the Semykennel, Willow Springs, Missouri. The Bluetick Breeders Association was a national organization, seemingly well organized and with good leadership. Yet, after a few years, the organization was disbanded. The principle reason seems to have been that it was an organization before its time. There were no other known breed associations of any breed at that time. Coon hunters were much less interested in breed development and improvement back then. There were not the popular coonhound events then to create interest and participation. And Finally, there was not that many Bluetick owners or Bluetick Hounds in the country back then to be able to support an association. So, the Bluetick Breeders Association was no more after a few brief years. About August 1959, Dr. E. G. Fuhrman, then President of U.K.C., met with a group of Bluetick fanciers in Sikeston, Missouri. It was in this meeting that the Bluetick Breeders Of America was formed. It was also at this meeting that the membership of the association and U.K.C. agreed that BBOA would be the U.K.C. chartered Bluetick association. BBOA was the sixth U.K.C. chartered breed association. Officers were elected. Bud Massey of West Plains, Missouri was chosen as the first President; Thurman Houston of Leeton, Missouri as Vice-President; Mike Mudd of Hawk Point, Missouri as Secretary, and O.O. Grant as Treasurer. It was agreed between U.K.C. and BBOA (Bluetick Breeders Of America) for the chartered group to have full participation on a national level, it would divide the United States into geographical zones, with a set of officers for each. There were five zones originally, each with its own treasury. BBOA devoted to the zone concept to this day, and remains so organized. Over the years, the numbers of zones have changed from five to four, then back to five and finally to seven, which remains the number used today. In a continual effort to balance the size and influence of each zone, zones were changed and states removed from one zone and added to another. A unique concept that BBOA followed until 1989 was that the President of BBOA rotated from one zone to the next, in numerical order each year, so that the President was from each zone one year out of seven. This was changed by a National membership vote to change the Constitution and By-Laws of BBOA in Wilson, North Carolina in 1989. It was felt that one year did not give any President the opportunity to plan and see proposed changes in his/her term. It was so agreed to make the Presidents and Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer position two year terms and would be voted on by a mailed ballot for all current members of BBOA. BBOA has added many other concepts to its name, such as the only Bluetick Hall Of Fame. The Bluetick Invitational is a hunt that allows special winners from all seven zones and from U.K.C. special events to come together to compete for the prestigious award of Invitational Champion. BBOA also produces an impressive annual breed book, with coverage of all zone events, National events, and U.K.C. special event winners. BBOA history is documented, as is Bluetick history with Bluetick event winners and stories of Blueticks from around the country. If you own a Bluetick Coonhound we invite you to join Bluetick Breeders Of America. As the U.K.C. Chartered Organization we represent all Bluetick owners for breed standards, rule changes, single registration and all aspects of the Bluetick Coonhound. Join today and support the Bluetick Hound we all love and cherish. |
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