1960's

The 1960's were good for Wild Coon Hunts, Bench Shows, and the Treeing Walkers. More interest was building in the Competition Hunts and also more people were getting interested in showing their hounds also.

The ACHA World Championship Coon Hunt was continuing to grow and becoming more important to the hunters interested in registered dogs. When the 60's started you had as many if not more dogs in he grade hunt as you did the registered hunt. By the end of the 60's many clubs were still having grade hunts and shows but the numbers entered was continuing to get smaller. It seemed like every year there were more registered dogs and less grade dogs.

The Treeing Walkers were becoming more popular every year, in part because of their success in the competition hunts and shows. In the 60's at the WORLD HUNT and at that time there was only one world hunt, ACHA, out of 10 World Hunts, Treeing Walkers won 9. The only year a walker didn't win the hunt 1967, the 2nd place dog was Merchant's Banjo II.

More and more people were getting interested in Registered dogs and many were jumping on board the Treeing Walker band wagon.

1960 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION GRAND NITE CHAMPION DEEP RIVER MIKE

1961 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION STAN'S SAILOR BOY

1962 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION KATIE'S ROWDY

1967 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION WALKER MERCHANT'S BANJO II (THE ONLY YEAR IN THE 60'S THAT A WALKER DIDN'T WIN THE HUNT.)

1963 ACHA Dual World Champion Grand Ch. Nite Ch. House's Bawlie

The Hound that introduced the world to Joe House and the House Strain of Treeing Walkers.

The year before Bawlie won the World Championship his brother Spot Lite Sport owned by J.C. Ellis placed 2nd in the 1962 ACHA World Championship.

The ACHA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP introduced many strains and hunters to the world that are now legends in the breed. This is just one example.

1964 ACHA WORLD CH. NITE CHAMPION STAN'S SAILOR JR.

Here is another example of the ACHA World Hunt introducing a strain to the public. Sailor Jr.'s sire won the World Hunt in 1961 but he died shortly after that. So when his son won the same hunt in 1964 people were becoming more interested in the Sailor Boy Strain. In fact Sailor Boy was a Hershberger bred hound and Sailor Jr.'s mother went back to Mack Twain.

1965 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION GRAND NITE CH. CLAXTON'S FINLEY RIVER SPOT

and his sire NITE CHAMPION FINLEY RIVER CHIEF.

Here is another example of the ACHA World Championship introducing a strain to the public that would have an impact on the breed. In 1963, 1964, and 1965 the ACHA World Championship open up the interest in three strains to give them a chance to make their mark on the breed and Treeing Walker World. And make a mark they did. House, Sailor Boy, and Finley River go their chance through the ACHA World Championship and they made the most of it.

In 1966 a grand son of Finley River Chief won the hunt to even create more buzz about the Finley River Strain. Then in 1970 another son of Chief won it and in 1973 a great grandson won.

1966 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION NITE CH. SPRING CREEK SMOKEY

1966 the ACHA World Championship would introduce the world to another Finley River Bred Hound. A Grandson of Finley River Chief. It would also introduce the world to his owner Duane Clark the owner of Spring Creek Rock and what would be considered the start of the Spring Creek Rock Line Of Treeing Walkers. In this ad is also Spring Creek C.B. the sire of Spring Creek Rock. C.B. is a son of Finley River Chief, making Spring Creek Rock a grandson of Finley River Chief.

2 PAGE SPREAD ON 1968 ACHA WORLD CHAMPION MATHIS' CAROLINA CASEY

CASEY ALSO WON THE 1969 ACHA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Casey finished out the 60's by winning the World Hunt in 1968 and again in 1969. He also won the Grand American in 1971, and placed 5th in the world hunt another year.