New England Beagle Club

by Michael Sergio, Jr. - Executive Staff-Field

The New England Beagle Club is the second oldest Beagle club in the U.S. being founded in 1892. Only the National Beagle Club is older having held their first field trial in November 1890. The first brace field trial held by the New England Beagle Club was November 6, 1893 at Oxford, Massachusetts. The entries in the classes were as follows: six dogs in the fifteen inch derby class, six dogs in the thirteen inch all age class and nine dogs in the fifteen inch all age class. They also had a championship stake which had three starters in the fifteen inch class and two starters in the thirteen inch class.

Over the first half century the club leased land at four or five locations, seeking the best combination of cover and location. Club records from 1946 show that entry fees were five dollars with forty percent pay back to the four placed dogs. In the early sixties the club decided to purchase their present clubhouse and grounds in Warren, Massachusetts. They paid seven thousand dollars. In 1993 they celebrated their one hundred years of continuous uninterrupted license field trial competition and hosted the 21st Purina Brace Beagle Award.

The New England Beagle Club has an old farmhouse for a clubhouse, many kennels and two fenced in enclosures, one with 35 acres and another with 45 acres. In addition the Club owns an additional 50 acres that is not enclosed. A long standing traditional brace club, they decided nine years ago to hold two dissimilar trials – a brace trial and a small pack option trial. The upper enclosure is for the brace dogs and the larger lower enclosure is for the small pack option dogs. Moe Palumbo, an AKC Delegate for twenty three years and the oldest living Club member said “this arrangement works well with both groups respecting each other’s type of dog”. Larry Mazza, president of the club said “the younger small pack option club members support the older brace folks and this makes for good club relationships and a continuation of the New England Beagle Club”.

It’s nice to see a Beagle club that has existed for one hundred and fifteen years continuing to adapt and survive, providing enjoyment for generations of Beaglers. This can only be done through the dedication and devotion to the sport by their club members. Congratulations to the New England Beagle Club.