Kenny Sparks drove back to Tennesee in a brand new truck after handling Austin Bane’s treeing walker coonhound female in a national championship win.

The weekend saw 208 competitors in all as Clifty Creek Coon Hunters and Rush County Coonhunters hosted the 2008 American Kennel Club Coonhound National Championship at the Decatur County Fairgrounds.

Decatur County Tourism director Melanie Maxwell noted the event brought visitors from 25 states into the county. It drew attention and support from local businesses such as SkyDive Greensburg, Highpoint Orchard, Sibbit Chevrolet, ETC and The Office Spot. With all the hotels full, the national championship impacted more than the mud on handlers’ shoes and coonhounds’ paws.

Saturday evening, Steve Fielder, assistant vice president of coonhound events, presented many awards to competitors and their dogs. At the forefront of participants’ minds, however, was who was in the running to win the Remington truck, emblazoned with the AKC emblem.

The winners in each cast were announced prior to the final night hunt to determine the victor. CNC Wipeout Hellbilly, a three-year-old male treeing walker coonhound owned by Sumner Cullom and Barry Kiddy, Jr. of Wilson, Ark. and handled by Barry Kiddy took one of the top four spots. The list was filled out by CCH CGN Roberts Cricket The Kid, a two-year-old female English coonhound owned and handled by Jeff Roberts of Hopewell, Ohio; CGN Stylish Thorn, a four-year-old male treeing walker coonhound owned by Joe Newlin of Silver Lake and handled by Jay Hyde; CNC High Point Chance, the four-year-old treeing walker coonhound female owned by Austin Bane of Gordonsville, Tenn. and Handled by Kenny Sparks, who took the title.

CNC High Point Chance also earned a Garmin Astro GPS tracker, a Tri-tronics 2-dog Ultra Trashbreaker, and a K-Light 20-volt embroidered belt light in addition to the coveted AKC All-American Cup.

To learn more about AKC Coonhound events, visit www.akccoonhounds.org.