From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)
African American Fox Hunters in Kentucky
African American fox hunters is another of the lesser-known and undocumented sports in Kentucky. Though, fox hunting is an old sport that was brought to Kentucky by the first settlers. African American fox hunters were in Kentucky both before and after emancipation.The darker side of this history is that the hounds used in the hunts for foxes and other animals, were often the same dogs used in the hunt for escaped slaves. In his biography Fifty Years of Slavery, author Harry Smith, born in Nelson County, KY, wrote about the fox hounds and the roles of enslaved males who accompanied the slave owners on fox hunts, and the dogs used to hunt escaped slaves.
Sources: Parry, Tyler and Charlton W. Yingling. "Slave Hounds and Abolition in the Americas." Past & Present, v.246, Issue 1, February 2020, Pages 69-108, https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtz020; Fifty Years of Slavery in the United States of America by Harry Smith (online).
The "Ballad of the Bob-tailed Fox," in memory of the event, was published in the Danville Daily Messenger newspaper, and deemed one of the greatest fox hunts in Kentucky. The event took place on December 26, 1891, at Forsythe Mills in Harrodsburg, KY. The ballad was included in the article reprinted from the Harrodsburg Democrat newspaper. Listed among the hunters in attendance were Africa Americans Bill Banks and Napa Johnson, fox hunter of renown.
George Gentry, an African American fox hunter in Stanford, KY, in 1895, claimed that two of his hounds held the record for chasing a fox for six days. Jim Jones was also an Africa American fox hunter in Stanford, KY. In 1905, Jones was injured while trying to catch his horse in a pasture.
Foxhunting is said to have always been popular in Madison County, KY. In October of 1921, the Colored Fox Hunters Association was formed in Madison County. The officers were President J. S. Chenault, Vice President Fee Broaddus, Secretary C. C. Durroughs, Treasurer L. H. Hatton, and Assistant Secretary Pete M. Maupin.
In 1926, African American fox hunter, J. C. Turner, was killed by Albin Cornelison in Madison County. Turner was killed for hunting on Cornelison's farm.
Two years later, in 1928, the African American Foxhunters Association held the four-day annual meeting in Bybee, KY. There were two dog races. A dog belonging to Lewis Hatton won the derby race. Green Jenkins won the all-age stake and 1st prize at the bench show.
This entry is an introduction. Much more research is needed to fully document the sport of fox hunting among African Americans in Kentucky.
Sources: "A five days race," The Climax, 07/10/1895, p.3; "Jim Jones, the Negro fox hunter, ...," The Interior Journal, 05/30/1905, p.2; "The Ballad of the Bob-tailed Fox," Danville Daily Messenger, 01/04/1921, front page; "Colored fox hunters form organization," The Richmond Daily Register, 10/05/1921, front page; "Madison County: Fox hunters close meeting," The Lexington Leader, 10/21/1928, p.26; "Kills Negro for fox hunting on Madison farm," The Springfield Sun, 06/10/1926, p.4; Dr. Fred Engle, “Foxhunting always popular sport,” Madison's Heritage Online, accessed October 17, 2024 (online); see Section 301 KAR 2:251 - Hunting and trapping seasons and limits for furbearers at Casetext.