Mountain Cur: strains and registry history

Key facts

OMCBA milestone

1957 [source]

Kemmer association milestone

September 1991 [source]

UKC recognition

1 November 1998 [source]

The 1957 organisation assembled an existing population

UKC dates the formal Mountain Cur breed organisation to 1957 and the formation of the Original Mountain Cur Breeders of America. Its account describes dogs maintained in remote rural areas before organised breeding records. It names McConnell, Stephens, Ledbetter, Arline and York among the familiar strains. Those names matter because Mountain Cur was not simply a new cross invented in 1957. The organisation assembled breeders and began registering an existing working population, creating a documentary framework for lines that had already been maintained locally.

Kemmer Stock supplied another documented strand

The same history describes a meeting at Robert and Lou Ella Kemmer’s home in September 1991 and the formation of a separate association for Kemmer Stock Mountain Curs. It identifies dogs from OMCBA and the Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur Breeders’ Association as UKC foundation stock. UKC recognition followed on 1 November 1998. These are distinct institutional events. A dog’s papers should identify the issuer and the actual ancestry rather than treating OMCBA, KSBA and UKC as interchangeable names for one certificate, or assuming that every historical strain has the same representation in a modern line.

The standard retains a tree-dog purpose

UKC describes a medium-sized, agile tree dog with a dense close coat that can vary in texture. Its discussion centres on hunting and functional movement over rough ground. The standard also explicitly says scars are neither proof of working ability nor grounds for a penalty. That is a useful distinction between appearance and recorded work. A source guide can describe the population’s historical role and standard without awarding an individual performance qualification. The registry chronology explains how the records developed, while the dog’s own pedigree and activity history answer the narrower questions of which line it belongs to and what it has actually done.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• UKC: Mountain Cur history and standard (opens in a new tab)

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