Heartland Houndsmen Federation

The annual AKC Heartland Classic is held at the Chickasaw County Fairgrounds located on the east side of Nashua IA, right off Hwy 346.

Nashua IA is a small town located halfway between Waterloo and Mason City, along Hwy 218.  For more info regarding the Nashua IA community, Click Here

The fairgrounds that holds our event is one of most "coonhunter friendly" fairgrounds in the country.

The grounds is abundant with tall oaks that provide plenty of shade for both hounds and hunters.  There is a plenty of room for camping and electric hookups available for those who need it.  There are 2 different stand alone restroom facilities, with a new one constructed in 2007 with showers available.

In 2009, just in time for the Heartland Classic, a new building was unveiled that serves as the main facility for our event.  Attached to the exisiting kitchen building, the new building is ideal to house a large coonhound event.  There is plenty of room for the show ring, vendors, and AKC / HHF headquarters. There are other buildings on the grounds to use in the future if necessary.

The Nashua IA location was appealing to HHF because of its much more hunter friendly terrain vs. the original location as well as the local hunters being much more receptive of the AKC Coonhound program.

The hunting ground in the area is lots of farm ground that varies from flat to rolling.  Most of the timber is found along the many rivers and creek bottoms that flow through the area as well as a some patch timber and some bigger hardwood valleys to the east.

The Nashua Coonhunters, aka "GRBC", is a small group of coonhunters who have held PKC events for a number of years.  Recently they have added a full slate of AKC events to they're schedule with at least 1 hunt a month as well as the AKC IA State Championship in May and an AKC Black Gold Event in August.  In cooperation with the Nashua coonhunters is a vast guide network that is unmatched in the upper midwest.  The nearby Shell Rock Coonhunters is a long standing UKC sanctioned club that when fortunate enough to hold larger UKC events also uses the Nashua location because of the facilty and more accessible guides.  Shell Rock Coonhunters have hosted many larger UKC events in the past, most recently the UKC Zone 1 Semifinals.  Also assisting the Nashua Coonhunters is the Elgin / West Union IA PKC club and the Iowa Tree Top Cur & Fiest club, also located in Nashua.

Nashua Coonhunters: Pictured are just a few members of the support network of the host club.  This group is a tough bunch of competitors that are accustomed to holding first class events regardless of the registry.

If camping on the grounds isn't your cup of tea, there is lodging available in all directions within just a few minutes drive in nearby Charles City, Waverly and / or New Hampton.

Charles City Chamber of Commerce

Waverly Chamber of Commerce

New Hampton Chamber of Commerce