David and Barba Keene  founded Morningwood Bassets in 1989.   They have long been active in the sport of purebred dogs. Barba was Show Chair for the local Basset Hound Specialty Club for three years and served as Show Chair for the Greater Collin Kennel Club for the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. David served three years as President of the Dal-Tex Basset Hound Club, three terms as President of the Basset Hound Club of Greater Ft. Worth, one term as Recording Secretary of the Greater Collin Kennel Club, three terms as President of the Greater Collin Kennel Club, and served as the Delegate to the American Kennel Club for Greater Collin Kennel Club.  David is a former member of the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club. David and Barba together were Co-Chairs of the Yearbook Committee for the Basset Hound Club of America for two years. They are both currently members of the American Canine Health Foundation and The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog.  David was  awarded The President of the United States Volunteer Service Award for 2007 and  2008 and has qualified for 2009.

     Barba is a retired Marketing Services Manager for a ceramic tile manufacturer where she won numerous national advertising and marketing awards.  David has been in the Financial and Banking Institutions for twenty-four years.  

     The Keenes have long been fans of Basset Hounds after having been involved in other breeds. Barba grew up with Basset Hounds. The loving and distinct personality and temperament of the breed are what attracted them to the Basset Hound and they quickly became enamored of the dog's inquisitive and comical nature. The form and function of this breed is of great interest to the Keenes and they have done considerable research on the breed's instincts and proper structure and carriage. The Morningwood philosophy has and will always be to produce on a limited basis and to concentrate on quality rather than quantity. Their motto has always been "Champions producing Champions."

     Morningwood Kennels was founded in 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Keenes purchased their first show bitch that year and finished her in 1990. They purchased their second show bitch in 1990 and finished her in 1992. "Sue Ellen" became the foundation of their line. She produced her first litter in 1993 and out of it came five champions. Sue Ellen had two more litters and went on to produce eight champions, with two being dual title holders. She was the Basset Hound Club of America Top Producer for 1995 and also earned her Register of Merit from the Basset Hound Club of America that same year.

     Her offspring have continued to do well in the ring. One of her more famous is American/Canadian Champion Morningwood Ulysses S. Grant, ROM who was shown exclusively by Pat Willer.  Ulysses was the No.2 Basset Hound in the US in 1998 and 1999 and was ranked in 2000 even after his retirement. Ulysses won five all-breed Best In Shows, eight specialty shows, the Basset Hound Club of Canada National Specialty, and placed second in the Hound Group at the prestigious invitational Show of Shows in Ottawa, Canada. He was ranked as the number two Basset Hound in Canada in the year 2000 after being shown there only six times. He also won an Award of Merit at the Basset Hound Club of America National Specialty in 1999 and an Award of Merit at the Westminster Kennel Club Show in 2000. Ulysses won the 2001 Pedigree Top Producer, having 8 get finish their AKC Championship Titles. Ulysses recently won the Veteran Dog Class and went on to win Best of Opposite Sex at the 2002 BHCA National Specialty.  To Date he has sired 36 get with AKC Championship titles including 6 who were also Canadian Champions, 2 who hold Mexican Championships, 1 Australian Champion and 1 with an NAJ in Agility.

American/Canadian/Mexican/FCI International/International/Grand Mexican/Latin American/Caribe/Australian Ch. Morningwood Beaumont  has just completed his Australian Championship.  He began his career in Australia in January 2006 with John Bink and has won several Best of Breeds and Best Hound In Group Awards.  Beaumont completed his second year of his Mexico campaign at the end of 2004.  He won SIX Best in Show award which positioned him as the Number one Hound and Number one Basset Hound in Mexico.  Beaumont won 85 Best of Breed awards, 59 Group First, 26 Group Second and the Best In Special Show for the first Mexican Specialty Exhibition of Basset Hounds.  Beaumont completed his tour by winning an Award of Excellence at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Tampa, Florida as a foreign invitee. .  Beaumont was co-owned by Ma. Eugenia Lieberman of Mexico, Jean North of Ovilla, Texas and David and Barba Keene.  Beaumont finished the 2003 Mexican Campaign as the Number One Basset Hound, Number One Hound, and Number Four All-Breed.  He won 7 Best In Shows and 50 Hound Group First in 2003.  Beaumont completed his 2002 Canadian Campaign with a Group Third at the Show of shows sponsored by The Ottawa Kennel Club for all Canadian Best In Show dogs.  Beaumont finished his 2002 as the Number One Basset Hound in Canada.  Beaumont has won 21 Best In Shows in four countries in his career. 

       Two of Ulysses' daughters also won Awards of Merit at the Basset Hound Club of America Nationals in 2000. One of them, Ch. Camma Farms Fan Mail (Fanny), went on to win Best of Opposite Sex at the First AKC/Eukanuba Classic in 2001 and Best of Opposite Sex at the Westminster Kennel Club in 2002. Fanny was co-owned by the Keenes and Myer Bishop of Louisiana and was at one time the No. 1 Basset Hound bitch in the country for 2001.

      Another Ulysses' daughter, Ch. Monogram I Hear A Symphony is ranked Number Two Basset Hound in the All-Breed and is ranked in the Top 5 Breed standings for 2002.  She won an Award of Excellence at the 2002 AKC/Eukanuba Class and Best of Opposite Sex at the 2002 Westminster Kennel Club.  She was co-owned by the Keenes and is the fifth consecutive nationally ranked special promoted by Morningwood Kennels.

     Ulysses' brother, Ch. Morningwood Sir Charlz Barkly also won an Award of Merit at both the Basset Hound Club of American and the Westminster Kennel Club Show in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Barkly was shown  by Kathy French. In addition to Barkly, the Keenes co-owned and campaigned Ch. Ft. Merrill Man In Black with Joan Urban of Corpus Christi, Texas and he was ranked the number three Basset Hound for 2000.

         A full sister to Ulysses, Ch. Morningwood Song of Bernadette, CD earned her obedience title in 1998. She is co-owned by the Keenes and Craig and Stacy Hargrove, Austin, Texas.

     Morningwood Kennel became a registered kennel with the American Kennel Club in 2000.  Morningwood has an international presence in Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Australia.  Morningwood Kennels has produced, owned, co-owned or produced out of studs some 65 champions in four countries and thirty-three Best In Show awards in four countries.  Morningwood Kennels, Reg. is an unfolding story and will continue to selectively produce quality basset hounds both for show and for companionship for many more years to come.

Morningwood dogs excel in conformation and performance events.

All statistics are based on AKC record.