GRAND SLAM CLUB / OVIS HISTORY

Many people in the hunting world have heard of the Grand Slam and the Grand Slam Club. The fact is that in March 2001 the Grand Slam Club technically became known as Grand Slam Club/Ovis. We will get to the name change a little later, but first we will look at the history of the original Grand Slam Club.

There have been many misconceptions over the years concerning the Grand Slam Club. Most knowledgeable hunters can readily define the Grand Slam as being one each of the four different North American wild sheep, (which of course are the Dall, Stone, bighorn, and desert bighorn), all having been taken fair chase by an individual hunter. When it comes to defining the Grand Slam Club, though, far fewer hunters can actually do so. A popular misconception has been to believe that those who have taken all four sheep miraculously become members of some informal, almost mythical, fraternity. Such is not the case!

In April 1948, TRUE magazine published an article by the late Grancel Fitz, titled "Grand Slam in Rams." This designation was subsequently popularized by a few other outdoor writers, but no individual actually picked up on it until 1955.

Bob Housholder of Phoenix, Arizona, was the man who founded the Grand Slam Club. In 1955, he was guiding a Nebraska sheep hunter, Bernard Briggs, and realized that Briggs' desert ram taken on that hunt was his fourth and completed his Grand Slam. Housholder became curious as to exactly how many others had accomplished this same feat. Being an outdoor writer himself, Housholder contacted several of his outdoor writer friends, and put out the word that he was looking for Grand Slam holders. Before long, he had a list of 20 names. One of those writer friends, the late Jack O'Connor, is listed as Member #1 of the Grand Slam Club. Even though O'Connor was not the first person to accomplish the feat, he was the first to document that he had done it legally.

The Club was officially founded in February 1956, and has been called in print "the most prestigious big game hunting club in this country." The Grand Slam Club is also the forerunner of all the other sheep hunting organizations. A not-so-well-known fact is that the Foundation For North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) was originally called a chapter of the Grand Slam Club. Bob Housholder was uncomfortable with this, and decided not to continue the relationship.

On September 16, 1989, founder Bob Housholder suffered a serious stroke. His condition would not permit him to carry on his work with the organization. In February 1990, 34 years to the month since its inception, the Club was turned over to Dennis Campbell, who was an outdoor writer/photographer, but more importantly a sheep hunter and conservationist.

The Grand Slam Club, under the direction of Campbell, was incorporated as a tax-exempt conservation organization, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service assigned it the 501(c)(3) status. One of the main purposes and objectives of the Club is to be the established documentation and records-keeping organization for legally-taken Grand Slams of North American wild mountain sheep. In reality, the Club has fulfilled this purpose since way back in 1956, when Housholder began to gather those original 20 names. The Club, as of 2008, has documented over 1400 legally-taken Grand Slams.

The Grand Slam Club got its first official publication when Bob Housholder produced what he termed a "bulletin" in July 1967. This one page quickly grew into a multipage affair. Sheep hunters around the world hungrily devoured every word this interesting hunter/writer had to say about their beloved wild sheep. Of course, hearing about other sheep hunters and their exploits was a big part of the "Bulletin." Housholder's last "Bulletin"(#74) went out in July 1989, shortly before his stroke.

Then, in March 1990, Grand Slam Club members received Bulletin #75, written by the new executive director, Dennis Campbell. Campbell stuck with the old format of straight typewritten text on legal-size sheets of paper for only three issues. For the first time ever, in Bulletin #78, Grand Slam Club members saw photographs and professionally typeset text. With issue #85, published in July 1992, the publication finally got an actual name: GRAND SLAM. Then, in January 1994, the publication progressed to color covers and photographs, and a magazine format which has remained basically the same to this day.

GRAND SLAM magazine has retained its down-home appeal to sheep hunters. The unique style that Housholder began, using an editorial format rather than individual articles, has been retained throughout all the changes. Bob Housholder was still alive when photos were first seen in GRAND SLAM. Right there on the cover as the very first photo ever, was Housholder himself. Even though he was not able to communicate well because of the stroke, Bob's brother Bill reported that founder Bob Housholder was most pleased with the photos and the fact that the Club was continuing. Bob Housholder died in December 1993.

Now to explain why the organization Housholder founded is now known as Grand Slam Club/Ovis, or GSCO. Ovis canadensis canadensis (Rocky Mtn. bighorn), Ovis canadensis nelsoni (desert bighorn), Ovis dalli stonei (Stone sheep), Ovis dalli dalli (Dall sheep)... Yes, these sheep comprise the North American Grand Slam. BUT, what about Ovis ammon ammon (Altay argali), which is the largest wild sheep in the world, or Ovis ammon polii (Marco Polo), which probably is the most nostalgic and arguably the most beautiful world sheep?

Wild sheep are found worldwide, at least in the northern hemisphere. In 1996, GSC executive director Dennis Campbell realized that the wild sheep of North America had been given a tremendous amount of attention by the many outdoor magazines published on the North American continent. However, the other wild sheep of the world had not been nearly so popularized by North America’s publications. Occasionally Safari Club International's publication would have an article about an argali or a urial, but for the most part talk of the other wild sheep of the world received a minimum of attention. To Campbell and other world wild sheep hunters, this phenomenon was regrettable.

GSCO Executive Director Dennis Campbell has taken over 30 species and 46 total of the world's wild mountain sheep.

Therefore, Campbell conceived the idea of producing a publication similar to GRAND SLAM but devoted to the other wild sheep of the world. Campbell felt that the publication just had to be called OVIS, because of the scientific name for the sheep of the world. It took a lot of work and preparation to get this idea off the ground, but finally in the summer of 1997 the first issue of OVIS was published.

OVIS was so well-received by the international sheep hunting community that an exciting thing happened before the second issue appeared. Many notes, letters and phone calls came in with accolades and requests for Campbell to expand on his idea. The Grand Slam Club had been so successful that Campbell realized this model should be duplicated (just as the magazine model had been used), so when the second issue of OVIS hit the mail in January 1998, a new organization had been born: Ovis, Inc.

Ovis, Inc. was formed with Campbell as president of the corporation. He continued as executive director of the Grand Slam Club, but ran Ovis, Inc. concurrently. OVIS the magazine and Ovis, Inc. the organization grew by leaps and bounds. By late 2000, it became apparent to Campbell, the Grand Slam Club board of directors, and most of the membership that the two organizations should merge. In March 2001, the Grand Slam Club board voted unanimously for such a merger, and the organization became known as Grand Slam Club/Ovis, or GSCO.

With the two organizations merged, and the membership roll combined, changes took place with the two publications. Up to that point, OVIS had been published twice yearly and GRAND SLAM was published three or four times per year. Beginning in Spring 2001, both magazines became quarterly and were issued together, bound within a single cover. GRAND SLAM/OVIS retained their separate identities, so in reality the membership today receives eight magazines per year.

In addition to documenting North American Grand Slams, GSCO continues the practice begun by Ovis, Inc. to recognize people who have accomplished the Ovis World Slam. The Ovis World Slam consists of 12 different species of the world’s wild mountain sheep. Shortly after the merger of GSC and Ovis, Inc., Campbell realized that most sheep hunters also hunted wild mountain goat species, which have the scientific name of Capra, whereas the wild sheep are known as Ovis species. Therefore, the concept of the Capra World Slam was created. GSCO now recognizes and documents the Capra World Slam as 12 different species of the world's wild goats. This new Slam has been well received and has helped to give these great mountain animals the respect they are due.

It is not necessary to have taken any sheep or goats to be a member of GSCO, which boasts a membership of over 5,000 members. All persons interested in the conservation of wild mountain sheep and goats are encouraged and welcomed to be members. The dues are only $60.00 per year, and most people say the GRAND SLAM/OVIS publications alone are worth that price; a Life Membership is $1000. Click here to join today!