A beagle who lived her best life is the mascot for an outdoor brand that has made its way to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
“She was up for any adventure. That’s the main thing we kinda convey in our products. It didn’t matter if we were heading to the gas station, to the lake or to the woods. She just wanted to ride. She wanted to have a good time. I tie that in with the artists. Go be yourself; stay true to yourself, be ready for any adventure, go do fun stuff, don’t live your life with regret. Dixie didn’t live her life with any regrets. I think she had a pretty dang good life,” said Colten Walker, a University of South Carolina Aiken rising junior, whose beagle Dixie Belle, is the inspiration for his Ol’ Belle Outdoors‘ brand.
Hats with her image embroidered on them have been worn by country artists Austin Snell, Graham Barham and Connor Smith when they played the Ryman or Grand Ole Opry. The brand also features T shirts and hoodies.
Walker said they recently launched a collection with a western theme and there’s a faith themed line on its way.
Dixie Belle came into Walker’s life when he was 7, and she was his faithful friend.
“I got her when I was in second grade. She was there through COVID, me starting high school and ending high school,” said Walker.
She died in the summer of 2025.
The idea for the brand had been percolating for a while.
“I always like the idea of a lifestyle brand, something people would want to wear – wear to school, wear to class, but I never knew what angle to take,” he said.
Walker said he didn’t have a image of what it would look like until he stared at the pawprint the vet took before Dixie died.
“Looking at her pawprint, I thought it would make a really cool logo. And it would Keep her legacy and her memory alive,” he said.
She was never a hunting dog even though she could’ve been. Depictions of her include her holding an antler with her paw or going turkey hunting or just napping, which is something she enjoyed. She’s also seen relaxing, because Dixie never passed up a good nap.
A country music fan, Walker has focused on getting his products in the hands of up-and-coming country artists, connecting with them mainly through social media.
“My ultimate goal is to break into the national market and work with these artists,” he said.
As he builds his brand, he’s still focused on his studies at USCA, where he majors in emerging media and communication.
“I’m learning how to tell a story throughout posts, one cohesive storytelling line,” he said.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
