Queen Victoria at various times was the possessor of one or more fine
specimens of the Bloodhound, procured for her by Sir Edwin Landseer,
and a capital hound from the Home Park Kennels at Windsor was
exhibited at the London Show in 1869, the judge on the occasion being
the Rev. Thomas Pearce, afterwards known as "Idstone." Landseer was
especially fond of painting the majestic Bloodhound, and he usually
selected good models for his studies. The model for the hound in his
well-known picture, "Dignity and Impudence," was Grafton, who was
a collateral relative of Captain J. W. Clayton's celebrated Luath XI.
Four superlative Bloodhounds of the past stand out in unmistakable
eminence as the founders of recognised strains. They are Mr. Jenning's
Old Druid, Colonel Cowen's Druid, Mr. Reynold Ray's Roswell, and
Captain Clayton's Luath XI.; and the owner of a Bloodhound which can
be traced back in direct line of descent to any one of these four
patriarchs may pride himself upon possessing a dog of unimpeachable
pedigree.
Among breeders within recent years Mr. Edwin Brough, of Scarborough,
is to be regarded as the most experienced and successful. No record
of the breed would be complete without some acknowledgment of the
great services he has rendered to it. Bloodhounds of the correct type
would to-day have been very few and far between if it had not been
for his enthusiasm and patient breeding. Mr. Brough bred and produced
many hounds, which all bore the stamp of his ideal, and there is no
doubt that for all-round quality his kennel stands first in the
history of the Bloodhound. His most successful cross was, perhaps,
Beckford and Bianca, and one has only to mention such hounds as
Burgundy, Babbo, Benedicta, and Bardolph to recall the finest team
of Bloodhounds that has ever been benched.
Mrs. G. A. Oliphant, of Shrewton, Wilts, whose kennels include Chatley
Blazer and Chatley Beaufort, has of late years been a keen supporter
of the breed. Mrs. Oliphant, who is the president of the ladies'
branch of the Kennel Club, is a great believer in hounds being workers
first and show hounds second, and her large kennels have produced
many hounds of a robust type and of good size and quality. There is
no doubt that as far as hunting is concerned at the present moment
this kennel stands easily first. But admirable Bloodhounds have also
given distinction to the kennels of Mr. S. H. Mangin, Dr. Sidney
Turner, Mr. Mark Beaufoy, Mr. F. W. Cousens, Mr. A. O. Mudie, Lord
Decies, Mr. Hood Wright, Mr. A. Croxton Smith, Dr. C. C. Garfit, Dr.
Semmence, and Mrs. C. Ashton Cross, to mention only a few owners and
breeders who have given attention to this noble race of dog.
The description of a perfect type of dog, as defined by the
Association of Bloodhound breeders, is as follows:--
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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