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Vale of the White Horse Hunt Hounds

VWH Hound History

We have two packs, a mixed pack and a bitch pack with approximately 60 couple, therefore 30 couples per pack.

The mixed pack would be about 2/3rds doghounds 1/3rd bitches and the bitch pack is normally 100% bitches.


The hound are bred for WORK first and foremost, good assessment is carried out and regularly updated and the best families are selected to be bred from.

A level pack of hounds is required to enable them to keep together, to ensure that they all arrive at a check together and to help avoid splitting or dividing which an un-level pack would be more likely to do as it would resemble a washing line. Therefore the practise of ‘line breeding’ is carried out. Line breeding is a form of inbreeding as it is the multiplication of good and outstanding hounds in the 4th 5th and 6th generation. As it is a form of inbreeding selection of sires and dams are important to ‘ring the changes’ in both the sires tail male line and tail female lines. Currently in the kennel we have 7 different tail female lines mentioned below and we have 3 different tail male lines.

The oldest hound in the kennel is VWH Doublet 2000 born in 1999 His sister Dazzle 00 is the dam of the famous VWH Darius 04 who was Champion doghound at Honiton in 05, Ardingly, Harrogate and Peterborough in 2007 and sired this years (2009) Peterborough champion Duke of Beaufort’s Farrier 07. VWH Aztec 06 was champion hound at Ardingly in 2009. VWH Hamlet 76 was champion at Ardingly in 1978.

The tail male line of VWH Darius 04 goes back to the Duke of Beaufort’s Palmer 1959 a son of Portman Pedlar 55 and on to the great Brecon Paragon 1923 to Glog Nimrod 1904 and this is regarded as the Welsh male line.



A far older male line is that which goes back to Meynell Stormer 1791 and examples of this are VWH Guinness 92 and his grandson VWH Guardsman 05 that goes back to it via South Dorset Salesman 1944 

VWH Guardsman above and with brother Gumption

VWH Guardsman 05 who has become a successful stallion hound goes back to VWH Guinness 92 who is a hound that is bred back to as was his grandsire VWH General 80 and his brother Genius 80 who were both very dark doghounds. Their picture below was painted by Sue Whitaker.

VWH Genius and General 1980 who were both used with success, General getting good sons while Genius produced some useful bitches. ‘Fox sense’ was one of the great attributes that General had which he passed on to many of his descendants.



Another example of the Meynell Stormer 1791 male line is that of VWH Butler 86 whose grandson VWH Rival 02 has been used by a number of packs and this goes back to North Cotswold Landlord 44 via Old Berkshire Grammer who hunted in his 10th season. VWH Rival is an example whose had been used with success here and in other kennels Here is his photograph.



VWH Doublet 00 also goes back to Meynell Stormer 91 via Heythrop Brigand 54.

More recently the male line of Tiverton Actor has been introduced by Portman Stoker 02 whose son VWH Student 09 won the puppy show this year and we have whelps by Berkeley Monitor 03 who also have this male line. Over the years dogs with this male line have been used. While they have produced wonderful bitches their sons have not become good enough to be used. The last dog to have been used from the VWH kennel with this line would be VWH Hackler 88 a brother of Hannah 88. However using this line is vital to keep changing the male lines.


Other stallion hounds of note would be VWH Guinness 92 who sired two Peterborough champions from the Cotswold and South Shropshire. Gardner 96 Rival 02 Denton 02 who both go back to Butler 96, Saunter 04 and Guardsman 05 have all been used with success in other kennels in England.



VWH Aztec 06 was champion doghound at the South of England Hound show in 2009 and here he is




In the bitches VWH Alma 02 was Honiton champion in 2004, Guidance 05 was champion at Honiton in 2006 and Damosel in 2008 Smarty 09 in 2009 and Hannah 88 was champion in 1991.


This is this year champion bitch at Honiton


VWH Smarty 09 being shown by Philip Hague at the Puppy Show where she was only second, her sister Smiler had won and had been the best single hound at the South of England show in June 2009. Smarty went to be best Single hound at Honiton and was made champion bitch too!



The bitches can trace back their ancestry to the following :-

The original VWH f line which goes back through VWH Cricklade blood to VWH Charmer 1857 to Belvoir Duchess 1798. An example of this is given at the back.

This is a VWH Cricklade line to Bracelet 1911 who then goes to Cattistock, and prior to that Cambridgeshire Guilty circa 1855

There is a new line known as the American line that goes back to Old Dominion Gorgeous 1968 and then Orange County to Bywaters and Eastam’s blood

VWH Rival had this line back to Tiverton Gaudy 74 which traces back to Lord Haldon’s Sympathy circa 1880

This years Puppy show winners have this female line going back to Duke of Beaufort’s Petrel 1932 to Brocklesby Cloudy 1743

Another recent line that comes from the recently disbanded Dumfriesshire kennel of French crosses with a line to Old Berks Chosen 58 to Sir W Wynn’s Countess 1860

One new line to Berkeley Barmaid 1828 coming from the Vale of Aylesbury.

These are known as the female line sin the kennel. To provide a history here is almost impossible however, I will try and give a brief resume of the current pack.

The female line is worked out by writing down the name of the hound (with kennel prefix on the left hand side and then its name and year of entry.
On the next line is written her dam and on the opposite side of the page is written the sire. On the next line is written the dam’s dam etc and this gives a good indication of where the dominated female line has come from.



Kennel name dam kennel sire
VWH Anecdote 07
VWH Antic 02 VWH Darius 04
VWH Anxious 98 VWH Demon 95
VWH Alibi 93 VWH Butler 94
VWH Gaslight 90 Berkeley Albion 86
VWH Garnish 85 VWH Hailstone 85
VWH Gypsy 80 VWH Genius 80
VWH Sandy 76 Tiverton Ginger 76
VWH Sandwich 73 Old Berkshire Bullrush 71
VWH Savoury 69 Duke of Beaufort's Crowner 69
VWH Saucy 64 VWH Lifeguard 64
VWH Cricklade Scarlet 58 Cotswold Grossman 60
VWH Cricklade Sentiment 53 VWH Cricklade Cruiser 55
VWH Cricklade Selfish 49 Portman Landlord 48
VWH Cricklade Secret 42 VWH Cricklade Worcester 45
VWH Cricklade Sensible 39 VWH Cricklade Limerick 35
VWH Cricklade Selfish 35 Monmouthshire Vaulter 35
VWH Cricklade Scarecrow 30 VWH Cricklade Genitor 32
VWH Cricklade Skeleton 24 VWH Cricklade Helper 26
VWH Cricklade Skilful 21 Lord Portman's Grimston 20
VWH Cricklade Stifle 15 VWH Cricklade Regent 08
VWH Cricklade Stimulant 09 Cattistock Radical 08
VWH Cricklade Starlight 04 Bicester Viceroy 04
VWH Cricklade Haughty 96 Belvoir Stormer 1899
VWH Cricklade Hebe 91 Warwickshire Hermit 89
VWH Hopeful 88 Belvoir Belvoir Guider
VWH Harmony 85 VWH Boaster 82
VWH Lapwing 78 VWH Hardwick 82
VWH Comfort 73 Oakley Lexicon
VWH Constant 67 Sir W W Wynn's Regent
VWH Constant 62 VWH Talisman
VWH Charmer @ 1858 VWH Autocrat


This rather unique painting done for Susie Goess-Saurau shows 4 generations which are shown below in the tail female line of VWH Damosel. Damosel when painted was still only a puppy while out at walk with Mark and Linee Hill. Susie walked the other 3 shown here.


Female line of VWH Damosel 07



VWH Dashing 04 Bicester with Whaddon Chase Daystar 03
VWH Dazzle 00 Cattistock Daresbury 99
VWH
Daring 97 VWH Gardner 95
VWH Dowry 94 Duke of Beaufort’s
Daystar 91
VWH Dahlia 91 VWH Grimston 91
VWH Hannah 88 Exmoor Daresbury 87
VWH Hackle 85 VWH Barber 84
VWH Honeycombe 82 VWH Despot 80
VWH Truelass 77 Exmoor Harkaway 78
VWH Trouble 74 VWH Safeguard 73
VWH Tonic 72 VWH Presto 67
VWH Lusty 70 Berkeley Tottenham 67
VWH Crystal 65 Heythrop Lurcher 67
VWH Cricklade Cheerful 61 Cotswold Posstlip 61
VWH Cricklade Chorus 57 VWH Cricklade Laureate 56
VWH Cricklade Cheeky 57 VWH Cricklade Clasher 50
VWH Cricklade Wishful 48 Berkeley Corydom 47
VWH Cricklade Waggery 39 VWH Cricklade Windsor 45
VWH Cricklade Wakeful 34 Monmouthshire Marksman 35
VWH Cricklade Welkin 28 Duke of Beaufort’s Chaser 30
VWH Cricklade Brazen 23 VWH Cricklade Windsor 23
VWH Cricklade Bargain 18 Cattistock David 20
VWH Cricklade Ballad 15 VWH Cricklade Sapper 12
VWH Cricklade Bracelet 11 Puckeridge Gangway 10
Cattistock Brilliant 08 VWH Cricklade Cottager 05
Cattistock Ballad 03 Cattistock Sapper 03
Cattistock Boundaway 97 Lord Rothschild’s Strowler 01
Cattistock Bonnylass 91 Cattistock Bentinck 94
Cattistock Betsy 88 Eridge Senator
Cattistock Bantling 84 Lord Portman’s Woldsman
Cambridgeshire Beautiful 77 Bicester Vanguard
Cambridgeshire Caroline 72 Cambridgeshire Bruiser 74
Cambridgeshire Starlight 68 Lord Fitzhardinge’s Caliban
Cambridgeshire Guilty @ 1855 Oakley Stormer







VWH Guidance 05 Honiton champion and a good dam.


Here is the female line of Guidance 05 which is similar to that of Damosel
VWH Guidance 05
VWH Aspic 2002 Duke of Beaufort’s Gunshot 98
VWH
Morsel 99 Hursley Hambledon
Ambridge 96
VWH Moonlight 96 VWH
Butler 94
VWH Delta 93 Exmoor Moonstone 91
VWH Dedicate 90 VWH Baronet 88
VWH Duchess 87 VWH Hailstone 85
VWH Hebe 84 Exmoor Dunkery 84
VWH Tentative 79 Old Berkshire Hawker 78
VWH Topaz 75 Heythrop Pixton 75
VWH Total 72 VWH Preacher 70
VWH Lusty 70 Berkeley Tottenham 67
VWH Crystal 65 Heythrop Lurcher 67
VWH Cricklade Cheerful 61 Cotswold Postlip 61
VWH Cricklade Chorus 57 VWH Cricklade Laureate 56
VWH Cricklade Cheeky 53 VWH Cricklade Clasher 50
VWH Cricklade Wishful 48 Berkeley Corydon 47
VWH Cricklade Waggery 39 VWH Cricklade Windsor 45
VWH Cricklade Wakeful 34 Monmouthshire Marksman 35
VWH Cricklade Welkin 28 Duke of Beaufort’s Chaser 30
VWH Cricklade Brazen 23 VWH Cricklade Windsor 23
VWH Cricklade Bargain 18 Cattistock David 20
VWH Cricklade Ballad 15 VWH Cricklade Sapper 12
VWH Cricklade Bracelet 11 Puckeridge Gangway 10
Cattistock Brilliant 08 VWH Cricklade Cottager 05
Cattistock Ballad 03 Cattistock Sapper 03
Cattistock Boundaway 97 Lord Rothschild’s Strowler 01
Cattistock Bonnylass 91 Cattistock Bentinck 94
Cattistock Betsy 88 Eridge Senator 86
Cattistock Bantling 84 Lord Portman’s Woldsman 83
Cambridgeshire Beautiful 77 Bicester Vanguard 79
Cambridgeshire Caroline 72 Cambridgeshire Bruiser 1874
Cambridgeshire Starlight 68 Lord Fitzhardinge’s Caliban 1865
Cambridgeshire Guilty @ 1855 Oakley Stormer