Basset Hound Breed Magazine - Showsight

MOUNTAIN MUSINGS

by SANDRA MURRAY

This article is part of a series that highlights some of the top producers in the Hound Group breeds. In each issue of Sight & Scent , a hound breed is highlighted, and an article will focus on the “genetic giants” of that breed. The dogs chosen will have been deceased for 10 to 20 years, and yet their influence can still be seen in their descendants. These stud dogs and brood bitches may or may not have had a superstar show career. Their claim to fame lies within their prepotent DNA that they were able to pass on to many subsequent generations of offspring. They provided a genetic legacy of superlative type as well as the ability of their get to continue to have a positive impact on their breed.

came to Briarcrest Bassets, the ken- nel already had an established history. Knox and Bette Williams bought their first show quality Basset Hound in 1963 from Margretta Patterson of Margem Hills kennel. Knox possessed a “silver tongue” and talked Margretta out of a lovely show bitch, Margem Brag About (aka Molly Molly), and she became the foundation of the Briarcrest Kennel Bassets in Texas. Knox had grown up on a ranch, so he knew much about how livestock, including dogs, should be constructed and how they should move. From contact with successful horse breeders, Knox often quoted the old but very true saying, “The sire of the sire should be the grandsire of the dam”, and used this breeding philosophy himself in the Briarcrest breeding program. As the Williamses attended shows with Molly, they saw a beautiful dog that Bette fell in love with... Ch Glen- haven’s Butcher Boy. Molly’s sire had been Sir Tomo of Glenhaven from the Margem Hills kennel, and Tomo shared a similar pedigree with Butcher Boy, both having ancestors close up from the legendary Lyn Mar Kennel. Knox and Bette acquired several more of Tomo’s get, including a dog named Mr. Brown that also proved to be a good producer. During this time, Knox traveled a great deal on business trips to both coasts and the Midwest. He used these trips as opportunities to visit the current major kennels, such as Margem Hills, Stoney Bluff, Jagersven,

My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, So flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung With ears that sweep away the morning dew; Crook-kneed, and dewlapped like Thessalian bulls; Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells, Each under each. —William Shakespeare, A Midsummer’s Night Dream T thing from wild boar and stag to rabbits and hare. One of the most beloved and popular of those hounds, the gentle- man’s rabbit dog, became the Basset Hound we know today. He has success- fully won the hearts of fanciers and breeders in the US on a grand scale for many decades. With so many impor- tant breeding animals within the Basset Hound breed, it would be impossible to honor all that so deserve our attention. The following stud dog and brood bitch have contributed much to the breed and must stand in for all those “genetic giants” of the past who have made the Basset we know and love today. CH HI FLITE BRIARCREST EXTRA MAN Before the prepotent stud dog, Ch Hi Flite Briarcrest Extra Man, aka Butch, he various hounds of France boast an ancient lineage with a legacy of efficient hunting ability on every-

This portrait of Ch HiFlite Briarcrest Extra Man hangs in the AKC Museum of the Dog. The artist is Uli Kuess.

Knox handling Ch Lochopt Fantasy to BOW. She was Butch’s dam. His sire, Ch Switchback’s Ashmore, had won SBIS and earned his ROM.

Orange Park and Lyn Mar. The breeders from these kennels generously gave of their time and knowledge to Knox in all things Basset. Unfortunately, Bette had to stay at home, immersed in her work as a young CPA working to build her reputation. From the very beginning of their kennel, Knox received much knowledge and advice from legendary Basset breeder, Joan Urban, who just happened to live nearby and was a high school classmate of Bette’s.

BASSET HOUND “GENETIC GIANTS” 28 • S IGHT & S CENT , A UGUST 2015

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