Ottawa Valley’s Toronto and North York Cloud with Pam Black. Huntsman Antony Gaylard’s longtime partner, Black helps as a road whip, cares for the hunt’s whelping bi*ches, the puppies after whelping, and, if it’s late in the year, may bring a whole litter back to the kennel by the house to give them a safe start in life. In her spare time, she operates her own business! / Heather Swan photo
Ottawa Valley Hunt’s Toronto and North York Cloud 2012 was judged Grand Champion of Show at the Canadian Hound Show. The show was hosted by the London Hunt (ON) and held on the grounds of the London Hunt and Country Club, Saturday, June 9, 2018.
In addition to Ottawa Valley, hounds were shown by Eglinton and Caledon, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Toronto and North York, and Wellington-Waterloo Hunts.
Ottawa Valley huntsman Antony Gaylard bred and entered Cloud while huntsman at the Toronto and North York Hunt (ON). When Gaylard departed T&NY to return as huntsman to Ottawa Valley, he took Cloud and others of his breeding with him, with permission, as is customary. Though technically English, Cloud has Crossbred lines in both sides of her pedigree. And an impressive pedigree it is, with outstanding tail lines—both male and female.
“She’s been the apple of my eye, always a star,” said Gaylard, who hails from the Exmoor Foxhounds (UK) country. “She does everything—hunts both drag or live—and she knows the difference.”
Ottawa Valley huntsman Antony Gaylard / Denya Massey Clarke photo
Gaylard started his career in the Exmoor kennels in the days of the late Captain Ronnie Wallace’s Mastership. In those kennels resided a pack of hounds bred by the man who was arguably the most highly regarded Master, breeder, and huntsman of hounds of the latter half of the twentieth century. Gaylard treasures the time he spent at Exmoor and the relationship he had with Captain Wallace.
“You learned so much from that man without it ever appearing that he was trying to teach you,” said Gaylard.
Cloud is by Blue Ridge Barnfield 2010, out of Toronto and North York Clinic 2006. In 2010, while Gaylard was on his way to winter kennels in Aiken with the Toronto and North York pack, he picked up Blue Ridge Barnfield at the Blue Ridge kennels during a stopover. Barnfield was a first-year hound at the time, and Blue Ridge huntsman Dennis Downing felt that the young dog hound could use more regular work. Off he went to Aiken with Gaylard, and when Clinic came into season, Gaylard sought permission to use Barnfield. Clinic whelped a litter of three pups, Cloud, Clarence, and Cleopatra. All three hounds in that litter have been Grand Champion at Canada.
Barnfield’s sire was Duke of Beaufort’s Bailey 2003, brought over by Toronto and North York. Bailey was a veteran of a full hunting career in England by the time he came to North America, during which time he’d been regarded as the most influential stallion hound in the country, as was his sire in his own time, Heythrop Busby 1996, bred by Captain Wallace from bloodlines well-known to Gaylard.
Cloud’s tail female line is equally potent. She goes back through strong hunting Midland Crossbreds to College Valley and North Northumberland Grafter 1989. That dog hound, from one of Britain’s premier hill hound kennels, was valued by top English breeders as an outcross to refresh their own kennels’ bloodlines with hybrid vigor.
We can look forward to seeing Cloud’s progeny collect the trophies in future hound shows. Prepotent bloodlines like hers, in the hands of knowledgeable breeders, are forever.
Canadian Hound Show judges were MFHA President Tony Leahy and MFHA Executive Director David Twiggs. Click for complete results.
Posted June 21, 2018