The Borzoi In Western Europe (Part 3)

 

Part III

Link to Part 4

By Ursula-Vera Trueb, Malleray [Switzerland]

Translated from “Der Windhundfreund”#131, February 1983 by Jean Vandongen

[Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of the article which explains the development of the Borzoi breed in Europe through major kennels and their influence. The integrity of this article has been kept as true as possible]

VOM SACHSENWALD [Richard Kallmeyer, 1914-1923]

A famous name of a successful but, unfortunately, short-lived kennel.  It is interesting to know that it was made famous by one single litter which did not carry even a drop of Asmodey ex Ptitschka blood.

Isma

The foundation bitch of this kennel – Isma Beresina [Bedin Alexandroff ex Mara Slava]  – was of mostly English blood and did not only distinguish herself by her outer beauty if we read reports by people at the time, but also by her remarkable, friendly disposition. Bred to the all black Chack Bielaja, she had a litter in 1916 that would stir up a sensation. It consisted of Ajax, Ataman, Adamant, Arras and Ariel vom Sachsenwald. Ajax was of a color like his sire and alone sired some fourteen litters. Brother Adamant was the father of nearly the same amount, while the all black Arras sired six.

Later on [1916] this breeding was repeated with the same success. The most famous of this litter was the bitch Cresta vom Sachsenwald, who was destined to become the foundation bitch for the successful kennel Windsbraut [formerly called Cresta’s], who was unforgettable.  It was in her that the blending of the sire with the Western type was seen best of all. In form and profile, head and coat, she was exactly like her sire, and as a representative of the Western type, she showed fine lines, a special impression of the appearance, the light beauty of color and, last but not least, the loveable character.

sachsenwald kennel

The judge of the Darmstadt show June 2, 1918 gave Cresta Best borzoi of all classes, including over brother Adamant anf Arras, and praised her wide hindquarters, the breed type and height, the beautiful head and the superior bones [DWZ, issue VI].

Back to Isma Beresina, she had her final litter in 1919 when bred to Ch. Almadin Nikolskoi, producing the very good “E” vom Sachsenwald litter. Element vom Sachsenwald from this was destined to become a treasured stud dog whose offspring were distinguished by having especially long, noble heads.

PASCHOLL [Mrs. Else Mann]

The foundation bitch of this kennel was Butterfly Ural [Ugo Alexandroff ex Rodina Alexandroff], whose first litter was registered in 1914 sired by Ch. Asmodey Perchino.  The eleven pups were known to have had “strong bones, deep chest, short, well-arched back, strongly marked heads, a healthy, excellent coat and a general appearance that aimed at the utility of the dog”. Bronka Pascholl from this mating was retained by Mrs. Mann and gave her two strong litters, as well as becoming a German champion. Priska Pascholl, also from this mating, went to Beernaerts in The Netherlands to help build his du Zwaenhoek breeding program.

bronka

International Ch. Asmaley Pascholl [Bedin Ochotnik ex Sasha Frisia Pascholl, born 1922] was destined to lead French borzoi breeding in a new direction. After seeing him, they were so taken with this male that immediately four dogs that carried Asmaley blood were imported from Germany: Graf [Count] and Grafin [Countess] Wildfang, Surja Jaroslawa and Rasswets Imme. Asmaley, himself, was eventually exported to the United States.

Asmaley

Other bitches who were an active part of the foundation of this Paschall kennel were the Asmodey and Ptitschka daughter, Ch. Arsinoe Nikolskoi; Traviata vom Gessenberg, also a daughter of Ch. Asmodey Perchino, and Troika vom Gessenberg, granddaughter of Ch. Ataman, from the Sumarokoff Hunt.

Ch. Ataman was a Russian import male in kennel du Zwaenhoek in The Netherlands who distinguished himself – regardless of his size and substance – through his lines and careful, measured appearance. When Mrs. Beernaerts, owner of du Zwaenhoek kennel, saw this Ataman for the first time, she was, as she states, “perplexed, because he almost looked like a St. Bernard with a wonderful Borzoi head, his strength and his coat were simply fantastic”.

How carefully Mrs. Mann knew how to choose her breeding stock proves the purchase of the bitch Cresta vom Sachsenwald, through whom she acquired all of the bloodlines that had been treasured for years! From the abundance of the first class Pascholl borzoi, we also have to mention the famous male, International Ch. Sergai Frisia-Pascholl, a white and grey sable who later went on to the Bessberk kennel in Holland.

Borzoi breeding has a lot to thank the Pascholl dogs for. This responsible breeder valued in her dogs the ability to work yet have a friendly disposition, and has anchored both these qualities, together with beauty, consequently and carefully in the inheritance of the Pascholl blood. Furthermore, this kennel several times worked together with other breeders, as we can see with the double-mentiond kennel names Frisia-Pascholl, Mignon-Pascholl and Nikolskoi-Pascholl.

WINDSBRAUT [formerly Cresta’s] [Mrs. E. Frieda Schleip]

This kennel also unfortunately lasted for only ten years. Founded in the year 1918, the last litter was registered in 1928, but in this short time, this kennel gave the future more than average breeding material.  Several Windsbraut borzoi played an important role in the development of the history of German borzoi breeding, and this is why we have to mention Windsbraut.

It was mostly founded on- as most kennels of that time – the three stars, Ch. Asmodey Perchino, Ch. Ptitschka Perchino and Ch. Chack Bielaja. The most important breeding from Windsbraut was in 1921 when Cresta’s Husdent was bred to Almadin Nikolskoi  to produce Husdent and Hodeida, whose later breeding and show successes put them in the limelight:

cresta's husdent

 

“When the littermates were eight months old, they were ready, and without a doubt the most wonderful collection of all the values of their ancestors. Husdent and Hodeida really meant a turning point in our Perchino breeding, a return to the working dog, who in West European breedings sooner or later was exposed to become a danger of a certain refinement. They had ideal coat, were excellent in build in the undivided connection of front – and hindquarters – stood on healthy legs, and they were very free and supple in their use of muscles. Body and soul were united in these dogs, every movement and carriage found its expression, and every expression followed the body. They were a pair that every borzoi friend watched with enjoyment.” [Berta, DWZ V11-VIII]

Hodeida produced nicely for vom Sachsenwald, while Ch. Cresta’s Husdent was the sire of over twenty litters. His son Arwed v. Hohenfels [DWZ 2092, Febr. 16,1923, white with grey sable coat and head markings, mother Almaska Smaragd DWZ 1405, [Ch. Asmodey Nikolskoi ex Troika v. Gessenberg] became a famous stud dog who, after several changes of ownership, became the property of the vom Silberhof kennels, who owe him a lot.  A person from that era wrote about Arwed v. Hohenfels: : He is the pure breed originality, the genuine working form, that he showed so decisively. Everything of him is healthy and real, the whole body, the dry, hard bones, the closed skeleton, the fullness of his natural coat, the hunting and racing passion. He is a picture of a wonderful appearance and has a head with pure lines and noble, lively expression”.

Arwed

For certain, the typical attitude and care influenced the high quality of the Windsbraut dogs, because the best talents can only come into full bloom when the necessary preliminary conditions have been given to it.  Mrs. Schleip kept to the saying, “The breeder produces the pups; he who raises them produces the dog.” And she kept a number of pups that she could raise and give her love to, although it would not have been necessary from the material point of view.

Hochmut

RASSWET [Robert Kerler]

This kennel which was best known in the beginning of the twenties, also was built systematically on the offspring of Ch. Asmodey Perchino, Ch. Ptitschka Perchino and Ch. Chack Bielaja. Inheritances that were once treasured were conserved, improved and kept from generation to generation, and was handed on to others. Robert Kerler was helped in his work by his daughter, Gretl, who continued the mutual work after her father’s death until the 2nd World  War extinguished the Rasswets.

rasswets

Borzoi from this kennel belong to the most perfect that was ever bred outside of Russia. To name only a few, dogs as Rasswet’s Freude, Lasso, Nobler, Orik and Hochmut [the World Winner] are shining, unforgettable stars at borzoi heaven. Various published pictures show us more of what kennel Rasswet achieved more than words ever could.

 

WERGEI [Werner Geist]

In the 1930’s, this kennel appeared like a comet and disappeared exactly the same way after the 2nd World War. Although in the beginning there were many obstacles for this kennel, in no time the Wergei borzoi soared to world fame. The first Wergei “A” litter [there were two] was of Golf v. Burgtor ex Sonja v. Bobertal. Indeed, both “A” litters had the same Asmodey-Ptitschka-Chack roots.

wladislaw

This first litter came into the world in the Spring of 1932 and consisted of six black and grey spotted dogs. However, it can be said that in 1933, the male Wladislaw Monasterium  – son of Clou Ural – was really the foundation sire of the Wergei borzoi kennel.

As we usually find one or more Wergei borzoi in most pedigrees of present [European] borzoi, it is interesting to follow the development of this kennel. In short, it results in the following set up:

wergei chart

 

In the following years, breeding continued at Wergei in a fast tempo. Almost all of the alphabet was used each year

cusco wergei

to name the pups. In the years ’41-’43, not less than 15 litters were registered in the German Stud Book, issue XII, together total 79 dogs; ten litters were sired by Xantoff Wergei. In the stud book, issue XIII [’44-‘46] even seventeen litters were registered; they mainly had as ancestors Xantoff and Cusco Wergei. Later on, the most used stud dog was Peertsch Wergei, sire of the World Winner Xakor Wergei.

This goal-striving kennel that came out of World War II without any losses worth mentioning, and who gave the world a large amount of prominent borzoi, was standing alone and steady like a miracle.  Without the Wergei kennel the entire German borzoi breeding would have been destroyed. Unfortunately, the Wergei kennel disappeared in the fifties with the death of its founder, W. Geist. Without wanting to belittle the merit of this kennel, we have to add that near the end, a decline in temperament of these beautiful dogs existed, which was due to a certain neglect of the inner qualities of the borzoi.

 

To be continued…

 

Year of Event:

1983

Country:

Personal Collections:

Source:

 

Author:

Sue Vasick

Dogs:

 

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