The Borzoi in Brazil: An Overview

 

The Borzoi in Brazil: An Overview 

 

Introduction

 

Many assume the borzoi is a recent breed in Brazil, but we have multiple sources that show otherwise, the breed was present in the first brazilian dog show in 1923 and even before. In this overview we will explore the history of this wonderful breed in Brazil and the mysteries surrounding it. We should also understand that this article is a work in progress. A considerable amount of information is still missing, and this research will continue. I will be adding new information in the future, since some of it is dependent on judicial affairs.

During most of the history of Brazilian dog fancy, the country did not have a unified kennel club such as AKC or the RKC. Roughly speaking, each region could have its own kennel club, so the studbooks were mostly lost. During the late 70s, the kennel clubs agreed to unify under one entity, the CBKC sic: Brazilian Confederation of Cynophilia, which is present until today. That’s one of the reasons why the kennel club registries and our history in general were poorly preserved, so everything here was drawn from interviews, articles, old newspapers, catalogues, private collections, and more, assisted by the CBKC (the union of Brazilian Kennel Clubs) and the Borzoi Encyclopedia. At the end, I give acknowledgements by name of those who assisted. 

Without further ado, to start this story it is almost impossible to access when the first borzoi arrived in Brazil. Many breeders claim they were the first to import: not by malice, but we have to understand the proportions of a country such as Brazil and the limitations regarding communication in the early 20th century, so would be extremely difficult for these breeders know how long the breed existed there or even if it existed at all.

 

First years

 

Maybe the first record of a borzoi in Brazil was between 1908 and 1911, we have some pictures that may appear like a borzoi, but in a newspaper from 1911 a dog named “Paulo II” is described as winning the “Gold medal” This dog is unmistakably a borzoi, but nothing is known from his genealogy.

 

It’s important to remark that dog shows already happened before the foundation of the Brasil Kennel Club (BKC) in 1922, but those weren’t organized as “official”. Also, by that time, he borzoi was mostly known as “Galgo Russo” (Russian Greyhound).

 

It’s important to remark that dog shows already happened before the foundation of the Brasil Kennel Club (BKC) in 1922, but those weren’t organized as “official”. Also, by that time, he borzoi was mostly known as “Galgo Russo” (Russian Greyhound). 

Until 1922, some other borzois can be spotted in newspapers reporting the shows. The one below is from 1918.

 

During the 20th century, Brazil was the destination of many, especially European, immigrants, so it’s fair to assume that some of these dogs were brought as their pets. No kennel or breeding program is identified in the first documents. 

An interesting remark is the arrival of dogs from Addlestone Kennel from England, these dogs are described as for sale and coming by ship. I couldn’t find what happened to them, who bought them or if their lineage was continued; we probably will never know, but it’s not impossible, since some lineages are in South America for longer than our registers can reach.

 

In the first dog show organized by the BKC (Brasil Kennel Club) in 1923, Rio de Janeiro, borzois were present. We don’t know the identity of these dogs, but in the same period, different dogs and owners can be spotted in the local show results.

 

1940-60 Start of breeding programs

 

 In the 30s and 40s, we can find the registers of others dogs, some being imported from overseas, others being born here. The name that appears the most is from Debora Zampari, having imported dogs from Silberhof kennels, two of them being identified by name: Fedja vom Silberhof and Emeika vom Silberhof. There is a high chance they were the foundation for her kennel “Grão Pará”, but we couldn’t find substantial proof. Later, Ms. Zampari started showing dogs from her own breeding, in 1937 she had 3 dogs from “Grão Pará” attending a local show. *

Still in the 40s, other dogs started appearing in the shows, an 1940 document from BKC reads “TARASS BULBA GRÃO PARÁ”, “NAJANKA GRÃO PARÁ” as Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex in a BKC show.  A dog named ORLOFF, registered as Ostrov Adams, was imported to Brazil 1949 by Ms. Zampari. It’s possible that, being in activity from, at least, 1935 to 1950, Debora Zampari may have been the first borzoi breeder in Brazil.

In the 50s, a new name came into the spotlight: Suzanne Blum. In her diary, she mentions meeting a woman who “may be the only one in Brazil with a couple of borzois”, she may be referring to Debora. Later Suzanne and her partner, Ulrich Bobrik, acquired a couple of borzois from Germany. “Bessi von Wustenhof” known as Orla, and “Garant vom Haus Anhalt”.

They had at least 2 litters, the first one in 1958 and another in 1959, the prefix “Do Altai”. Their offspring were shown around Brazil. In 1960, one of the most important names of the borzoi went to Brazil: Louis Murr. He judged 4 of Suzanne’s dogs and gave compliments to a particular bitch, Czarina do Altai.

This is where this lineage supposedly stops. However, in a newspaper advertisement from 1960, a bitch named “Amintha Altai de Piracaia” had 12 puppies, the owner is Mario Mendes, from the Piracaia Kennel. In a show catalogue from the same year, Mario Mendes appears as the owner of another of Suzanne’s dogs. Amintha is likely from there as well, but we don’t have official confirmation anywhere. The sire of the litter is a dog just named “Olff”, maybe “Olaff” since grammatical mistakes weren’t that rare, especially for foreign names. These puppies are described as “Descendents of Sonia of Perchino”. 

Amintha and her 12 puppies. 

 

Sonia of Perchino was a bitch imported from South Africa by John Korba. She allegedly came to Brazil already pregnant and whelped here, date unknown.

In the announcement, one of the clients who bought a puppy was “Celso da Rocha Miranda”. Who was also “Olaff”s owner. 

 Then, in 1959, she moved with 2 puppies and her owners to the USA. The puppies, though, don’t have any kennel attached to their names; using this information, we could assume “Olaff” was one of them, later siring Amintha’s litter. One of Sonia’s offspring, “Ruslan”, won a CAC and CACIB in Uruguay. 

 

Sonia of Perchino (left) and her two puppies Bogarty and Attaman. They moved to New York, but the other 7 puppies stayed in Brazil. 

 

Still from Amintha’s puppies, the only one we could find the whereabouts of was “Schonhelt von Piracaia”, owned by the famous Brazilian painter Djanira Motta. She was an important name in the modernism movement, having some pictures with her beloved dogs. 

 

After Schonhelt, although the Piracaia kennel was still active, there was no news of their borzois. 

1970-1990 The consolidation of the Brazilian Kennel Club and more to come 

 

By the 70s, the borzoi entered a new era; some of the names cited here are still alive, and some lines can be traced directly to modern dogs. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean information wasn’t lost, and here lie many of the questions with no answers, with many fragmentary accounts and pictures, but hardly any continuity of a work with the breed. 

 

Dogs such Harmony’s Aladim of Tam-Boer, Kishniga’s Nickelodeon Kid, Sirhan Papotchka II, Dappleheath Silver Dawn and Peterbilt of Barinsky are some of the names in the rankings and catalogs. 

 

Kishniga’s Nickelodeon Kid and Jayme Martinelli in 1984 

 

I’ve decided to write a whole other section on that part of borzoi history, since research is very much ongoing; as it’s more recent, I still have people to talk to and emails to exchange. As I’m not sure how long it can take, I’m releasing this first part. 

As described here, the borzoi has been a constant presence in dog shows around the country for more than 100 years. Although never being high in numbers nor having world-famous breeders, these dogs and people show how the borzoi always enchanted people all over the world. Hopefully, in the future, more materials come out, and more light is shed on the borzois living in South America.

 

My gratitude towards all those who helped me with this research, in special:

 

Marco Flavio Botelho (Kennel Torquay & Cães de Fato Magazine) 

Eduardo Teixeira (FCI Judge)

My friends and borzoi enthusiasts Lev & João 

The CBKC and my club BKC

 

Year of Event:

1923

Country:

Brazil

Personal Collections:

Source:

 

Author:

Dan Persson

Dogs:

 

Persons: