THE BORZOI, OR RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND 133 



The accompanying illustration of Champion Statesman (Fig. 38) 

 although the photograph from which it was made was taken 

 when he was dead out of coat together with the appended 

 list of points, as laid down by the Borzoi Club, and the following 

 measurements of some of the leading dogs of the present day (1902) 

 may be useful as a guide. 



Mr. Gardner, head kennelman to her Grace the Duchess of 

 Newcastle, kindly furnishes particulars of the following dogs, the 

 property of her Grace : 



1. Champion Velsk (dog). Height at shoulder, 31 fin. Length 



of head, i2|in. Girth of chest, 35|in. 



2. Champion Velasquez (dog). Height at shoulder, 32|in. 



Length of head, i2|in. Girth of chest, 36in. 



3. Champion Tsaretsa (bitch). Height, 3i|in. Length of 



head, i2^in. Girth of chest, 36in. 



4. Champion Tatiana (bitch). Height at shoulder, 3o|in. 



Length of head, i2tn. Girth of chest, 35|in. 



To Mr. P. Farrer Baynes, owner of the late Champion Caspian, 

 I am indebted for the following measurements : 



5. Champion Caspian. Height (when standing smartly), 34^in. 



Length of head, i2|in. Girth of chest, 37|in. Heaviest 

 weight, i281b. 



6. Champion Statesman's (owned by Mrs. Borman) measure- 



ments are as follows: Height, 3i|in. Head, i2|in. 

 Girth of chest, 35^. 



Besides the above there are at the time of writing five other 

 Borzois living entitled to the coveted title of Champion viz. 

 H.M. the Queen's Alex (dog), her Grace of Newcastle's Velsk 

 Votrio (dog), Theodora (bitch), and Vikhra (bitch), and Miss 

 Kilvert's Knoeas (bitch). 



It will be noticed that the Borzoi Club list of points give the 

 height of dogs as from " 28in. upwards." At the present day 

 dogs of 2 Sin. would hardly be looked at by the majority of our 

 judges ; indeed, few of our best bitches are less than 2pin. to 29|in. 

 at shoulder. Mere height is not everything, and breeders nowadays, 

 it is feared, are sacrificing many other points to obtain height, and 

 great height is only too often accompanied by coarseness. In the 

 case of Champion Caspian (whose death last year was certainly 

 a loss to the breed) this was not the case he combined quality 

 with quantity. What was a record price for a dog of this breed 

 viz. ^700 was offered for Caspian. 



Another fault which is unfortunately gaining ground is light eyes. 

 These are not mentioned among the Club's list of faults, but they 

 certainly are a fault, and a bad one. One of the Borzoi's greatest 



