246 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



sires and matrons of the kennel. Weaver was one of 

 the stars of the kennel, flourishing between 1906 and 

 1910, sireing some remarkable weighty sons dis- 

 tinguishable for beautiful quality. It is a testimony 

 to Weaver's excellence as a sire, when we note that 

 his three sons, Vulcan (1908), Wizard (1909), and 

 Chorister (1910), were all placed first in their re- 

 spective Belvoir entries. Furthermore, the 1911 

 entry was headed by his grandson, Curate, the son 

 of Wizard ; a massive dog-hound with enormous 

 forearms, like those of a lion ; well-sprung deep ribs, 

 bone carried down to his toes, and the beautiful 

 quality one always expects to find. In the third 

 generation there is no suspicion of deterioration 

 of power or substance ; it is the old Gambler sort 

 we have before us, cast in a rather larger mould. 

 A long, low hound, near the ground and beautifully 

 balanced, the substance being marvellous in pro- 

 portion to the height ; leading the eye to the middle 

 of the hound directly we view him on the flags. 

 Weaver's pedigree brings in the blood of Grafton 

 Woodman (1892), which has proved a most valuable 

 out cross for the kennel. Grafton Woodman, strained 

 back to Belvoir Founder, stood well in the kennel, 

 and was a great hound in his work. The sire of 

 Weaver was Warlaby, top of the 1906 entry ; a 

 rich-coloured hound from a Vagabond bitch, a 

 model nearer the twenty-three inch standard, on 

 nothing like the massive scale of his son Weaver. 

 The sire of Warlaby was Wonder (1898), who was by 

 Grafton Woodman ; and Wonder was by no means 

 an impressive hound to look at, but proved a most 

 valuable sire for the Belvoir kennel. 



On the flags Weaver was a masterpiece, hand- 

 some even for a Belvoir hound, with the deepest 

 rib measurement, 34 J inches, ever seen in the kennel ; 



