294 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. 



nose of Yarborough " was proverbial ; and they had a look 

 of wisdom that did not belie their character. In 1756 

 we find that Belvoir Dexter was the sire of a litter of 

 puppies at Brocklesby, and during the latter half of the 

 century one discovers that no little Brocklesby blood was 

 introduced into the Belvoir kennels. And speaking of 

 each pack at that time having its distinctive type, it 

 may be of interest to note that the Badminton hound of 

 those days, strains of which pack were introduced into 

 both kennels, was marked by a square, sensible head, a 

 rough coarse coat, and heavy shoulders. There is a record 

 at Belvoir of the purchase of two stallion hounds, Vigo 

 and Kattler, from Mr. Pelham in 1760, and the Brocklesby 

 is the only pack that has had more influence in the Belvoir 

 kennels than Lord Fitzwilliam's, to whose blood both packs 

 are considerably indebted for more than useful strains. 



At the end of the eighteenth century the Belvoir had 

 fallen considerably from their high estate, showing neither 

 the quality nor the sport that they had previously, and it 

 was to the hounds of Lord Monson, Lord Fitzwilliam, 

 the Badminton, and the Brocklesby that the Duke of 

 Rutland turned to remedy the defects in his kennels. But 

 the year 1825 marks the commencement of the close con- 

 nection between Belvoir and Brocklesby, a memorable 

 year, and fraught with great results. Will Smith, of 

 Brocklesby, and Goosey, of Belvoir, were then in their 

 prime, and undoubtedly the best houndmen of the day, 

 though Smith was probably the best huntsman of the two 

 in the field, and in their time there was a considerable 

 exchange of sires. Both packs, when they went to other 

 kennels, only used hounds that had Brocklesby and Bel- 

 voir blood in their veins, with the result that they have 

 been raised to an undisputed pre-eminence among the 

 packs of the United Kingdom. The Brocklesby are noted 

 for their size, substance, nose, and tongue, while the 

 Belvoir have their unrivalled quality, and the feet and 

 legs that have become a proverb. The aim of both 

 huntsmen was to bring together the nose of Yarborough 



