GRAND BLEU DE GASCOGNE

The Grand Bleu de Gascogne is an ancient French breed. It originates from the Gascony and Guyenne Provinces which are on the South-Western coast of France, near the Pyrenees Mountains and Spanish Border. These provinces were under British rule from 1150 to 1450. and it is thought  that the Gascogne Bleu  was the forerunner of the southern hound known in England during the Middle ages. 

The hounds are the Classic French type, descendants of the original scenting dogs of Gaul and the Phoenician hound trade. The Gascony and the Griffon are the two types from which most modern breeds of hounds are developed. The Grand Bleu being one of the few modern breeds left from the Grand Chiens Courants of the past.   

The Grand Bleu were originally used for hunting wolves (Chasse a Courre).  They did the job so well, they nearly hunted themselves out of existence.  They were then used for wild boar and deer. The Book 'The Hounds of France', say they are used for chasing hare to waiting guns. (Chasse-a-Tir). France's King Henry IV who reigned from late 1500s to early 1600's owned a renowned pack of Grand Bleus.

The Grand Bleu is one of the world's largest scent hounds, only of moderate speed, they are known for their ability to raise game by their fantastic endurance, a wonderful nose and a strong and resonant voice heard from a great distance. His reputation as the "coldest nosed" dog is well deserved, giving voice a long time after the "hot" scent has faded.

They are built leggy and square and they are aristocratic looking with no ponderance or heaviness. Packs do remain in France today, and are used on hare, deer and boar.

In 1785 General Lafayette gave 7 Pure Bred Grand Bleu de Gascognes to General George Washington. Who was said to have written in his diary that in the first year, one of the Gascony Bitches gave birth to 15 pure bred pups. He was also said to have remarked that their voices were as melodious as the bells of Moscow. More Gasconies were imported to America in the 1800s and these were used in the background of most of the modern day Coon Hounds.

In 1883 The Marquiss of Angelsey presented Mr Federick Charles Swindell with a pack of Gascogne Hounds. Mr Swindell found them too slow for his sport of hunting deer on Cannock Chase. With the consent of the Marquiss of Angelsey he gave them to Mr Frank Thompson of Burton on Trent, who used them for hunting foxes, on foot.

In 1921 Sir John Buchanan-Jardine, became the Master of the Dumfreshire Hounds, he had a small private pack of Harriers which he crossed with Gascogne hounds, he preserved an exclusive blue mottled pack until about 1927.  

Bringing us to modern day Mrs Maro Scales (Kingselacs) Imported in 1985 from the kennel of Mr Mennesol,  Annabel de Puy Hautier. Her foundation bitch, Followed by Uri an unrelated working dog-hound. who was imported in 1987. Maros first litter was registered in 1988. Two further unrelated bloodlines followed. The bitch, Entille des Bords de la Gimone, was imported by Liz Braddick (Tallowcross) in 1990. Then the dog D'artagnan imported in partnership with Pam Morris, in 1992. These four lines produced most of the Grand Bleus, in this country today.

We bought Tallowcross Witchcraft from Liz Braddick in December 1998.

Lou and Tina Parker have done a lot to keep the breed going in this country. I'm sure that Tina and Lou have the geatest number of Grand Bleu. Including Kiras sister Anna, and Kiras fathers brother, Barton. 

More recently Dawn Dugdale and Chris Mellor, have taken a bitch across to France to be mated, and imported a bitch from France. Venus des Gorges de Rochebaron avec Truganini (IMP) 

Tallowcross Witchcraft, Kira as she was known had her one and only litter in December 2005. So in order to be able to keep bloodlines going, we had to seriously think of Importing another dog. So after much searching, we were lucky enough to find, Asko vom Langentaler Sonnenhof. Who joined us here in UK on 26/04/07. What a great day it was for us. He is an angel. Thank you so much to Harry and Claudia. and to Jurgen and Edda. 

Harry and Claudia for breeding this gorgeous Boy, and Jurgen and Edda for all their help in guiding us to Asko and for translating for us.

A great big thank you to Chris Roberts and Lou Parker who helped so much when Jim was incapacitated with migraine.