|
About
Majestics; Great family pets and fabulous hunting dogs
for mountain lion, bear and other critters. Basically they are a re-creation of the hounds that the early European/Americans
used to help settle the wild lands of the East coast of the U.S.
Majestics have found their place in search and rescue missions here in the U.S.
Breed History
The
heritage of the Majestic Tree Hound traces back to the St. Hubert Hound named after Francios Hubert, the patron Saint of hunters.
He bred and perfected the best scenting hounds in Southern
France during the early 8th Century. When he
died, Bishops and Monks continued breeding these hounds. They were kept in monasteries throughout Northern Italy, Southern France and Belgium. These hounds were used to track down wounded game, and sometimes to track down poachers who
stole game. A new strain was developed later in the 8th Century. This strain was known as Talbot Hounds. They were the
result of crossing white St. Huberts with other hounds. Many people referred to the St. Huberts and Talbots as the "Blooded Hounds." Later, this was shortened to Bloodhounds. In 1066 William the Conqueror
brought St. Huberts and Talbots to England where they were used to trail deer. When deer became scarce, the English nobility began using their Bloodhounds to
hunt fox. After fox hunting on horseback became popular, Bloodhound x Greyhound crosses were made to produce a harder running
hound. Both Bloodhounds and English Foxhounds were later brought to the American Colonies. Most American Fox and Coonhounds
of today can be traced back to the early English Foxhounds (Bloodhound x Greyhound crosses). Over the years some exceptional
strains of American Coon and Big Game Hounds have come and gone, appearing when more Bloodhound was crossed in, and disappearing
when the extra Bloodhound influence was diminished through subsequent outcrossings. The Majestic Tree Hound is a reconstitution
of those exceptional strains. Over a long period of selecting, field testing for performance, breeding and culling, hounds
were developed that possessed keen scenting ability, even temperament, beautiful voices, natural treeing ability, extra houndy
appearance, and good functional conformation for speed and stamina.
See
also: http://www.treehound.com/html/majestic.html
Majestic Links
Majestic Tree Hound Breeder Association:
Majestic photos:
http://home.mindspring.com/~stevemorrow/id3.html
|