Page 61 - 2013 Le Mag 4th Qtr
P. 61
that since it was 40 years after the initial Briards were bred dogs; indeed you might find his name on the extend-
brought in from France, that our foundation stock was ed pedigree of a dog you choose to import.
likely clear of CSNB. In fact, the lack of any notes or There are a couple of other dogs are added to the
writings regarding vision problems in those early dogs can registration list above. I mentioned Timothy Jacobs as the
be considered evidence that they were indeed clear and first “illegitimate” Briard but one other became an im-
American Briards dodged that bullet for a few decades portant bitch in American Briard development just a little
longer until the next large wave of imports came in from later. She was a very beautiful black bitch named Polka,
France (and Ireland) in the 1960’s and 70’s. We are fortu- who was the foundation bitch for Grace Norgaard of de la
nate indeed, to have so few founder effect health issues in Gaillarde kennels in California, which was later moved to
Briards, but also to have a major health issue funded for Texas. Polka was the daughter of two French imports who
research because the gene is found in humans as well as lived in New York which were never individually registered
Briards. The research led to a DNA test for CSNB. Just con- with AKC. To compound the issue, Polka was bred back
sidering all of this shows how remarkable it is that we have to her sire, creating Ferdinando El Toro, who became a
a fairly healthy breed overall. champion and was then bred back to his mother! But a
Going back to our First 10 registered dogs, Gen- very, very beautiful bitch, named Ma Cherie, came from
tiane, Quebec and Amouk didn’t contribute to the breed as that breeding (see photo page). Later on Norgaard bought
founders. Dauphine, and the other six dogs, along with #11 a dog from Gerald White named Westlawn Dervish who
Sita, did indeed play a role in continuing the breed on this was a Bastile son, and a Falco, Dauphine, Pavanne, Misère
side of the Pond. It was their genes, features, and temper- & Biniou great great-grandson, and this brought those
aments that shaped what became the mold for Briards for early registrants right smack dab into her pedigrees too. At
the next 35 years, on the whole, since almost everything the time she and White were the most prolific American
bred up to the 1960s was down from these early dogs, with Briard breeders, both with dogs tracing directly back to
only a few new imports added to the gene pool. Unargu- Falco, Pegase and Dauphine and it was 10 years later! Both
ably, Dauphine, Citronelle, Biniou and Falco were the most continued to line breed for the most part on these dogs.
influential of the initial ten registered. White also got a lovely black bitch (Irhamont Belle Enfant)
There are some annotated offspring lists for you to from Mrs. Scofield Outhwaite in the late 30’s and this add-
peruse at the end of this article to see exactly how the dogs ed a little more of the notable French lines to his existing
produced from the first to succeeding generations. pedigrees. Outhwaite imported several dogs, including
While Mrs. Barbara Danielson may have registered Ihram du Grand Coudray, a dog of handsome type that
the first litter, Wallace Macmonnies must be recognized as became a champion and was the first Briard National Best
the first knowledgeable Briard breeder in the United States. of Breed winner. She bred only a short time but produced
It was his deliberate selection of imports and litters that excellent quality dogs. She and White traded a few dogs for
made available the integration of the Briard into this coun- stud fees and it helped both out a great deal in increasing
try. Unit. Hoppin, the Obers, Denys and Jacobs were the their respective kennels gene pools.
rest of the early breeders of note. They all imported dogs You can do further research if you are interested in
and all bred down from those dogs. It was the connections tracing your own dog’s roots on one of the on-line pedigree
of Macmonnies, Hoppin, Obers and Denys that really were Web sites. A great deal of information is available today
instrumental in getting good Briards here in the 1920’ that early briarders never had the opportunity to use so
through the early 1930s -- when bringing a dog in, meant instead created detailed pedigrees to pass along to each
they came on a boat, and mail to arrange the purchase and other and succeeding generations of new breeders. Today
importation details for those dogs could take a month to I’m always pleased to think about the fact that several of
be delivered. It was a monumental undertaking all by itself. my Briards go back to Dauphine, Falco and Bastile, they
We today, owe a debt of gratitude to these five dedicated happen to be some of my favorites of the early Briards in
individuals for many of the marvelous Briards we have America, and it is comfortable to think that “what’s past is
today. There are historical reasons for Macmonnies, Hop-
pin and the Obers to have been our founding breeders, but
you’ll have to wait for Briards in America to come out to
get the full story on that. It should be noted that in some
cases some of the males who were brought over were used
as stud dogs in France prior to export to America. Pegase
is one of them. Jarnac’s traits continue today in European
Le Magazine 59
brought in from France, that our foundation stock was ed pedigree of a dog you choose to import.
likely clear of CSNB. In fact, the lack of any notes or There are a couple of other dogs are added to the
writings regarding vision problems in those early dogs can registration list above. I mentioned Timothy Jacobs as the
be considered evidence that they were indeed clear and first “illegitimate” Briard but one other became an im-
American Briards dodged that bullet for a few decades portant bitch in American Briard development just a little
longer until the next large wave of imports came in from later. She was a very beautiful black bitch named Polka,
France (and Ireland) in the 1960’s and 70’s. We are fortu- who was the foundation bitch for Grace Norgaard of de la
nate indeed, to have so few founder effect health issues in Gaillarde kennels in California, which was later moved to
Briards, but also to have a major health issue funded for Texas. Polka was the daughter of two French imports who
research because the gene is found in humans as well as lived in New York which were never individually registered
Briards. The research led to a DNA test for CSNB. Just con- with AKC. To compound the issue, Polka was bred back
sidering all of this shows how remarkable it is that we have to her sire, creating Ferdinando El Toro, who became a
a fairly healthy breed overall. champion and was then bred back to his mother! But a
Going back to our First 10 registered dogs, Gen- very, very beautiful bitch, named Ma Cherie, came from
tiane, Quebec and Amouk didn’t contribute to the breed as that breeding (see photo page). Later on Norgaard bought
founders. Dauphine, and the other six dogs, along with #11 a dog from Gerald White named Westlawn Dervish who
Sita, did indeed play a role in continuing the breed on this was a Bastile son, and a Falco, Dauphine, Pavanne, Misère
side of the Pond. It was their genes, features, and temper- & Biniou great great-grandson, and this brought those
aments that shaped what became the mold for Briards for early registrants right smack dab into her pedigrees too. At
the next 35 years, on the whole, since almost everything the time she and White were the most prolific American
bred up to the 1960s was down from these early dogs, with Briard breeders, both with dogs tracing directly back to
only a few new imports added to the gene pool. Unargu- Falco, Pegase and Dauphine and it was 10 years later! Both
ably, Dauphine, Citronelle, Biniou and Falco were the most continued to line breed for the most part on these dogs.
influential of the initial ten registered. White also got a lovely black bitch (Irhamont Belle Enfant)
There are some annotated offspring lists for you to from Mrs. Scofield Outhwaite in the late 30’s and this add-
peruse at the end of this article to see exactly how the dogs ed a little more of the notable French lines to his existing
produced from the first to succeeding generations. pedigrees. Outhwaite imported several dogs, including
While Mrs. Barbara Danielson may have registered Ihram du Grand Coudray, a dog of handsome type that
the first litter, Wallace Macmonnies must be recognized as became a champion and was the first Briard National Best
the first knowledgeable Briard breeder in the United States. of Breed winner. She bred only a short time but produced
It was his deliberate selection of imports and litters that excellent quality dogs. She and White traded a few dogs for
made available the integration of the Briard into this coun- stud fees and it helped both out a great deal in increasing
try. Unit. Hoppin, the Obers, Denys and Jacobs were the their respective kennels gene pools.
rest of the early breeders of note. They all imported dogs You can do further research if you are interested in
and all bred down from those dogs. It was the connections tracing your own dog’s roots on one of the on-line pedigree
of Macmonnies, Hoppin, Obers and Denys that really were Web sites. A great deal of information is available today
instrumental in getting good Briards here in the 1920’ that early briarders never had the opportunity to use so
through the early 1930s -- when bringing a dog in, meant instead created detailed pedigrees to pass along to each
they came on a boat, and mail to arrange the purchase and other and succeeding generations of new breeders. Today
importation details for those dogs could take a month to I’m always pleased to think about the fact that several of
be delivered. It was a monumental undertaking all by itself. my Briards go back to Dauphine, Falco and Bastile, they
We today, owe a debt of gratitude to these five dedicated happen to be some of my favorites of the early Briards in
individuals for many of the marvelous Briards we have America, and it is comfortable to think that “what’s past is
today. There are historical reasons for Macmonnies, Hop-
pin and the Obers to have been our founding breeders, but
you’ll have to wait for Briards in America to come out to
get the full story on that. It should be noted that in some
cases some of the males who were brought over were used
as stud dogs in France prior to export to America. Pegase
is one of them. Jarnac’s traits continue today in European
Le Magazine 59
