Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-23
BLOODHOUND TRIALS.
Testing the Ability of Dogs to Track
Human FOotstens

The amount of public attention lately
drawn to the faculty of the bloodhound in
tracking human footsteps has led the Ken
mel Club Committee to take new depart
ure IN offering prizes to test the working
powers of these dogs, in addition to the
awards made for the superficial points
judged in the show-yard. Advantage was
accordingly taken of the current exhibi-
ton at the Alexandra palace to bring out
into the open several of the most noted
and capable hounds there on view.
Yesterday afternoon the trials took place
on the snow-covered plateau at the foot of
the hill encircled by the race course. The
fact of six inches of snow being on the
ground and still more falling did not pre-
vent about 100 ardent spectators, including
about half dozen ladies, from paying
extra for seeing the starts. Course were
staked out aud marked by small flags de-
scribing irregular circuits of about 600
yards, ending at the starting place with a
straight run in of about $50 yards. Lord
Alfred Fitzroy, Colonel lie Gendre Starkie
and j. II. Salter were the judges w. w.
Aspinwall attended as Secretary of the
Kennel Club. For the first stake of elO
for first, and secondary prizes ofe5, e3 and
81, the test was the tracking of a man
wearing the clean boot" who was given
from five to fifteen minutes law.
3. G. Knowles Koodoo was the first
started, and for 100 yards promised fairly
to follow the scent, but after this failed to
recover it and returned to her custodian.
w. 5. Scott's Hebe Ill, though running
unsteady and wide, completed the course.
and must have repeatedly picked up the
scent without any assistance. A considera-
bic portion of the course lay beyond small
copse, and was out of view of the specta-
tors. Hebe seems to have drawn the copse.
but nevertheless arrived in ludicrously
close proximity to the exhausted man who
had made the running. Next came r.
Hood Wright's noted hound Hector II. =.
whose owner offered him for metropolitan
police service provided e100 was deposited
as assurance against accident. Put on the
track by Mr.. Wright himself, the noble
looking animal took to the scent at once.
and working with the most perfect steadi-
ness and at fair pace, never sweryed a
yard from the track-so the runner said
and only halted a moment before "negotia.
ting" fence. The high reputation Of E.
Brough's Burberry rendered her dan
eerous opponent even to this perfect per-
Torrance. Blneberry bungled at the start,
and, through oyer-excitement, failed alto
gether to get on the track. Barnaby. the
property of the same owner, the dog which
chased Sir c. Warren in Hyde Park, made
few preliminary sweeps before settling
down, and then went away on the track
and followed truly to the finish.
The judges awarded the first prize to
Hector H., the second to Barnaby and the
third to Hebe III. Another stake was
offered to be run for after, the mot clean
boot" In this instance the boots of each
pedestrian, before starting on the several
devious courses, were well rubbed with a
lump of horsehesh in the presence of the
hound, who betrayed no interest in the
operation. In previous trials the hounds
had not smelt the boot or anything be-
longing to the man they had to hunt
koodoo was first pnt on the scent of the
flesh, went off fast and true, and finished
in five minutes, just one minute after the
man, who had five minutes the start.
Hebe ran true until round the copse and
entering the straight, where she crossed
and recrossed the true line; but following
broadly, did the course in seven minutes
Hector went off at racing pace, and for 300
yards along the race course in full view
ran true. Behind the grand stand, how
ever, he went at fault, and on casting back
was called in by his owner. The Judges
placed Koodoo first and Hebe second. The
tests were Of satisfactory though scarcely
severe character The lying and falling
snow, and the soft, heavy atmosphere and
light southwest wind, il not exactly favor
able conditions, did rot present any very
serious drawbacks.-London Daily Ne,cs.