Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-07
GOSSIP OF THE FIELD AND KENNEL.

In last Sundays notes brief history
was given of Gladstone the pioneer of the
great Llewellin sires of this country, and
Count Noble was mentioned as sharing
with him the distinction of being the
greatest factor in setter breeding that the
country has ever known. Count Noble,
whelped in 1870. was four years the Junior
of Gladstone He was bred in the ken
nels Of Mr.. Percival Liewellin in Eng
land, being by Count Wind'em out of
Nora. When one year old he was i'm
ported by David Sanborn of Bowling,
| Mich, who trained and handled him all
| through his field trial career. When Mr..
Sanborn died Count Noble passed to B. +.
| Wilson of Pittsburgh. He a black.
white and tan and weighed, when grown.
sixty pounds. being ten pounds heavier
| than Gladstone. Count Mobiles field trial
career began when he was fifteen months
| old. when in the derby of the National
/! American Kennel Club ne easily won
j first in field of seventeen. He was sec
! ond at Grand Junction in 1851. divided
third al Fairmont. Mimi, and divided
| third at Opelausas. La. in 1852. These
| constituted his only wins, his field trial
record being practically the same as
| Gladstone'S.
| Count Noble possessed every quality of
| a great field dog. tremendous speed. end
| less endurance and wonderful nose.
| He had his faults. the chief ones being
that at times he dropped Oh his points
i and occasionally false pointed. His in
| te!ligence in handling birds was wonder
!, full In fact the writer has heard it
! stated at the time Count Noble was run
ming in field trials that this very IN
! telligence counted against him at times.
| For example. if Count Noble was going
down wind and struck the scent of birds
! he would not road the birds. but would
/ cast off to the side and circle down the
| wind until he again picked up the scent.
when with the wind in his favor he
would go quickly to his point. Notwith-
\ standing his phenomenal speed. he was
| a great single bird dog. well known
/ writer. king Of this quality. says that
| Count Noble had been known to point,
4 by actual count, every bird in a scatter
ed bevy. Mr.. Waters. who handled him
! after Mr.. SanbOrn's death, said that 1t
| was impossible TO call him off point,
and that he found out that when the dog
/ was out Of sight on a point it was USE
| less to blow whistle or call him, as
| he would not leave his point. but If he
| kept quiet after little while. Count
| Noble would come to him. apparently in
| great excitement, his hair seeming to
| stand up. and as soon as he had at
| tracted his attention would turn and trot
| back to the birds and promptly point
| them again. If any sportsman thinks
5, ne has dog that can be taken from
his point and go back and point again
| let him make the attempt and see what
will happen.
| b. Ii. Weeks and the late Waverly
| Drinkard purchased OF ID. c. Sanborn
| in 1882, bitch and dog puppy, respec-
! lively, by Count Noble out of Sanborns
| Nellie and they are believed to have been
the first straight bred of Llewellins ever
| brought to Washington. Mr.. Drinkards
puppy died when very young, but Coun-
| tess Noblesse. Mr.. Weeks bitch. lived to
L ha unite nj nnSGaSS0d
| stanchness on point to wonderful de-
gree. In speaking of it to Mr.. Joseph
! Hunter, the well known setter owner.
Mr. Hunter said that he too. had owned
| a Count Noble dog that would leave
his point and go back to 1t and that ne
| had never seen another dog which could
do it,
Count Mobiles influence on the setter
| family in this country can never De
overestimated. Mr.. John A. Scannal
of Shreveport La. in analysis of the
pedigrees of two famous dogs, Meccas
Lady and Count Whitestone, has this
to say: "One thing sure. you can breed
and worry and hope until the hot place
| freezes over, but unless your paternal
| line comes straight from the fountain
head of old Count Noble you better
keep away from Grand Junction with
your setters,' and the records fully
sustain his words. In another place
Mr.. Scannal writes: Gladstone. Lei
cester and Druid could never pull out
| of the brood bitch class
| On the other hand all of the great sires
| of settlers have been sons of Count Noble
| or sons of his get, even to this day. In
| all he sired thirty field trial winners.
which won twenty-five first, fifteen sec
| onds. twentyfour thirds and five fourths
! or siXty-six in all. against forty-ninel
| by Gladstone. But among Count Mobiles
sons We're the peerless Gath. Rodingo,
and Count Gladstone w. each the head
| of great family represented by such
incompatible performers as Antonio, Joe
Cummings. Tony Boy, Tonys Gale.
IAdy's Count Gladstone. Sioux, Geneva,
Mohawk III, Monora and others too
numerous to mention. And his glory is