The Washington herald., 1914-02-22
George Washington Fostered
Sport With Horse and Dog
Father of His Country Imported Arabian STALLION tor
Development of Stock IN pTg.nia-Hls Volced
cforion to Lord Fdirfax's Pack of Hounds.
~ ANDREW p. o'ooNoR.

~ ANDREW p. o'CoNoR.
"a chiestAin's, in sOcd truth. this dos was once
And II in form and action he remained
Vh.t he "a, thcn when arst odyssus left.
ri. sWiftncss and his strength would vel %"
ruusec
ny vonds at his hGntius. Ee,sI F.@ s..
Esczped him IN thickest woodland silee'
Whatever he might follow by their TAI
He knew them most thoroughly -o~ss9.
1,h.. ,ox bunting was q highly 'devel-
ona5 snort In Virginia as early as lISo
is evidenced by the records OF the ume-
Al meeting OF the House OF Bursesses
during that year an appropriation Na
,,ada for the purpose of a Thoroughbred
Arabian horse, which was to be USED IN
the Improvement OF. the Virginia animal,
none of which could keep pace win 'ne
swfftest foxhounds then in use
an emissary was sent 10 England en-
,o1ered To buy the best stallion TO be
had. and Bull Rock, a full brother TO tne
faraous barley Arabian, was purcnaseo
He was safely shipped to Norfolk' Va
the following year, and stood at VIM
iamshurg for several seasons Thus was
laid the foundation for the Nrginis
hunter, racer, and cavalry morse "nioh
still enjoys an international reputation:
The horse then in use IN virgins was o'
Rarb origin, brought over by the span
iards- In I76O George washington I'M
norted- at his own expense, pure blood
Arabian, which he named Magnolia, and
which afterward played most impor-
tant mart in the greatest revolution that
the world had ever known
In 1T77 the blood of the Virginia horse
was further enriched through copious
infusions of additional Arabian oiooo,
through Lindsay's Arabian Thus II Mni
be seen that the humble foxhound was,
in a measure, responsible for much OF
the success which the Continental army
enioved through its unrivaled cavalry
horses and accomplished horsemen- ron,
this strain of ariStocratic equine pioou
sprang Sir Archey, who sired Tamoieoh'
Who distinguished himself both on tne
turf and in the stud. Among the most
famous of his produce was the woriu-
famous Boston, who was frequently
walked from Virginia to New orleans
and from there to Long Island, and theh
heating the best horses that could oe
brought against him in four mile meats.
Boston sired Lexington, whose blood yer
courses through many of the greatest
racers of modern times, thus FORMING
a direct connection with the old heroes
of the past, whose judgment In every
thing from politics to sport is said 10
have been almost perfect
Enters Lard Fairfax.
T, 177 Lord Fairfax, then in MS
sixtieth year, after being Jilted py
reigning beauty in the court Oh OF
James, came to Virginia, where ne mao
an estate Of 100000 acres OF land DE
established himself in the neighoorhooo
where George Washington, Inen ~
in his teens, amused himself with the
snorts of the day, which were cock-nght-
ing and fox hunting. A friendship pc
tween the veteran nobleman ana tne
handsome, daring Virginian. whose NoiS :
when following his pack OF MOUNDS oouio
na heard a mile away, ended only upon
the death of Lord Fairfax TINS noOie,
man remained loyal to his sovereign anu
as a result, his princely estate was I'll N.
fscated by the Continental Consress- a..
I,ears of constant association Win tns
,oT,-tIx, peer, both on the hunting neio
ond az his home, Washington was lndept,
- Cor much of the grace OF body ano
wind for which he became distinguisheu
in after years, but no power on car ~ ~
could ALLEVIATE him from the cause %
tbo CoIonists, which he espoused win an
his heart, courage and PATRIOTISM WhIcn
il the reason why all patriouc Ameiio al :
are today celebrating his birtnoay anu
which will probably be celebrated as ioii7
as men honor true valor.
Commencing in 1747 Washington makes
ipnumerable references in his diary OF
fox hunting with Lord Fairfax, as wei
as with many of those whose names are
now recorded in the early history OF our
country. but nowhere does he refer to
either the origin of his hounds or the
source from which he procured them' nor
does he record any conversation WIFI
lord Fairfax relative to fox hunting II
England. We are, therefore, at loss
10 know whether Fairfax was initiated IN
the delights OF the chase by Washington
or whether he followed the HOUNDS II
england. In view of the fact that Fair
fax named his mansion "Belvoir, We are
inclined TO the belief that II was u
honor of the pack in the vale Of Bel
voir, which WEI then rated among the
best hounds in England, none Of Which,
as far as we have been able to discover
were brought TO America If any hac
been brought over by Lord Fairfax
WASHINGTON would have mentioned it in
his diary.
Entry In Diary.
The following entry, however We finC
in his diary, which was the first refer
ence, in all these years, to the Fairfa'
hounds: Mich. ls. I7SS. Sent Chaunterel
"a hound bitch up to Toulston's to g
to Mr.. Fairfax's dog Forrester-or Rock
wood Forester not beg home, she wen
10 lockwood" This occurred just twenty
one years after the arrival Of Lord Fair
fax. The Mr.. Fairfax referred to was Z
relative of the Lord Fairfax, also o
Washington through marriage Lord Var
borough, of England, many years befor'
the above date, had a celebrated dol
named lockwood, which may have beel
the progenitor of the dog to which Wash
ington referred, but there is no recort
of 1t in any of the thousands of paper
which have been permitted to examine
by Mr.. Hunt, chief OF the manuscrip
division of the Library Of Congress.
However, regardless of what may hav'
been the origin of the Washington
hounds, If speed, accuracy, stamina, cour
age and music is the standard by which
foXhounds are judged, then we must be
lieve that the Washington pack were tn,
equal, If not the superior OF any hound
of today, whether compared with tn
aristocratically bred. and carefully pedi
greed packs of England. or with wha
incompetent alleged historians are pleased
TO term, American Mongrels'' of today
AS evidence of the stamina of hi
hounds, read the foil wing: mich. 9, 17es
Catched fox with bold tail and cut ear.
after hours chase, in which most o.
the dogs were worsted."
There are innumerable entries in hi,
diary, in which it is recorded that tn,
fox was "catched in a few minutes
These entries conciusively prove that nj,
hounds had both speed and stamina, anS
that they had what we call tongue" ii
proven by the names which Washington
gave his hounds.
Makes Another Entry.