This month in our Stallion Hound Feature, we spoke with Marion Thorne of Genesee Valley Hunt about her hound Gillette.
“I am always looking to improve my pack’s scenting ability and cry. I think Gillette has proven he is superior in those departments while having great athletic ability and stamina. He wants to get to the quarry and is always thinking forward at a check.”
“Gillette is my favorite dog at the moment. He is a true leader in my pack. He is a wonderful combination of ability and brains. He is a wide natural drawing hound, while always staying in touch. He has a distinctive cry and is very often the strike hound. I used him three years ago because I love his honesty, work ethic, nose, cry and look. He can work in any conditions or chaos: strange hounds or people don’t interrupt his work. He has the best look in his eye in any situation. He has great concentration and fox sense.” – Marion Thorne of Genesee Valley Hunt
MFHA:
Is this his first time being used as a stallion hound?
Marion:
No. Gillette has a litter in their second season that is doing really good work. Fairly easy to deer break, very good noses and voices. Nice looking strong constitutions. He has definitely stamped the dogs, one is nearly an exact copy.
Graham Buston at the Blue Ridge hunt is currently hunting him with his hounds, to see if he will suit what he is looking for to breed to this coming season. He has had him for a month. Graham said he has used him on a ½ Old English bitch already. “He fitted right into my type, with a strong work ethic, low scenting for our country full of limestone, athletic and smart figured out right away how to jump over all the wire we have in our hunt country, I like how he draws out wide, he is good to mark and has great nose and voice with us so far. Everything I’m looking for in a stallion hound.”
MFHA:
What has this stallion hound added to your pack? What traits?
Marion:
I would say his get has brought his very good work ethic to the pack. They are fairly wide drawing for the most part and for the second season hounds are honest. They are always ready to hark to what’s happening. I like their very strong scenting ability and good cry.
MFHA:
How many seasons did he hunt before first used as a Stallion hound?
Marion:
I bred him in his 4th season. I would have bred him sooner, but I had other hounds that needed breeding. Interestingly, the following season I used his brother Gibson on a bitch. At the time Gibson and Gillette were equally good. I wanted to take Gillette to SC and decided to leave the bitch at home with Gibson. That litter has entered really well this year as well. Gibson went downhill after last season, Lyme really took its toll. But he was a great hound. I bred their sister Girly too and those are nice as well. She went to Bear Creek and has had a litter there.
MFHA:
Are there any other packs using his bloodline?
Marion:
Yes, Millbrook bred his mother, her bottom line is all Randy Waterman stuff. They have a lot of Gala’s progeny and so do I. I think that is the secret ingredient. But the rest of his pedigree added substance. His great grandsire Cuba was a dog I bred and gave away. Cuba’s brother Cutlass was the best dog I probably ever had. So that’s why I bred to Four Winds Loyal and got this dog.
MFHA:
Has this hound attended any hound shows or performance trials? How did he do?
Marion:
No hound shows, I really don’t do much of that. I never took him to a Performance Trial, I think he was injured last year when I went and was too young a few years ago. Just missed it. He would have done well, though he is not very fast.
