The Ifold Kennel

In the Dog World Annual of 1924 there was an advertisement for Ifold, which read:
"The Irish Wolfhounds at Ifold have the advantage of plenty of space in field and woodland for exercise and the chase. Unfortunately, they have to be confined to hares and rabbits, but are able to take their fill of them.
"Mr. Montagu Scott has bred the pack, and it has always been his aim to breed the old type of Irish hound, and one which does not show the taint of the foreign outcross which has been used by breeders to recover size.
"At Ifold the hounds are taught to trail, and have proved the keenness of their scent. They hunt mute with a wonderful burst of speed on view.
"The Gaumont Co. have recently filmed the pack at exercise after rabbits, and the picture gives a very good idea of their ability in the field.
"Reared in such natural conditions it is not surprising that general soundness is one of the features of the Ifold pack. The judge of Irish Wolfhounds at the Kennel Club Show at the Crystal Palace this autumn states in his review of the exhibits in the Kennel Gazette, when referring to Cruachan of Ifold: "His limbs are particularly sound - a quality very noticeable amongst Mr. Montagu Scott's dogs."
"The mothers of the Ifold aristocracy believe in large families. Mr. Scott attributes this to his bitch Ferb, with whom and her litter brother Fland he founded his kennel. She was a perfect mother, and always gave litters of a dozen or more. On the last occasion, in July last year, 15; out of which she reared 13 herself; 12 are believed to be alive; some in America, Africa and Norway. Cruachan of Ifold is one of them and stands 36 inches at the shoulder, and is sound and fleet of foot. Last spring Ferb died from the bite of an adder, but her spirit lives in her children, as noticeable by their speed and keenness in the chase and the prolifiency of her daughters. The following figures, taken from the Ifold whelping records for the current year, give evidence of the latter:-
Deirdre of Ifold (daughter of Ferb), whelped 13 on 17th March, 1923.
Tess of Ifold (daughter of Deirdre), whelped 15 on 4th July, 1923
Kerrie of Ifold (daughter of Deirdre), whelped 12 on 17th October, 1923
Eodain of Brabyns (granddaughter of Ferb) whelped 12 on 3rd November, 1923."

Most of the photographs included with this article are shown elsewhere on this page, but there was also a different view of the three hounds shown at the top of the previous page, and a head study:

Three Cup Winners - MORNA, EOGAN and DEIRDRE at the last Kennel Club Show

IVEL OF IFOLD. A promising youngster

In 1924 Ralph Montagu Scott imported a dog from America; the first time a dog had been brought into England from the U.S.A. The dog was Cragwood Darragh, bred by Mrs. Jessie K. Smith of Woodside Kennels, Redwood City, CA, by Toyon St. Patrick out of Toyon Bridget. He was registered with the U.K. Kennel Club in September, 1924 with the following (incorrect) details: "s Toyon of St. Patrick, d Toyon of Budget; br. Mrs. J.K. Smith; wh. April 26, 1921". Darragh was a red wheaten and did a lot of winning in America before coming to England. He was then sold to Lady Sholto Douglas but was returned to Ifold after only a few months.

Whilst still with Montagu Scott, a piece about him appeared in the Kennel Gazette: The accompanying illustration is of a red wheaten hound, bred by Mrs. Jessie K. Smith, of Woodside Kennels, Redwood City, California, one of the best hounds America has produced, and which has done a lot of winning for Mrs. Smith. He is by Toyon St. Patric, out of Toyon Bridget, and is about three years old.
A large bodied hound, splendid frame and physique, he should be of great service to the breed in this country. Naturally descended from imported stock, he comes almost as fresh blood, for his ancestors have been for many generation in America. So far as we know he is the first Irish Wolfhound that has been imported from America.
Mrs. Smith is probably the largest and most successful breeder of Irish Wolfhounds in America, and is one of the few that has been able to improve on her original stock from generation to generation. Cragwood Darragh is now the property of Mr. Montagu Scott."

Cragwood Darragh

Cragwood Darragh with Lady Sholto Douglas

The Kennel Gazette, July 1926, ran another piece on Darragh with the above picture: "Our second full-page illustration is a fine picture of the Irish Wolfhound Cragwood Darragh, who was bred by Mrs. Jessie K. Smith, of Woodside Kennels, Redwood City, California, and has been considered by many authorities to be one of the best hounds bred in America. He was imported from America in 1924, and is, therefore, a very valuable strain of fresh blood for the Irish Wolfhound in this country. He is now the property of Lady Sholto Douglas, who is taking an interest in the breed.
At Belfast last year Cragwood Darragh took the Challenge Certificate and five first prizes; and at Richmond this week two 1st prizes and Challenge Certificate. He is a large bodied, splendid frame and physique, and of red wheaten colour." (date of birth April 26th, 1921).

Several more litters were to be born at Ifold. One by Garrick out of Lady Clodagh, and another by Sulhamstead Pedlar out of Deirdre of Ifold, both on March 18, 1924, and one by Cruachan of Ifold out of Felixstowe Ballyneety; May 10, 1924 (Cruachan was from the Michael/Ferb litter in July, 1922 and was given to the Irish Guards as a Regimental Pet). Further litters in 1924 were one by Bran of Ifold out of Colleen of Ifold, on Sept. 17 and one by Patrick of Ifold out of Felixstowe Ballyneety on December 13th. In March 1925 F. Ballyneety was transferred to Mrs. Lewis. At this time Scott was reducing the numbers of hounds at Ifold, and a large group of them was sold to Lieut. Col. Durand, who was in partnership with Mrs. Mary Beynon in the Bournstream kennels. These included Cragwood Darragh, Iduna of Hindhead, Doreena of Ifold, Kathleen of Ifold, King Bruidh of Ifold, Patrick of Ifold, Tess of Ifold, and Lady Clodagh.

A litter of Ifold puppies

Ralph Montagu Scott was a prime force behind the setting up of the Irish Wolfhound Association, which started in the early months of 1924 and lasted less than two years, producing one magazine, and behind the Association's move to run a Field Trial in November, 1924, which actually was the first ever held, beating the one organised by James Nagle, which was intended to be the first. When the Association folded, it was amalgamated into the Irish Wolfhound Club and its range of superb trophies was taken over by the Club.

The Ifold Loving Cup, made of sterling silver in an exact reproduction of an antique Irish Mether. It was presented for the soundest hound exhibited at the Association show and was made by the Goldsmiths' and Silversmiths' Co., Ltd. in Regent Street, London

June 21, 1925 Angelina of Ifold (from the Eogan/F. Ballyneety litter of September 12, 1922) had a litter by Patrick of Ifold and a second litter that year was on October 30th, by Eogan out of Mavourneen O'Moyle. On February 19th, 1926 Angelina had another litter by Patrick of Ifold, which was to be the last Ifold litter. Angelina was transferred to Mrs. Whalley in December, 1927 and that was the last to be heard officially of Ralph Montagu Scott and his Ifold Kennels. Scott was still listed as a member in the Irish Wolfhound Club Year Book for 1929-30-31 but not in any later issues.

This was before the Depression, and the Wall Street Crash did not occur until 1929, so it seems unlikely this could have been the cause of the disappearance of this Kennel, but if financial loss was not the reason what was? If anyone has the answer, I should be most interested to hear it.

Although Ifold was only around for such a short time, it certainly made its mark on the Irish wolfhound breed. Although only one champion was produced, many others did quite a bit of winning at shows and many figured in the breeding programmes of other kennels. Ifold hounds went to Felixstowe, Ouborough, Grevel and Brabyns, among others.

Ralph Montagu Scott was particularly interested in how the hounds were exercised, and in their hunting and coursing abilities. The grounds of Ifold Park were well suited to giving the hounds plenty of exercise. Interestingly, though, it was not the Ifold hounds, so well versed in hunting, that were the key to the Irish wolfhound finally being accepted by the Kennel Club in the Sporting Group, but Captain T. Hudson's King Shane of Brabyns. King Shane was out of Sheilah of Ifold (one of that first Fland/Ferb litter born in March, 1920).

An article published in the American Kennel Gazette of January, 1929 (Vol. 46, No. 1) on the subject of The New Dog of the White House; the Irish Wolfhound Cragwood Padraic, registered by the wife of Herbert Hoover, the American President-elect, and written by Arthur Frederick Jones has quite a lot to say about the Ifold Kennel. Cragwood Padraic was a great-great-grandson of Cragwood Darragh, the hound bought in from America by Montagu Scott, which is how the Ifold Kennels come into it and the article reads (in part): "If President-elect Hoover is anxious to develop Cragwood Padraic into the perfect Irish wolfhound - and of course he is - Mr. Hoover could do no better than to study how Irish wolfhounds were developed at Ifold. For years this kennel was one of the principal leaders in the development of the breed. A large part of its success depended upon its fortunate situation in regard to exercising space. Hounds from these kennels were famous for their general soundness and condition. This came from almost daily work they had with game of many sorts.

At the end of the 120 acre park is a large rabbit warren. So when Cragwood Darragh and the other hounds were released from their kennels near the house, the first procedure was invariably to leap the fence and make for the warren at about 40 miles per hour. However, they were obedient as the result of long training and would always return to the master's heel upon hearing his whistle. They hunted often, but not unless it was permitted by the master.

There are thousands of rabbits on the property and a goodly number of hares. Of recent years a family of reindeer has appeared in the woods, but these are jealously preserved. There are foxes in abundance, but two packs of hounds hunt in the neighbourhood with the result that the foxes are also carefully preserved. But accidents will often happen when a pack of Irish wolfhounds gets into the woods.

The woods consist almost entirely of oak, with a little silver birch around the ponds and around the river. There are also one or two plantations of pinus sylvestris. The river, running through the park and the woods beyond, is a tributary of the Arun, and a favourite hunting ground for the pack of otter hounds in the district. There are also several ponds in the woods and some very pretty valleys. While the wooded hills are not very high, the country is by no means flat.

Considering the size of the Irish wolfhound and his consequent need of plenty of room to stretch his muscles, it is small wonder that Ifold's extensive acreage has helped materially in placing Mr. Scott's pack among the first in England or the world. Ifold stock has been sent to all parts of the world, for these hounds were noted for their soundness, stamina, and type. It was not an unusual occurrence for the Ifold entries to carry off most of the firsts, specials, and championship challenge certificates at English shows.

MORNING DEW - Irish wolfhounds off for a morning's walk. These big dogs need plenty of exercise.

The Ifold Kennels had not only quality, but quantity as well. In Darragh's time there were between thirty and fifty hounds of all ages in the kennels, but there have been as many as sixty-nine at one time. Contrary to popular belief, these large dogs whelp easily and have large litters. One of the finest litters ever whelped at Ifold was out of that wonderful bitch, Ferb.

Ferb was a wonderful mother. She whelped fifteen puppies in the litter mentioned and reared thirteen of them herself. Ferb not only survived this unusual occurrence, but her children proved sturdy hounds that have carried on the best traditions of Ifold. But it is not the custom to leave such a large litter with the mother. It has been found that most bitches can nurse six puppies with ease, and any others are given to foster mothers.

The normal amount of attention that is given to any breed should be sufficient to keep Irish wolfhounds in proper condition. At least that has been found to be the case at Ifold. Although they consume large quantities of food and take up more room per unit than any other breed in the world, these hounds are not burdensome to the owner.

Mr. Scott told me, at the time that Darragh was shipped to England, that he maintained one kennel man and a boy to do the entire work of the kennels. This consists of preparing food, feeding, a certain amount of exercising, grooming, kennel cleaning and bedding.

The manner of taking care of these big Ifold specimens as described by Mr. Scott is very interesting. As may be imagined, food is a primal consideration, yet no kitchen, in the usual way, exists. All meat is fed raw to the hounds whenever possible, but one boiler or cauldron supplies boiling water for scalding utensils. This is sometimes used to cook meat which has been kept too long, but is only used for this purpose occasionally.

The feeding troughs are mainly made of wood and stand on legs two feet from the ground, so that the hounds do not have to stoop when feeding. This is very important with young stock, and different feeding troughs are used for them. The puppy troughs are capable of extension so that the puppy is always made to stand well up to feed and does not have to bend and splay his legs and wrists to get his ration out of the meal. Each run has its wooden trough of about four feet in length and made V shape with a depth of seven inches in the middle. Each run also has its water trough, which is made of just unenameled cast iron. Both utensils are scalded out daily after the morning meal.

The food is prepared in a zinc lined wooden trough four feet long by three feet wide with a depth of nine inches - in reality a bacon salting trough - and the food is here mixed with an ordinary shovel. The quantity varies with the hounds, naturally, but is usually between 80 lbs. to 140 lbs. In connection with this is the slaughter yard.

THE VIEW - The hounds sight a rabbit warren and start across the park at top speed

The hounds usually have horse flesh, between one to three pounds per head per day, and in this way consume about one horse per week. Every part of the carcass is used except the hide and the hoofs. The larger bones are split and sub-divided for the growing stock, the fresh marrow in them being considered of great value as an item in their diet.

The other part of the staple diet is broken biscuits or hound meal, of which the average ration is half a pound to one pound per day. This is moistened with boiling water, the chopped raw meat, in pieces of not more than two inches square, is thrown in and a ration of cod liver oil, about one dessertspoonful per head, is also added, also a solution of lime, and the whole is thoroughly mixed and gives a diet which the hounds usually relish.

A cooking pot is also used for cereals where the special diet is cooked for puppies, bitches in whelp, and suckling mothers. This is made of infant's food; milk, with extra sugar of milk and dry milk powder added; and sometimes malt extract. This varies in strength according to the puppies' age.

Diet is the same in winter and summer. The stud dogs are fed with higher meat rations and sometimes entirely on raw meat, certain portions of the carcass being found most suitable for them.

HOUNDS BREAKING COVER - Seldom has there been taken a better action picture of Irish wolfhounds. Note the unusual positions of the dogs.

The hounds vary very much in their individual requirements. The raw meat is invariably picked out first, before the soaked biscuit is eaten. There are between four and eight hounds at every trough feeding together, and the best doers are made to stand back from the trough by the kennel man at the commencement of a meal to allow the others a slightly better ration. Every run has a master or top dog, and care has to be taken to see that he stands back at the commencement of the meal.

All the hounds are keen on the liver and on certain other parts of the animal. They eat usually horses, but occasionally bullocks and cows. As far as possible these tit-bits are reserved for the more timid and delicate feeders.

The dogs, in most instances, are fed twice a day, at 8 a.m. and at sunset. But there usually are some that do better on one meal a day, and these have the evening meal only. Every dog gets a fresh bone per day about noontime.

The main kennels are on grass, which is also, itself, a staple and necessary diet. They are wired enclosures; the wire is fastened to stout oak posts, and is a stout guaged sheep netting six feet high, with three strands of barbed wire above, bringing the entire height to seven feet. The wire netting is also buried in the ground about six inches down. The largest two runs, 70 by 30 yards, are one for the brood bitches and the other for the stud dogs.

THE END IN VIEW - It will not be long before the huntsman winds La Mort upon his horn.

The other six runs are divided into divisions for the younger stock. The whelping kennels and quarters for brood bitches, either heavy in whelp or in season, are brick built kennels and stables well away from the runs.

Ordinary well and river water is used for drinking, lime being added, as already stated, in the food.

The hounds are never washed under any consideration; living as they do an entirely open-air life all the year round, it would be inviting trouble to remove the natural grease from the skin. The doors of the hust in which they live are open day and night, and many of the hounds sleep in the open. It is not at all unusual after a frosty night to see their beds clearly defined in the grass by the absence of hoar frosts.

Shaun of Ifold, later the property of Mrs. Norwood B. Smith, was an entirely open-air dog when in the Ifold Kennels, and it had to be a very wet night to drive him indoors. The coats of the hounds are rubbed daily at grooming time with some good disinfectant of a strength of two tablespoonfuls to a gallon. Coarse cloth, dipped in the solution, wrung out and then smartly rubbed all over the coat, will keep the coat sweet, remove dirt and prevent fleas and other undesirables.

Such is a rough idea of how these noble dogs were raised at Ifold. Of course, the Hoovers do not intend to go into the breeding of Irish wolfhounds. And equally, of course, a great deal took place at the big English estate that would be impossible at the White House. Still the basic principles must be followed by anyone anxious to bring an Irish wolfhound from puppyhood to maturity."

THE KILL IS THEIR REWARD - From the first scent of the faint spoor to the quarry in view, the chase is the joy of Irish wolfhounds.

An article by Ralph Montagu Scott on the history, character and description of the Irish wolfhound, which appeared in the Irish Wolfhound Association Annual, can be seen here.

Updated September 12th, 2005