HISTORY
The Braque du Bourbonnais (pronounced brock-do-bor-bon-nay)
is a breed which dates back to the late 1500’s in France.
The word Braque is derived from a French verb, which means to
aim or point. It can also be translated as pointer. The breed
can be found in the pages of French literature and was known
for its amazing hunting instincts. It is thought that the Braque
du Bourbonnais originated from the early Spanish pointer. The
name of French pointers reflects the region where they were developed.
This pointer, the Braque du Bourbonnais is from the Province
of Bourbon, a region of central France.
Back in the 1500’s the Braque du Bourbonnais
was described as a willing, hunting partner who is very hardy
and strong looking. The breed is tailless or has a very short
tail. There are two colors of Braque du Bourbonnais, ticked liver
(also known as wine dregs) or fawn (also known as peach blossom).
The Braque du Bourbonnais was never a very common breed and adherence
to strict breed requirements nearly drove the breed to extinction.
In 1925, the first Braque du Bourbonnais club was
formed by a group of dedicated breeders. They published the first
standards in 1930. Along came WWII and all of the progress made
by the Braque du Bourbonnais club was decimated. The breed was
dropped by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) for
lack of breeder activity.
No Braque du Bourbonnais were registered from 1963
to 1973 because of strict adherence to color requirements and
a naturally tailless dog. It appears that because of these stringent
requirements, breeders lost interest. In 1970, Michael Comte
and a group of breeders banded together to ensure the survival
of the breed. A second club was formed in 1982 and in 1985, the
Braque du Bourbonnais was recognized by the Society Centrale
Canine (SCC) which is the French affiliate of the FCI. The goal
of bringing back the Braque du Bourbonnais has been achieved
because the breed standard was relaxed. Spots and docked tails
are now acceptable. Today the breed has been fully restored.
The Braque du Bourbonnais is truly the versatile
gun dog that every hunter is looking for. This dog has a very
keen nose, an eagerness to retrieve, an intense pointing instinct
and the energy to track wounded game. All of this plus a calm
demeanor make this breed an ideal family companion.
The Braque du Bourbonnais was imported into the
United States in 1988. In 1989, Beth Cepil of New Tripoli, PA
imported three dogs from France. She produced her first litter
of Braques in 1991.
Cactus Country Kennels is dedicated to continuing
this breed in the United States and providing these wonderful
companions to good hunting homes.
