Gitana and Babies

The Katnu Litter

It all started with an Italian dog, Multi Ch Aldebaran de’ Nobile Veltrus being exported to an influential kennel in Russia. Aldebaran is a total outcross between the long-established Rocca Barbara lines on one side, dating back as far as 1955, and some Italian (del Marchese di Rhieti), French (d’Ymauville) and American (Rising Star) lines on the other. Aldebaran’s dam, Ch Selvaggia di Rocca Barbara, was some of the highest quality ever seen in a borzoi bitch. Her litter sister, Ch Diamante, is European Champion Magdala’s dam. The mating of Magdala and Votka od Vjetra gave Ch Alarico di Rocca Barbara, our Gitana’s sire.

So much for the Italian side, to which the genetic melting pot in Votka’s pedigree must be added, with champions like Rohan Socius, Brigand Zumir, Filai Gajaneta, and more recently Fandango Nijinski and the Wolkowo’s on the Eastern side; and Vorenoff, Van Troybhiko and Vom Bergland on the Western front. All of the above is our Gitana.

Aldebaran’s Russian journey was a very successful one, and he sired several litters, one of which out of Metelitsa Hepi Hepri. Metelitsa is an example of sound Russian quality with some American glamour from Seabury’s and some assets from old European lines via Van Troybhiko. But more importantly, she has Rohan Socius among her ancestors via Ch Bojarin Zlodey. From the successful mating of Aldebaran and Metelitsa, Ms Margaret Manning imported young Hepi Hepri Liman and blended his genes into part of her line. The result of one of these unions is Manitias Moscow Flyer, the sire of the Katnu “K” litter. With his 89 cm at the withers, fine features, sound built and lovely temperament, Moscow promises to bring in the quality of his long-established English lines and to allow the genes of Selvaggia and Rohan to meet again.

Selvaggia’s is the one fixed genetic heritage in a blend where quality is the common denominator.