It seems somewhat serendipitous that my 101st post should be about the following...
I was thinking what does Colonel Winterborne need, what would no self respecting, upstanding Praetorian offer go to war without.
The answer clearly is a dog! and more precisely a Praetorian Ridgeback!
The Praetorian Ridgeback is a dog breed developed in the highlands of Rhodia. Its forebears can be traced to the early Praetorian pioneers who settled the at the time largely uninhabited continent of Natalium, who bred the typical hunting dogs favoured by the nobles of Praetoria Majoris with the much larger feral dogs found in the new land.
In the earlier parts of its history, the Praetorian Ridgeback was known as Pernel's Lion Dog, the Rhodian Lion Hound or Rhodian Lion Dog because of its ability to distract a much larger prey while awaiting its master to make the kill.
In regiments principally drawn from the citizens of Hive Rhodia, of which the 4th Mechanised Infantry is one, the Praetorian Ridgeback is a common sight accompanying their officers into battle.
Colonel Winterborne pictured with his favoured Praetorian Ridgeback "Rex"
Severely wounded in the 3rd War for Armageddon, the company chirurgeons at the request of Colonel Winterborne endowed Rex with substantial cybernetic enhancements in order for this loyal dog to continue in service to the Emperor.
I hope you like the dog and the brief Praetorian history lessons!
Cheers!