(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
Baz - The Afghan Hound in The Greyhound Studbook (By Steve Tillotson, December 2011)
It's generally accepted that hounds such as The Afghan Hound and Saluki are descended from the Greyhound. In times past there have been some interesting controversies such as a suggestion and argument/debate that the Afghan Hound is descended from the Saluki. See article here Well I think it's time to add a new controversy - "Is the modern Racing Greyhound descended from the Afghan Hound? 1. Here's our first reference - (Brittanica year book Page 456 - Hugh Chisholm - 1913, Sports And Games by Arthur William Browne (sub editor "The Field" London)) Competition between greyhounds of different countries is attended with almost insuperable difficulties. Australians from time to time have sent dogs to the Waterloo Cup, meeting with but little success—perhaps through the effect of the long sea voyage. Coursing has become popular in France. The French Greyhound Club has leased a fine ground at Tremblay near Paris, where many meetings are held every year. Having purchased some of the best English blood for breeding purposes, French coursers are naturally anxious to send dogs to Altcar, and have more than once approached the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in England with a view to the relaxation of the quarantine regulations. On the other hand English greyhounds are frequently sent abroad, even to countries as distant as Argentina, where many meetings have been held; and it is very rarely that they do not prove their superiority. In France for instance the majority of the stakes have been won by English bred dogs. Nevertheless some British breeders believe that the dogs now produced, while possessing speed, are deficient in stamina; and one breeder at least has decided to make the experiment of crossing with the Afghan hound, a slow animal remarkable for staying powers. One of this breed was imported by Lieut. M. H. Lucas, of the Indian Army (37th Lancers), who bought him from a caravan of Afghans passing through Zhob, Baluchistan. The dog is now at the stud in Northumberland, and the career of his produce will be watched with much interest. The pre-eminence of the English greyhound has been proved in Hungary, where coursing, or at least the pursuit of the hare with greyhounds, has been practised from time immemorial. The typical Hungarian dog was undoubtedly slow, but he was endowed with wonderful courage; and before the National Coursing Clubs (England) rules were adopted, the most sought after greyhound was the one that could bring his hare down, no matter what obstacles he might be called upon to negotiate. Since those days the Hungarian coursers have imported many English dogs; and the result has been highly interesting for the reason that few stakes are won but by an English bred dog, or one possessing English blood. Coursing has also been taken up in Russia with the support of the Grand Duke Nicholas, on whose estate at Perchino, about 200 miles south of Moscow, meetings are regularly held. 2. Second reference - (The Afghan Handbook, Clifford L Hubbard, 1951 page 24) "To conclude this chapter on the history of the breed's very early days in Britain, I feel compelled to at lest mention another Afghan of interest, the dog "Baz" who was bred to a Greyhound bitch in order to give additional stamina to the Greyhound! ."Baz" was a red Afghan bought from a caravan in Baluchistan by an Indian Army Officer, later the property of Mr N, Dunn the Northumberland racing Greyhound breeder. Mr Dunne had a registered bitch Greyhound named "Explosion" (by father of fire out of Ennia) and he put "Baz" to this bitch some time in 1911, and from what few accounts I have found of the experiment the puppies turned out to be quite fast and staying racers. Mr Will Hally relates in "Our Dogs" (9th April 1937) that "Baz" (assuming this is the dog he meant, for at that time he could not recall the dog's name) was twenty-six inches at the shoulder and weighed sixty-three pounds. And in the 5th March 1937 issue he tells us that the progeny (who all had the typical Afghan ring to their tails) could not be registered in the Greyhound Stud Book. However, Charles Castle, the writer on Greyhounds, says (The Book of the Dog, 1948, p 802) "Mr Dunn of Northumberland (was) by resolution of the National Coursing Club..... permited in 1911 to register in the Greyhound Stud Book "Baz", and Afghan Hound". So that even if the progeny were not registered it appears that the Afghan sire was, allthough I have not searched the volume of the Greyhound Stud Book which contains the registrations for 1911 and cannot myself vouch that he was registered 3 Third reference - The Kennel Club Breed Records Supplement The KC's Registration Supplement (BRS), September 1910, shows a registration for "Baz" "Afghan Greyhound" colour Red, then owned by Mr M H Lucas 4. Putting the above all together - Britannica references "Imported by Lieut. M. H. Lucas, of the Indian Army (37th Lancers)", clearly the same Mr M H Lucas as recorded in The Kennel Club's BRS in September 1910. Britannica references "The dog is now at the stud in Northumberland". Clearly consistent with Doggie Hubbards writings - "Baz" was a red Afghan bought from a caravan in Baluchistan by an Indian Army Officer, later the property of Mr N, Dunn the Northumberland racing Greyhound breeder." By the way the name "Afghan Greyhound" was an early name for the breed (it had others also, such as Persian Greyhound). It wasn't until the early 1920's that the breed was consistently referred to as "Afghan Hound". So we have several reliable references in 1910, 1913, 1937, 1948, 1951 on Baz the "Afghan Greyhound" mated to a racing Greyhound. A final thought, Baluchistan (now in Pakistan) was an area of Afghanistan that sourced some of the Bell Murray Afghan Hounds, imported to the UK just prior to the 1920's. Will Hally's reference to height and weight are consistent for an Afghan Hound. Now all we need is a photo !! Steve Tillotson, December 2011 Related content: The Origin Of The Afghan Hound, Steve Tillotson 2010 Early Afghan Hounds The Hyland Painting The Barukhzy (Afghan) And Allied Eastern Hounds. (Extract) by W. D. Drury 1903 Robert Leighton on Mrs Amps Ghazni 1926 UK - KAF (Bell Murray) Afghan Hounds, A Croxton Smith, Country Life 1926 (extract) Extract on The Afghan Hound from "The Practical Dog Book by Edward C Ash m.r.a.c (Dip. Hons.) 1931 The Barukhzy (Afghan) And Allied Eastern Hounds (Extract) from "British Dogs, Their Points, Selection, And Show Preparation", by W. D. Drury 1903 Afghan Hound Myths, Legends and some Truths, Anon, c 2009 |
