The Afghan Hound in Australia - A Brief History
by Jim Hickie , Gengala Afghans, Australia.
(Page 2)
From the foregoing it becomes clear that most of the imports that
established the breed in this country
in the 1950's and early 1960's and which have had a continuing
influence on its subsequent
development were brought here from the U.K. by migrating English
enthusiasts.
.
From the early 1960's through to the mid 1970's there was increasing
interest in the breed - the show
entries continually increased and Afghans became popular as pets as well
as show dogs. By the mid
1970's specialist shows were drawing entries of up to five hundred and
there were established large
breeding kennels that housed large numbers of dogs. Inevitably the
popularity of the breed led to
many more imports from England and a few from America. It would be
impossible to mention all, so
this history will confine itself to documenting just some of the dogs
and people who made a significant
and ongoing contribution to the worldwide reputation for excellence that
the breed in Australia
acquired over this period. .
.
Only a small number of the imports of this period have survived as
significant dogs in modern
pedigrees. Some were owned by large or influential kennels where they
had many breeding
opportunities while others had rather restricted opportunities but still
managed to stamp their
influence on the breed. Some were great show dogs, others were great
producers and a few were
both. There were other dogs also imported who did some winning for a
while and/or whose
influence lasted but a generation or two - those are not the subject of
this brief history. .
.
1963 saw the first imports of dogs carrying American bloodlines . The
first of these, Ch. Tarababa of
Carloway, was a son of the American import to the U.K. , Wazir of
Desertaire. He came to the Emir
Kennels of Lester and Joyce Davey. From this kennel came the foundation
stock for both the Dzum
kennels of Peter and Cathy Frost and the Calahorra Kennels of Stuart
and Wendye Slatyer. The
Slatyers and the Daveys together subsequently brought in Chandhara's
Emir of Gray Dawn from the
U.K. This dog produced a number of winners but the two most important
must be the black and tan
bitch Ch. Calahorra Turban who was a dominant force in the showrings in
the early 1970's and the
other was the blue dog Ch. Calahorra Quetzlcoatl . Included among the
winners this dog sired was
Calahorra Magnolia, who when mated to Ch Quom Starspangled Banner
produced a unique litter of
outstanding stock that included the cream dog Ch Rahzmundah Mr. America
a Specialty Best in
Show winner and in turn a significant producer..
.
Barbara Skilton imported the black and tan bitch Ajman Shiramin around
the same time. This
bitch enhanced the already strong line of black and tans down from Aghai
of Hawkfield When mated
to Ch. Sforzy Al Shar she produced an excellent sire in Ch. El Tazzi
Jabbabirah who was important
in the foundation of Lorraine Hilder's Alsace Kennels. Jabbabirah when
mated back to Shiramin , his
mother, produced Sforzy Deebah who when mated to Ch. Nansing Jacosta
produced the foundation
bitch for Don Day's Aboukir Kennel. This bitch Aboukir Jezabel was the
grand-dam of Aboukir
Brazen Sooty, producer of eighteen champions..
Over this same period the Shaaltarah Kennels of Lyn Schelling ( now
Watson) had imported Ch.
Chandhara Wazir Shah (another son of Wazir of Desertaire) who
unfortunately lost his life in an
accident before he coukld leave any progeny. Lyn subsequently imported
Ch. Chandhara Tarkuhn
Khan and Ch. Horningsea Kista both of which were very important in
maintaining the output of
quality stock from this highly successful kennel..
.
In 1966 the first brindle Afghan arrived in Australia. This was Ch.
Chandharas Tardis Arrakesh (U.K.)
brought out by Graham Palchen and Lyle Dally (Shahzada). "Tygah" as he
was known made his
presence felt in the showring very early in life, taking Best in Show at
Adelaide Royal under Stanley
Dangerfield (U.K.) at just thirteen and a half months of age ! From
there he went on to win a further
ninety five Best in Shows including a number of specialties and Royals.
He was always immaculately
presented and was a great showman. He produced twenty six Champions
including Ch. Shahzada
Brazen Sooty who was out of another English import Chandhara Shirazada.
Sooty won a number of
Best in Shows and was top Afghan in Victoria in 1968, 1969, 1970 and
1971. Graham and Lyle were
also the importers of Ch. Chandhara Hashim Yakoub and Chandhara
Shirazada and later on brought
out one of the very early blues to arrive in Australia, Akabas Blue Max
( U.S.A.).
.
The black masked gold dog Eng.& Aust. Ch. Mazari of Carloway (U.K.) was
not only a successful
sire but a really great show dog. In terms of breed characteristics, "
a style of high order", "dignified
and aloof" etc. this dog was the epitomy of the standard and of course
in the hands of his owner
David Roche his presentation was never less than perfect. He won Sydney
Royal in 1965 and then
went on to go Best in Show at both Melbourne and Adelaide Royal Shoiws.
He was not only an
important sire for David's Fermoy Kennels but figured prominently in the
breedings at Emir,Calahorra
and Dzum Kennels..
.
Eng & Aust. Ch. Wolliwog of Carloway was the next male to be imported by
David Roche. This dog
had been a top winner in England and already had sired many winners
there and also a litter ( from a
dam imported in whelp) in New Zealand before his arrival in Australia.
Two of that litter came to
Australia. He continued to produce valuable stock for a number of
kennels here.
.
.
The Flying Dutchman of Isfahan (U.S.A.) was one of the earliest imports
from America. He was
owned by Wendye and Stuart Slatyer (Calahorra) and produced numerous
champions for this kennel
as well as many others, some forty in all. Many of his progeny were also
good producers and to this
day he is considered to be an important figure in modern pedigrees. It
is interesting to note that semen
collected from this dog in 1976 was used some sixteen years later in
1992 to produce Ch. Calahorra
Below Zero (A.I.)
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