(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
Afghan Hounds,UK Colonel T S and Mrs O Couper (by Steve Tillotson 2014) (article extended/updated Jan 2015) Page 3 7. GARRYMHOR AFGHAN HOUNDS Mrs Couper's first Afghan hound was Kim Of Wyke, bred by Mrs A M Nicholson who appeared to bread under Capt T S Waterlow Fox's affix of "Wyke". Most of Mrs Nicholsons breeding ended up in the ownership of Capt T S Waterlow Fox, so perhaps Mrs Nicholson was formerlly involved in the Wyke Kennel?. Kim had been bred from at Wyke before Mrs Couper obtained her. Mrs Couper did not breed from Kim, but she did actively campaign her at shows. Garrymhor Souriya (Ashna Of Ghazni x Alfreda) a gold bitch --. bred by Miss Simmons (Bericote), born on July 13, 1931. Souriya was a blend of Ghazni lines on the sire side and the imported Shahzada/Afroz lines on the dam's side.. Mrs Couper was not a prolific breeder, she only bred three Afghan hound litters in the years 1936-1936. Yet despite this modest breeding program the Garrymhor hounds were of great importance in the development of the breed in the UK and also in the USA. While the number of Garrymhor litters is modest, we should remember that Mrs Couper was simultaneously active in breeding and exhibiting German Shepherd Dogs and Salukis. Two breeds where she was a major founding influence, as well as Afghan hounds. We think an individual breder being a founding breeder in three different breeds is pretty special and unique.
Margaret Niblock in her book "The Afghan Hound a Definitive Study", page 123 writes "The next notable import was Ardmor Anthony, born January 1929 by Khan Baber ex Dakkas Delight (both unregistered by the KC), Bred by Mrs J Stubbs, registered by H G Bennett - a Sergeant Major returning from India. This was a well-coated white dog, but after his only mating to Ch Garrymhor Souriya, which produced Int Ch Garrymhor Faiz-Bu-Hassid bred by Mrs Couper and owned by Mrs M Sharpe, he was found to be sterile. This statement is in fact in error, - Ardmor Anthony sired TWO litters, the one above with Souriya producing Faiz-Bu-Hassid whelped 3/23/1935 and an earlier litter involving Ardmor Anthony and Sheila Beg (his litter sister?) in a litter bred 5/5/1935, bred by Mr H G Bennett (UK). The only known offspring of this breeding was Nerone Of Pommelrock who was exported to Mrs Lynde-Selden (PommelRock USA). The point of mentioning this is that the second breeding from Anthony bred by Mrs Couper and her Garrymhor Souriya, is the ONLY lineage of Ardmor Anthony existent in the UK, because the only offspring in the first litter (Pommelrock) was exported to the USA and thus the only remaining source for Ardmor Anthonys lineage in the UK is via the Garrymhor's, which gives Mrs Couper's kennel a particular, and important distinction. Another distinction was Garrymhor's inhritence of Mrs De La Motte's Afghanistan import lineage - Shahzada and Afroz via Ch Alfreda who was the dam of Garrymhor Souriya.. So a feature of the Garrymhor's was the lineage to 3 of the 4 post war Imports (Ardmor Anthony, Shahzada, Afroz). Via two Chaman exports to Belgium (Alphons Godts - Ruwendae kennel and L Deckers - Bagdad kennel) the Garrymhor lines containing the aformentioned 3 post war import lines contributed to development of the breed there . See the pedigree of Dutch Ch Bagheera De Ruwendael below. Note also "Safiya" on the sire side with lineage back to Shahzada/Afroz
Impact - Worldwide First of all, let's consider Molly Sharpe (Chaman, UK). Molly Sharpe's first Afghan hound was Ch Garrymhor Faiz-Bu-Hassid and his sister Garrymhor Nazeem, both bred by Mrs Couper). Shortly after that, Molly acquired Garrymhor Souriya's litter sister Safiya, and later still Souriya's litter brother Amanullah. It is not an overstatement to say that Chaman is one of the most important Afghan kennels in the history of the breed, see the Molly Sharpe pages (link at bottom of the page) for fuller details on Chaman. Given that Molly Sharpe was totally invested in Garrymhor dogs as her foundation, then credit is also due to Mrs Couper for breeding the bloodstock that enabled Mollly Sharpe to take the breed forward and leave her indelible impression upon it. Herebelow is a photo of Molly Sharpes Garrymhor foundation hounds.
CANADA Mary Matchett (El Myia, Canada) had been fascinated with pictures of Afghan hounds and had vowed to own one some day. Mary Matchett emigrated to Canda in 1919 and eventually started her kennel by breeding Wirehair Fox Terriers, Great Danes, English and Irish Setters. The UK dog publications "Our Dogs"and "Dog World" kept her informed of the dog scene as well as the Afghan-heppenings in Britain and later led her to Molly Sharpe's Chaman kennel for the import of Canada's foundation bitch Pic Of Chaman, imported by Mary Matchett, and who produced 5 litters for the El Myia kennels. Pic Of Chaman, was a red bitch, born 8/19/37, sired by Ch Garrymhor Souriya) out of the bitch Manda Of Chaman. USA Am Ch Garrymhor Zabardast went to the Arken kennels in the USA and was the sire of Rajah Of Arken, a hound who held the record for the most back to back National Speciality wins for nearly 75 years.
Three other Garrymhor's went to the USA and made a great impression there - Am Ch Garrymhor Pearie went to Dr & MrsCombs (Arthea), Garrymhor Kishtwar and Garrymhor Khasa and Am Ch Garrymhor Pearie . Kishtwar and Khasha went to R W Samson's Kuhsan kennel in Redwood City, California. (Khasa was bred by Mrs A Lapham). Khasa was originally owned by Mrs Couper (hence Khasa carrying the Garrymhor affix) and then was sold on to Kuhsan kennels in California. Both Kishtwar and Khasa became American Champions. Few photos of Kuhsan breeding exist, but we recently received a super photo of a Kuhsan hound (parents were Garrymhor Kishtwar x Garrymhor Khasa) - Khan of Kuhsan.
Sunny Shay (Grandeur) collected the widest range of bloodlines, this included imports from Canada that were founded on Chaman (Garrymhor bloodlines), further extending the reach and impact of Garrymhor in North America. A hound used by Granduer is of particular relevance to this Garrymhor project - Am Ch Ali Khyber. Lets look at his pedigree first -
We mentioned earlier that the only Kennel in the UK to use Ardmor Anthony and incorporate his lineage directly in the UK was Garrymhor. He may have been the primary source of the heavier coats that the Garrymhor's appeared to have.. We also mentioned that Ardmor Anthony's litter sister(?) Sheila Beg was mated with Ardmor Anthony, but the only recorded hound from this litter (Nerone of Pommel Rock) went to the US. Study of Aly Khyber's pedigree reveals his breeding is a total outcross between the founding US lines (Westmill Omar, Asra of Ghazni, Badshah of Ainsdart) and the Ardmor Anthony/Sheila Beg lines (parents Khan Baber x Dakkas Delight). Aly Khyber carried an enormous coat. During the AHCA discussions/negotiations in development of the USA Afghan hound breed standard Leah McConaha (USA - Khanhasset,Ali Khybers breeder/owner was influential when it came to determining the standards definition of coat. In the AHT article abaout discussions on the AHCA breed standard Classical Compromise we wrote the following - "Interesting to note that in 1946 Lea McConaha had won Group at the Garden with Ch Ali Khyber. Lea McConaha also won the Afghan Hound Club Of America Specialty for the years 1946/47 with Karach of Khanhasset and also in 1948 with Karan of Khanhasset, both Afghan Hounds sired by Ch Ali Khyber. So leading into the 1948 standard revision, Lea McConaha would have assumed a particular currency and relevance.Ch Ali Khyber was one of the bigger Afghan Hounds around, he stood a little over 28 inches, he also had a very thick stand-off type coat which the breed hadn't seen before. The coat probably came down via the Dam lines (Pommel Rock) that were entirely different to the sire (Rudiki Of Prides Hill) coats. Pommel Rock pedigrees go back to the UK imported Afghan lines from India - Khan Baber and Dakkas Delight. These lines introduced a richness of coat to the breed in England. A line and feature developed by Mrs Olive Couper (Garrymhor, UK). The dam side of Ali Khyber's pedigree also includes Garrymhor ancestry. Ali Khyber did a lot of winning, so the standard was changed from "Long and Silky" to "Long Thick and Silky"." We also mentioned earlier that Mrs Couper was a member of the UK AHA standards making committee that was updating the UK standard at the same time as the Americans were developing their own standard. Mrs Couper was involved with correspondence between AHCA/AH on the standard. So directly via Mrs Coupers breeding and exports to the USA, and the negotiating skils of Lea McConaha who's own breeding legacy goes back to Garrymhor, Mrs Couper may have had a modest influence on development of the American standard The Coupers also exported AM CH Garrymhor Zabardast Of Arken (Garrymhor Ghulam Nubi x Ranai Of Istalif). Another USA export was the red bitch Garrymhor Peri-Banou Of Pommel Rock Garrymhor Yenghiz Khan x Tullah Of Pushtikuh (Late Kandahar Tullah). Peri-Banou was not bred by Mrs Couper but by Ivy Polson of Sharaz Afghan Hounds (UK). Mrs Couper was the first owner and presumably took the bitch in lieu of a stud fee? Peri-Banou went to Mrs Lynde-Selden of Pommel Rock Afghan hounds. Peri-Banou was a littermate of Garrymhor Ashna who was also exported to the USA to Mr Allen Oddie. Again, Ashna was first owned by Mrs Couper before being exported to the USA. Related content Miss Simmons, Bericote UK Molly Sharpe (Chaman UK) Pages Kuhsan Afghan hounds USA Arken Afghan hounds USA Previous Page Library Of Articles/Main Menu Toolbar |
