(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
Crown Crest Afghan Hounds USA Page 2 (by Steve Tillotson, 2014)
"Thumper" as Thief was called was bred by Joe Felt. We don't have much information about Mr Felt, which is surprising when you consider the significance of his breeding. In an interview in AHCANJ club magazine in 1974 Kay commented about Joe Felt as follows - "Joe could "talk dogs". He was knowledgeable and had an uncanny and natural instinct in understanding,m breeding and rearing good afghan hounds. His criticisms helped me more than anything else! He stressed good temperament and could not abide a mean dog. He taught me the desirable features to look for and encouraged me to show my own dolgs, for wich I am ever grateful."
Joe Felts kennel was not large, he perhaps bred 5 or 6 litters in total, primarily based on a blend of Prides Hill stock and Laurance Peters Tazi/Saki import lines, but not excluisvely so. Joe Felt also bred this blend with the addition of Fatima (Caroline Richmond Hall) import lines. He also bred from lines largely based on Prides Hill with an outcross to KU (Canadian kennel).. So I guess the common theme was Prides Hilll blended with either an Afghanistan import line, or a Canadian outcross. Further study require3d to more fully understand the kennels history. We have one more colour photo of Thief before we return to Crown Crest. This picture shows Margaret P Lawson with Thief - We don't have much information about Margaret P Lawson. Records show she owned an afghan bitch sired by Far Away Monkey. Kay's Banu sire was coincidentally Far Away Monkey, so perhaps this afghan hound link resulted in a friendship and hence Margaret P Lawson being photographed with Kays Thief of Bagdad? Anyway, whatever the link was it gave cause for this precious photograph to be taken.
Back to Crown Crest. Thief sired 5 litters for Kay, perhaps the most significant of the offspring was Egypts Echo Of Crown Crest (Thief x Big Carmelita). Big Carmelitas breeding was Prides Hill on the sire side and a blend including the Peters Tazi/Saki import lineage, and Carolyn Richmond Halls Fatima import line. (reminiscent of Joe Felts breeding, and, noting Kays respect and regard for Joe Felt, it is tempting to speculate that Joe Felt may have had some influence in Kay acquiring and breeding from Big Carmalita? Anyway, aside from our speculation, we do have some words from Kay on the breeding of Egypts Echo - "It was 1949 when Thief and my rangy bitch Big Carmelita gave us a thrill and the real foundation for Crown Crest - Egypts Echo who made her champinship ea sily and produced so beautifuly with Taejon, Their daughter Tae-Joan made history with lasting contributions for Crown Crest. Kay tells us that she was close friends with Joan Ludwig the famous photographer and Joan came to call just when the litter was born, so Kay named one of the females Tae-Joan in honour of Joan Ludwig.
Iin May 1950 Mrs Leo Conroy of Rudiwin bred a litter sired by her Elcoza's Ponder ex the dam which she also owned - Winomana Of Rrek's. Mrs Conroy sent a letter and photos of the litter to Kay and Braden Finch who then drove to Illinois to visit Mrs Conroy and view the litter. They came away with two puppies, one was a black mask silver named "Bascha" who was eventually transferred to Mr Buchanan of Desertaire Afghan hounds. (A little footnote. According to notes in the AHI pedigree databse, Basha was variously owned by Kay Finch and at one time also by Sunny Shay of Grandeur, before ultimately passing on to Mr Buchanan) The other puppy, the Finch's kept and he was named Taejon Of Crown Crest, a dog that would go on to break breed records, and contribute to the establishment of several other major kennels and of course, leave his legacy on the pedigree history of the breed.
Related content Claire Race (Rifka, UK) Marion Florsheim (Five Mile, USA) Lauer Froelich - (Elcoza, USA) Mrs Leo Conroy (Rudiwin, USA) Previous Crown Crest Page Library Of Articles/Main Menu Toolbar |
