(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
TO STEP ON AMERICAN SOIL?? (Researched by Lyall Payne, Bletchley Hall Afghans New Zealand). (Page compiled by Steve Tillotson October 2013) Below is shown a clipping from the US newspaper "Wellsboro Gazette" dated 25 May 1922 reporting the arrival of an Afghan hound in America. (Notes from Lyall Payne) This early record of an Afghan hound in America adds quite a new dimension to the early US breed history that has been forgotten simply because they did not breed on - but of course does not mean that they were not hugely important (introducing the American people to a hitherto unknown and exotic breed of dog) and possibly even influential in their day in encouraging later fanciers to get into the breed. The person who brought Tazidah to America was - Percival Michael Farlow Fielding, who was born in Darjeeling, India on 7 Aug 1896. He visited California in 1920 and returned (after living at 'Feilding Chateau' in Nice, France) to the US on board the SS Adriatic on 15 Feb 1922. He was at this time Captain Percival Fielding (Indian Army, Retired). He was just 25 years old. He lived for some time in Chicago, Illinois before making his home in San Francisco, California. He died in Pasadena, California on 30 Nov 1966. He arrived in the US with an afghan hound 'Tazidah', the 'red-haired huntress' reported below.
Prior to Lyall's research discovery, breed historians/writers have referenced the date 1926 as being the earliest date that an Afghan hound was recorded being in the USA. The usual reference is the O'Valley Farms kennel, who imported Bell Murray hounds from Jean Manson in Scotland, so Lyall's find pushes back the date to 1922 The description of Tazidah in the above article is very short so we are unable to assess how typical of an Afghan hound Tazidah was (some of the early Afghan hounds, or supposed Afghan hounds imported into England pre 1900's bore little resemblance to a typical specimen.). However, Tazidah is described as An Afghan Gazelle Hound and as such she exists now as the earliest named reference on the breed in the USA. Captain Fieldings narrative of the time he spent in Afghanistan with Tazidah is also interesting, and such narrative is rare. |
