(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
By - Steve Tillotson, May 2012, Jan 2016, March 2018
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Prides Hill Pamphlet and has been republished in the breed books and magazines. To the right is what
appears to be a "sketch" based on the original photograph. We think the sketch is excellent and
has captured the texture of the coat very well. Artist unknown, it was published in a USA newspaper in 1941.
One of the unusual, or interesting Afghan hounds bred at Prides Hill was Bagheera Of Prides Hill (Badshah Of Ainsdart x Zahera Of Prides Hill), whelped 14th May 1945, owned by Mrs Renfrew of Blue Bonnet Afghan hounds. What is unusual/interesting is the white facial markings, here's a photo -
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Bagheera would have been judged at Westminster 1935 under the original AHCA breed standard. The first American breed standard is interesting. The AHCA on its website explains that the breed started out with a "sketchy Afghan Hound standard they had "bought" in 1926". A study of this standard reveals that parts of it are similar to the wording of the 1925 AHC standard, but other parts of this early American standard we don't recognize as being related to the original 1925 AHC standard or any other standard. It's almost as if somebody took the 1925 AHC standard, copied chunks of it and added some lines of their own. This early standard did not mention so colour, so by default all colours were acceptable. The AHCA approved a revised breed standard in 1948 and this is what it stated about colour - "All colors are permissible, but color or color combinations are pleasing; white markings, especially on the head, are undesirable".
The AHCA and the UK Afghan Hound Association corresponded over their respective standard making activities - The English view on this is mentioned in a letter dated August 23 1946 from Olive Couper (UK Afghan Hound Association) to Mrs Porter (AHCA standards comittee member) enclosing a draft UK standard, and interestingly Mrs Couper comments - "many of the changes were compiled from the (trial standard) you sent to me". "The only thing we did not debar was white on the Afghan, because I do not think one can do this, for most of the brindles and black and tans have some white on them".
Such markings are a very rare occurrance, but we do have another example to share. This hound was named Bundles For Britain (Yusseff x Sita Devi), whelped 3rd Octobr 1940, co- bred by Margaret Nison and Eugenia L Brick and owned by Marion Foster Florsheim (USA - Five Mile). Bundles (pet name Freckles) was raffled off by Mrs Florsheim and raised $600 for the war effort.
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And we have one more example to share - Harisun. We note that these three examples were either the result of a breeding between Badshah of Ainsdart x Zahera Of Prides Hill or came down from that lineage.
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Related content
Early Afghan hounds
Badshah at Crufts 1932 (Four Leggers 1932)
Badshah at Westminster 1935
Caroline Hall Richmond (Fatima's Afghan hounds)
Bayard Warren (Barberryhill)
Margaret Nison (Bandra Ghur Afghan hounds)
Amelia White (Kandahar Afghan hounds)