(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
(By Steve Tillotson July 2017)
INTRODUCTION Rana of Chaman of Royal Irish is perhaps one of the most influential and famous Afghan hounds in the history of the breed, particularly in the USA. The aviator and Afghan hound breeder Marion Foster Florsheim (Five Mile kennel USA) flew Rana all over the United States. His photo was broadcast nationwide via the Newspapers. He was on the cover of several popular magazines in the USA - Marions Afghan hounds were featured on the cover of fhe Saturday Evening Post, in 1944 and also feartured on the cover of Life Magazine in 1945. Her Afghan hounds also appeared in various canine publications. Shown below is the cover of Dog World 1944 with Rudiki on the right and Rana Of Chaman on the left (August) , and again in 1944 (December) with Rudiki of Prides Hill. . We have also below the cover for Coronet Magazine dated August 1944, featuring Rudiki and Rana. So all this publicity in the media about the Five Mile Afghan hounds, and Marions aviator exploits ensured that Marion and Rana remained in the public eye in this era.
Rana of Chaman of Royal Irish and Rudiki Of Prides Hill were also on the cover of PARADE magazine. We have found a poor quality photo/news archive showing the two hounds. We happen to have had on file a similar photo of the two hounds, so we have composed the composite image below to reflect the Parade magazine original. The colour photo above was taken from a Christmas Card sent by Mr Mrs Florshein to AKC Judge Leon J. Iriberry. You can view the actual greeting card, and other Florsheim cards, and other Afghan breeders cards on the Iriberry page.
Rana broke just about every existing record for breed wins and best in shows and his achievements and the publicity he received captured the publics attention and imagination, which helped promote the (then) newly established and exotic breed. As an example of Rana's show success - In an advert in the UK Dog World Annual in 1944, Marin Florsheim listed his wins to date as being - 42 BOB, 36 GROUP placings, 12 BEST HOUND and 3 BIS. In addition to his celebrity and show performance he was one of the most important stud dogs in the history of the breed in the USA. Rana won the Hound Group at WKC in 1941 under judge Gerald Livingston, the first time the breed won group at WKC. The next year (1942) Rana was defeated in breed by Ch Rajah Of Arken. under Judge Venita Vardon Oakie (Oakvardon). A Chicago Tribune report described the result as "a very unpopular decision" which was probably more a reflection of the popularity, and celebrity status of Marion Florsheim, rather than a criticism of the Judge or her choice of winner). Rana won breed at WKC in 1943 but was beaten in group by a Borzoi owned by Louis J Murr,. Marion Florsheim did not initially handle Rana herself at shows, she employed a professional handler. Marion handled Rana for the first time at the Onondaga Kennel Club show in July 1944. The local press reported the show win as follows - "Rana swept in from its breed, to number one of the hound group and finally, best in Ssow. Heretofore, Rana shown by a handler, had achieved the record of 57 best of breeds, 51 group placings, 22 hound group winnings and four best in show triumphs". Rana was also remarkable for the fact that he had 6 owners on two continents (7 owners if you include the time Rana spent living with Mr Bamburger's professional handler John Hickey in California). Rana must have had a marvelous temperament to cope with the constant change of ownership and environment. Below is a summary of these ownership changes -
Rana was first owned and exhibited as a puppy in November 1938 by his breeder Molly Sharpe . By early 1939 Rana had become the property of Reg Floyd (Ravelly), but he was cared for and exhibited by Peggy Riley (Bletchingley) in her kennels at Whistable, Kent. Interestingly, after Rana left for the USA, Peggy Rilley acquired his sister Shiba Of Chaman as her kennels foundation bitch.The newspaper cuttings below are a couple of examples of Rana's UK show record. When shown by Peggy Riley at that Herne Bay (Kent) show in 1939, Rana also went Best In Show. Rana was purchased late 1939 by Mr A J Baron (USA - Royal Irish) and was then exported to the USA where he eventually became the property of Marion Florsheim (Five Mile)
Below (left) is a photo of Rana Of Chaman of Royal Irish with his first US owner Al Baron (Royal Irish). The photo was taken shortly after Rana arrived at the Royal Irish Kennel in California. Bit of a grainy photograph but the dog is Rana Of Chaman modelling a gas mask as issued to dog owners in the UK. Photo right is a press report of the wartime journey involving crossing the Atlantic Ocean and avoiding the German Submarines that sunk 23 British Boats in 24 days in the opening weeks of the war. So it would have been a scary journey for the passengers.
A comment on Rana by Will Hally, (Our Dogs, UK) December 1941 -" It was the happiest of Christmas cheer which Mr Charles Hopton gave us last week in the great news that the British-bred Afghan hound, American Ch. Rana Of Chaman was best exhibit, all breeds, at the big Washington show".
Will Hally continues - "As his famous affix implies, Rana was bred by Mrs Molly Sharpe - in March 1938, from Ch Westmill Bayezid Ansari and Safiya. After being best dog puppy on his debut at the Kennel Club show in December of the same year (his litter sister, Shiba of Chaman, was best bitch puppy). Rana was sold to Mr R.A. Floyd (Ravelly, UK) , for whom he did a lot of winning, especially in varieties, before taking the Afghan dog certificate at Harrogate Championship Show under the late Mr Chris Houlker, on September 2, 1939, the day before Britain declared was on Germany. It was just after Harrogate that Rana was exported to the United States".
The photo above shows Marion Florsheim with Ch Rana Of Chaman of Royal Irish and Ch Rudiki Of Prides Hill at a fund-raising event held in New York C. 1942 - "Calling All Dogs" . We are not sure who the man is holding Rana but we believe it may be Marion's husband Harry A Florsheim because his dark hair and complexion matches descriptions we have of him.
"In 1942 two American dogs, destined to become greats in interntional Afghan-History, stole the limelight in Canada's show rings, together with their popular owner Mrs Marion Foster Florsheim of the Five Mile Kennel USA. Am Ch Rudiki of Prides Hill on his fourth owner, claimed his Canadian title with four best in show wins, while his cream kennel mate, an import from Great Britain and on his fifth owner, Am Ch Rana Of Chaman of Royal Irish did so with two best in show awards. Marion and Canadian professional handler Mr Alf Loveridge propelled the dogs to stardom in Canada, Rudiki was #1 Afghan in 1942, #2 in 1943, #1 in 1944 and Rana was #2 in 1942. Neither of these dogs sired a litter in Canada. Rana's influence on Canadian pedigrees was considerable, though indirect, in later years through one of his sons imported into Canada". (Source: Lilian Goodman, Our Afghans, 1984, based on Inge James Canadian History and Statistic Issue 1981). The Rana son referred to above was Am Can Ch Asri-Havid Of Five Mile (Rana Of Chaman Of Royal Irish x Rudika Of Blakeen) whelped 2nd September 1941 and exported to Eva Gudgeon (Birchwood Canada). Asri-Havid Canadian bred offspring went to the following top Canadian kennels - Birchwood, Ku, Skyridge and El Myia. Asri-Havid was top sire of the decade (1940's) and produced 6 Champions.
Two of Rana's siblings were exported - Rana's litter brother Tarik Of Chaman, black dog was exported to Mrs Mary Matchett's "El Myia" kennel in Canada and Rana's litter sister, Kala of Chaman, black bitch, was exported to Dr Gertrude Kinsey's "Altoun" kennel in the USA. Another Chaman hound from a different litter - Manda Of Chaman (Late Keshang Of Pushtikuh) Westmill Fasano x Tetrarch Of Cheltside/Rasti Of Istalif, bred by Helen Semple (Pushtikuh UK), originally owned by Molly Sharpe (Chaman) was also exported to Mary Mathcett in Canada. Viola Felden of the Canadian "of Ku" kennel mated her dog Ramy to Kala and produced a litter, one of which - Kala's Karicha Of Ku went to Sunny Shay's Grandeur Kennel. So the breedings above provided foundation hounds for El Myia, Of Ku, Altoun, Grandeur, and several other kennels as well. Interestingly in a Shelgrove litter whelped in 1937 (Shelgrove Monica of Regina ) we find the pedigree contains Tarik, Manda and Kala of Chaman When you add into this Chaman based element to USA pedigree history, the contribution by Rana of Chaman via the Five Mile Kennels breeding of Marion Florsheim, it becomes self apparent how significant Molly Sharpe's breeding, (and Rana's litter in particular) became in the USA, Canada, Europe, and other countries. Rana's contribution to breed history extends beyond the borders of the USA and Canada - Shown below is a photograph published in 1948 of Kerrywood's Serai Rhaja and Shelgrove Rasraff Serai who were owned by Capt Jack and Mrs Tooley who were stationed on Sand Island, Hawaii. Kerrywood (USA) was the Afghan hound kennel owned by Joseph P Wood, who also owned the bitch Milanah Of Shelgrove. He bred a litter sired by Rana out of Milanah Of Shelgrove, (the parents of Kerrywood Serai Rhaja mentioned above). The Tooley's obtained their hounds from Richard and Claire Sherman (Aukai, Hawaii, USA) the owner of Kerrywood's Serai Rhaja. Auki was the name of the road (Auki Avenue) where the Shermans lived in Kahala, Hawaii, hence the origin of their kennel name Auki. We note that Rana of Chaman and his breeder Molly Sharpe, contributed to the breed history of the sovereign country of Hawaii a decade before it became the 50th state of the USA in 1959.
Related content Maion Florsheim, and her Five Mile Afghan hounds Five Mile Afghan hounds = Life" magazine, November 26, 1945 Molly Sharpe, Chaman UK Afghan hounds |
