(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
 Chaman Afghan Hounds UK Page 2 (By Steve Tillotson October 2013) As we're going to be discussing Chota Sahib, let's get his photo/pedigree back here...
The first observation is that the sire of Chota Sahib - (Ch Firdausi Of Geufron) was out of a blended Geufron (Ghazni/Shahzada/Afroz) sire line and a Bell Murray dam (Zabana Of Kaf). Here is a photo of Firdausi
Next observation is that the dam of Chota Sahib was Safiya, a bitch, owned in 1936 by... Molly Sharpe. So..Molly owned the dam of Chota Sahib who she surely liked and who was out of her own Safiya. Next observation is that Safiya is herself a blend of Ghazni/Shahzada/Afroz lines. Perhaps Molly thought - that whilst she was not keen on the light coats/bare legs of the Bell Murrays, she had first hand knowledge of a successful breeding involving Bell-Murray lines, albeit blended not only with Ghazni, but also the other imports Shahzada/Afroz, and she liked the result. Further of course, she now owned Safiya, the dam of Chota Sahib. So I am kind of led to the conclusion that Molly went with Kulli Khan Of Kuranda (Bell Murray) as the sire of her first litter, based on her observation/experience of the outcome of the Chota Sahib breeding. And of course, breeders/friends such as Mrs E E Drinkwater (Geufron), Edna Carlton, Miss Simmons (Bericote) may have given the "youngster" Molly some input on her first Afghan hound litter? Let's look at the star of this first litter -
Well whatever the reason for Molly using the Bell-Murray stud dog it worked out. The picture above of Taj Akbar carries the "hallmark" of Chaman. That is to say "upstanding hounds with a commanding appearance". This dog doesn't even need to move to get your attention. Molly's first Afghan Garrymhor Faiz Bu Hassid was of a similar commanding appearance. As we will see later, Molly used a similar blend of Bell-Murray/Ghazni/Shahzada/Afroz lines in breeding Ch Taj Of Chaman, thats in 1939, we'll get there shortly. *****Some info about Taj Akbar Of Chaman from Charles Harrissons's book "The Afghan Hound", page47 - "Taj Akbar (as of the 1970's) hold the record of winning nine challenge certificates at three years of age as wel as being the first Afghan hound to be televised, appearing before the cameras at Alexandra Palace in 1938." also Charles Harrison informs us "Taj Of Chaman hold the record along with Sirdar Of Ghazni of never having been beaten in the show ring by another Afghan hound. Meanwhile back to Shahzada/Afroz whom we have mentioned several times. No photographs of either have been uncovered. Shahzada is described in an advert in 1929 as "A dog in excellent condition, who has produced fine red offspring - like Ch Alfreda (out of Afroz), Shazada should prove valuable, as he is large and sires get of good size" (source Pam Croft/Afghan Hounds International). Margaret Niblock also wrote that Shahzada may have been Zardin like and injected size and substance into the breed based on daughter Alfreda and Grandaughter Sirfreda
Molly's second litter involved a breeding of Tash Garift Of Pushtikuh x Garrymhor Nazeem 1936/07/16. Only one of the several littermates went on to produce, that was a black mask red bitch Khasru Of Chaman who was exported to Isabelle Cavallin-Tonnesen (Knurrebos kennel Norway). (Isabelle Cavallin-Tonnesen eventually emigrated to the USA, she took some Afghan hounds with her and bred under the Khasru kennel name in the USA). Whilst still in Norway Khasru of Chaman was mated to Ch Taj Akbar Of Chaman (who had been exported earlier to Miss M Wilson's Woodcroft kennel in the Netherlands). This line continued for several generations, including the USA breedings. We have traced this Chaman line up to the early 1960's in the USA.
Let's move forward a couple of years because here we will see one of the first changes in Molly's breeding program. As an example we will use Am Ch Rana Of Chaman Of Royal Irish whelped 14/3/1938. The dam of the litter is Molly's foundation bitch Safiya, the change occurs mainly on the sire side. The Bell-Murray on the sire side has diminished to about 25% in favour of the Ghazni lineage. Molly wrote about this - "Before the war Mrs Wood's Ch Westmill Ben Havid, a black and tan, had impressed me, and I still think him the finest Afghan I have seen. I used Ch Westmill Bayezid Ansari - to improve heads".
So thanks to Molly's own words we can understand the first change in her breeding development - "to improve heads". As you can see from the photo below, Molly succeeded in producing an Afghan with a superb head.
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. 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 Mrs A J Baron (USA - Royal Irish) and was then exported to the USA where he became the property of Marion Florsheim (Five Mile)
A comment on Rana by Will Hally, December 1941- It was the happiest of Christmas cheer which Mr Charles Hopton gave use last week in the great news that the British-bred Afghan, American Ch. Rana Of Chaman was best exhibit, all breeds, at the big Washington show. 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 Knnel 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 crtificate at Harrogate under the late Mr Chris Houlker, on September 2, 1939, the day before Britain declared was on Germany. It wa just after Harrogate that Rana was exported to the States. Rana was originally sold to Mr A Baron (USA) who owned the Royal Irish Afghan hound kennel and where that affix was added to make the name Rana Of Chaman Of Royal Irish. After the initial ownership by Mr Baron, Rana was transferred to Marion Foster Florsheim of the Five Miles Kennel
Above (left) is a photo published in Harpers Bazaar in 1941 just after Westminster where Rana won the hound group, caption is top centre. Below that caption are some notes from Will Hally, Afghan hound breed correspondent for "Our Dogs" weekly English canine newspaper . To the right is a cropped photo of an advertisment placed by Marion Florsheim in the "Dog World" annual in 1944. Below is a photo of Rana dressed in high fashion of the day. with Marion Florsheim, photo dates from 1941.....
Here is another photograhp with Marion and Rana in his spiffy suit (By Ralph Trost The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 10 Feb 1942) While the subject of Cornelius Warmerdam and his 15 foot vault is still how we wish to point out that in the Westminster Kennel Club show tomorrow and Thursday in the very same Madison Square Garden where the Californian made his historic leap, there's a dog which may throw the customers back 10,000 miles and more than 4,000 years. The dog owns the imposing name of Champion Rana of Chaman of Royal Irish. For all that name he's and Afghan hound. As far as they can tell of all the innumerable breeds in this biggest of shows, he's the real thoroughbred. Other Breeds Just Upstarts - We're so accustomed to certain breeds, like fox terriers, Airedales, Spaniels and even Chihuahuas; we blissfully assume they always were what they seem to be. But alas, as the student of history measures time, most of those we think of thoroughbreds didn't exist, note even in the imaginations of the men who, much later were to crossbreed and thusly create, when the Afghan was an accepted breed. Rana of Chaman of Royal Irish show those Irish do get around and his long line of ancestors came all the miles and all the years without changing. Major Blackstone, a British antiquarian, is the authority for the accepted unbroken line of Afghan hounds. He not only found their outlines on the sandstone of Egyptian tombs, but description of those hounds in papyrus acknowledging them as gifts. For all the truly regal strut of this swivel hipped hound which was runner-up (actually even though there is no such official designation) to the spaniel My Own Brucie in last year’s show. Rana is hard to take as an example of straight breeding for thousands of years. There's that monkey fact to start with, but he was always that way, even in the papyrus descriptions. His gait is a trot or a bounce. Rana and the other Afghans are about the slowest of hounds. And lastly there's that coat which looks for all the world like that tawny thing Harold Parrott used to wear. Yes, sir, it’ll throw the customers back 10,000 miles and 4,000 years if Rana comes out "best in show". To the average American eye he's as queer as a boxer must look to a Canary Islander - and those islands got their names from their dogs, not their birds. And Rana can win - he's got that certain something that says he's a mighty good specimen of what he was intended to be. Swivel-Hipped of Necessity - Naturalists say that Rana got his looks, his walk and his coat honestly. He's become swivel hipped because in the rocky hills sheer speed doesn't catch a hare and get a meal. It takes jumping and twisting around the rocks. The Afghan is probably the best of all hurdlers. That coat serves two purposes - protection against the intense heat of the day and the cold of the night. For the same reason those Greek mountaineers wear their longies come Winter or Summer. How about that monkey face? Probably to keep from looking like a terrier. From the American man-in-the-street viewpoint, the only queer 'un to have gone best in show was the giant Doberman of a couple of years back. That victory didn't sit well. Perhaps because the public was unprepared. Well, here's preparation for something stranger still, the victory of an Afghan After Rana left for the USA, Peggy Rilley (Bletchingley) acquired his sister Shiba Of Chaman as her kennels foundation bitch
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