From the early 1960's through to the mid 1970's
there was increasing interest in the breed - the show entries
continually increased and Afghans became popular as pets as well
as show dogs. By the mid 1970's specialist shows were drawing
entries of up to five hundred and there were established large
breeding kennels that housed large numbers of dogs. Inevitably
the popularity of the breed led to many more imports from England
and a few from America. It would be impossible to mention all,
so this history will confine itself to documenting just some of
the dogs and people who made a significant and ongoing contribution
to the worldwide reputation for excellence that the breed in Australia
acquired over this period.
Only a small number of
the imports of this period have survived as significant dogs in
modern pedigrees. Some were owned by large or influential kennels
where they had many breeding opportunities while others had rather
restricted opportunities but still managed to stamp their influence
on the breed. Some were great show dogs, others were great producers
and a few were both. There were other dogs also imported who did
some winning for a while and/or whose influence lasted but a generation
or two - those are not the subject of this brief history.
1963 saw the first imports
of dogs carrying American bloodlines. The first of these, Ch.
Tarababa of Carloway, was a son of the American import to the
U.K., Wazir of Desertaire. He came to the Emir Kennels of Lester
and Joyce Davey. From this kennel came the foundation stock for
both the Dzum kennels of Peter and Cathy Frost and the Calahorra
Kennels of Stuart and Wendye Slatyer. The Slatyers and the Daveys
together subsequently brought in Chandhara's Emir of Gray Dawn
from the U.K. This dog produced a number of winners but the two
most important must be the black and tan bitch Ch. Calahorra Turban
who was a dominant force in the showrings in the early 1970's
and the other was the blue dog Ch. Calahorra Quetzlcoatl. Included
among the winners this dog sired was Calahorra Magnolia, who when
mated to Ch. Quom Star Spangld Banner produced a unique litter
of outstanding stock that included the cream dog Ch Rahzmundah
Mr. America a Specialty Best in Show winner and in turn a significant
producer.
Barbara Skilton imported
the black and tan bitch Ajman Shiramin around the same time. This
bitch enhanced the already strong line of black and tans down
from Aghai of Hawkfield. When mated to Ch. Sforzy Al Shar she produced
an excellent sire in Ch. El Tazzi Jabbabirah who was important
in the foundation of Lorraine Hilder's Alsace Kennels. Jabbabirah
when mated back to Shiramin, his mother, produced Sforzy Deebah
who when mated to Ch. Nansing Jacosta produced the foundation
bitch for Don Day's Aboukir Kennel. This bitch Aboukir Jezabel
was the grand-dam of Aboukir Brazen Sooty, producer of eighteen
champions.
Over this same period
the Shaaltarah Kennels of Lyn Schelling (now Watson) had imported
Ch. Chandhara Wazir Shah (another son of Wazir of Desertaire)
who unfortunately lost his life in an accident before he could
leave any progeny. Lyn subsequently imported Ch. Chandhara Tarkuhn
Khan and Ch. Horningsea Kista both of which were very important
in maintaining the output of quality stock from this highly successful
kennel.
In 1966 the first brindle
Afghan arrived in Australia. This was Ch. Chandhara's Tardis Arrakesh
(U.K.) brought out by Graham Palchen and Lyle Dally (Shahzada).
"Tygah" as he was known made his presence felt in the showring
very early in life, taking Best in Show at Adelaide Royal under
Stanley Dangerfield (U.K.) at just thirteen and a half months
of age! From there he went on to win a further ninety five Best
in Shows including a number of specialties and Royals. He was
always immaculately presented and was a great showman. He produced
twenty six Champions including Ch. Shahzada Brazen Sooty who was
out of another English import Chandhara Shirazada. Sooty won a
number of Best in Shows and was top Afghan in Victoria in 1968,
1969, 1970 and 1971. Graham and Lyle were also the importers of
Ch. Chandhara Hashim Yakoub and Chandhara Shirazada and later
on brought out one of the very early blues to arrive in Australia,
Akaba's Blue Max (U.S.A.)
The black masked gold
dog Eng. & Aust. Ch. Mazari of Carloway (U.K.) was not only a successful
sire but a really great show dog. In terms of breed characteristics,
"a style of high order", "dignified and aloof" etc. this dog
was the epitomy of the standard and of course in the hands of
his owner David Roche his presentation was never less than perfect.
He won Sydney Royal in 1965 and then went on to go Best in Show
at both Melbourne and Adelaide Royal Shoiws. He was not only an
important sire for David's Fermoy Kennels but figured prominently
in the breedings at Emir, Calahorra and Dzum Kennels.
Eng. & Aust. Ch. Wolliwog
of Carloway was the next male to be imported by David Roche. This
dog had been a top winner in England and already had sired many
winners there and also a litter (from a dam imported in whelp)
in New Zealand before his arrival in Australia. Two of that litter
came to Australia. He continued to produce valuable stock for
a number of kennels here.
The Flying Dutchman of
Isfahan (U.S.A.) was one of the earliest imports from America.
He was owned by Wendye and Stuart Slatyer (Calahorra) and produced
numerous champions for this kennel as well as many others, some
forty in all. Many of his progeny were also good producers and
to this day he is considered to be an important figure in modern
pedigrees. It is interesting to note that semen collected from
this dog in 1976 was used some sixteen years later in 1992 to
produce Ch. Calahorra Below Zero (A.I.)
Another important male
to arrive on our shores was Ch. Fubari Kusan Kabul (U.K.) for
Helen Furber in 1967. This black masked brindle won fourteen Best
in Shows and was used quite extensively at stud after he had made
a name for himself in the showring. He produced over sixty champions
from around thirty litters. He was particularly useful to the
Raushan Kennels of Vic and Eve Seibrecht where he enhanced their
reputation for Afghans which were quite substantial while still
maintaining Afghan elegance. Kusan as a sire was particularly
successful when mated to daughters of The Flying Dutchman of Isfahan
(U.S.A.), this combination being responsible for Aust/N.Z. Ch.
Furbari Desert Flower and a similar combination a generation further
down produced Ch. Tadjik Shikari and Ch. Doyen Drunkn Disordly -
all of which were Specialty Best in Show winners.
Mrs. Furber subsequently
imported Furbari Foreign Affair to breed to the Kusan daughters
and grand- daughters. The most successful of these combinations
was Ch. Kyushu Watergate Affair who won a Specialty Best in Show
in the early eighties for Stephen Wheeler (Jacosta). A daughter
of Watergate Affair - Ch. Jacosta Balenciaga - was the winner
of three Specialties as well as being a multiple All-Breeds Best
in Show winner. She was sold to America where she had a very successful
show career including a Breed win at Westminster
In 1969 one of the most
important imports ever to this country came from America - the
oyster brindle Ch. Coastwind Holyman. This dog was brought out
by David Roche (Fermoy) and while he had a measure of success
in the showring, including twice winning the N.S.W. Specialty
and also a Victorian Specialty, it will be as a sire and for the
influence he had on Australian Afghans that he will be most remembered.
He never stood at public stud and hence the extremely high number
of winners produced came from relatively few matings. He produced
a number of Champions for the Frosts (Dzum) when mated to Ch.
Emir Dzum Dhama Pada (dam of thirteen Champions) including Ch
Dzum Pollyanna who was a prolific winner for her owner David Roche
including Best in Show at three successive Adelaide Royal Shows.
In addition he produced
a number of other Royal Best in Show winners as well as seven
Specialty Best in Show winners including Ch. Fermoy Hey Look Me
Over and Ch. Fermoy Holy Knight from the Mazari daughter Ch. Fermoy
Tamara, and also for Fermoy, Ch. Fermoy Holy Joe from the American
import Ch. Crowncrest Miss Capriole (U.S.A.) - a daughter of Am.
Ch. Crowncrest Mr. Universe. For the Alaqadar Kennls of Terry
and Ada Wilcox he sired the black and tan dog Ch. Alaqadar de
Fauves (another Royal Best in Show winner) and the brindle dog
Ch. Alaqadar Chiaroscuro both major winners. When mated to Ch.
Maros Blue Marion he produced for the Slatyers Calahorra Kennels
Calahorra the Highwayman another dog who is important in modern
pedigrees.
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