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I saw my first Afghan in 1969, I was five years old and Anita Harris presented a children's program with opening titles of her driving in a open top MG or Spitfire (not sure which now) with a beautiful gold afghan travelling beside her and he would lye in the studio with Anita and the children while she told stories.
I was besotted by this beautiful dog and week after week I would ask my mum what the dog was. In the end my mum got so feed up of me going on about it she wrote to the TV studio and asked what breed he was and they wrote back telling us he was an Afghan Hound.
Well that was it, now I knew the name Afghan that’s all I ever went on about and hounded her for years. Eventually when I became 20 in 1984 I finally got a black boy. Royal Sultan at Zabooshka.
Initially I had no intention of showing, I was just happy to have what I had wanted for so long. But then you start talking to people and I became aware of this whole new social world based around the breed I loved. I did show Lofty but then discovered racing and that was were his heart lay.
I have enjoyed the companionship of Afghans ever since, having English, Spanish and American lines and colours from Golds to Blues, Dominos and Brindle over the years.
I was first persuaded to judge in 2001 and although initially very apprehensive about the whole thing I have very much enjoyed my appointments and have learnt much. I have also surprisingly enjoyed all the seminars, and exams !!!! which just goes against the grain for me.
Currently I am campaigning a couple of youngsters, Khamis King Tut and Freecloud Arion and very much enjoying myself with them and have my 3yr old little lady Buffy who keeps them busy as she has never grown out of puppy hood.
Liz Williams