1st CC and BOB NEAHA Photo Trafford

'TOYAH'

Pedigree

Where to start with this very special lady?

I suppose at the beginning. We purchased Toyah at 8 weeks from Clair Kirk on the 8th August 1994, she travelled to Rugeley from Stoke with no problems, looking out of the window on my knee. At home we introduced her to our 3 German Shepherds and the Yorkie and there the fun started, she was afraid of nothing and tantalised the Shepherds as if she had been born into them, taking no notice when they had had enough of her and tried telling her so by trying to give her a quick nip but Toyah would think this was a game and bugged them even more, running through their legs and pulling tails (GSDs have great tails to hang onto) she found that out very quickly. The Yorkie didn't like this thing on long legs and did his best to keep out of her way, on the odd occasion he did give her a few nips but again Toyah didn't bother, she would just shake her head and toddle off to find someone else to torment.

 

2nd CC Photo John Hope

As the weeks went bye she soon learnt to sit, stand and down on command, at 11 weeks old she was doing it just by hand command tempted by Canovel calcium tablets (the only thing she would eat) no chew sticks, tripe sticks or any kind of tit bits or food!  We had to hand feed her until she had her litter at 7.5 years old, what a nightmare!  Toyah was brought as a pet but on her walks with the big dogs we noticed how much ground she covered (and believe me to keep up with the gait of GSDs you need to cover some ground) and how she would click into another gear to keep up with them without breaking into a gallop, I wondered to myself  “is she any good for showing?”  Cutting what I could turn into a book very short we decided to enter her at a local open show at Bingley Hall, just a stones throw away from us. She was 6 months and 2 days old, at the show she was jumping up at every one and bouncing off of dogs backs she thought great fun, I was so nervous as the class was to have 8 pups in it according to the catalogue , in we went and all pups were present , her turn came and to my surprise she stood wagging her tail at the judge, she moved well as if she had done it all before, she won the class and we were delighted, she then went Best Puppy and RBOB .  Later in the day Toyah won the puppy GROUP and to top what was a great day she went Res BPIS, she was on her way.

BIS MAHC Photo John Hope

Winning many more BOB's and her double Junior Warrant before 17 months of age she need not have done any more but Crufts came, and although I had handled dogs there so many times before I was a nervous wreck. Toyah was in special yearling if I remember rightly, a class of 23, my hands were shaking so much Toyah's head was bobbing up and down on it (a good job her temperament was sound) The judge went over her very quickly so I thought he wasn't interested in her, but as I moved her all my fear went, I felt her go into second gear and sweep round that big ring and I new she looked good, he did not hesitate for a moment, she was pulled into1st place before I had even stacked her, I was crying but Toyha took it all in her stride and stacked herself for me, she need never have done any more, she was the best ever Afghan to me.

EEAC BIS Photo John Hope

 After Crufts she had a break and started doing tracking with my GSDs (thinking now not a good idea as the Afghan has to carry it's head high and I was teaching her to scent along the ground) anyway she enjoyed it and that's what counts. The Shepherd folk used to laugh but Toyah soon showed them, she has her own harness and that now hangs in her grooming shed and will stay there as long as the shed does, I quite often look at it while I groom her and give her a hug as I think of the good times I have had with her.

Not only a great show dog but Toyah also was a good racer winning all her grades with fastest bitch grades most months through to triple distance at Hinkley and Warwick and winning the 'show race award' her first racing season. There is a photo of her in the 1996 year book with all her trophies and winning 'best performer on the track dog or bitch'

RBIS Photo John Hope

From 2.5 years to 4 years some of her most memorable wins at Breed Club open shows were:-   Midland 2 BB and BIS.  Northern 4 BB 3 RBIS and 1 BIS.  Birmingham 2 BB  2 RBIS,  Yorkshire 2 BB, 1 BIS  1 RBI and 1 RBB.  Western 1 RBB.  East of England BB and BIS. Toyah won her first CC and BIS at North eastern 19-10-97. Her second CC one month later at BAHA   30-11-97  and her CROWN under Gail Link at City of Birmingham 4-9-98.  Toyah went on to win another 3 RCCs and retired after the last RCC under Clive Winters at the SKC (where she won her first one at 2 years old) to be mated. That is another story.

Toyah is a family pet and lives her life on the settee watching her kids grow up, on the odd occasion she will join them up on Cannock Chase along with our German Shepherd, Standard Poodle, Giant Schnauzer and Lakeland Terrier, all running free and getting muddy, she is almost 12 now and still in full coat, and dare I say it, the best dog I have owned, not because she is a Champion but because she's 'TOYAH'  an Afghan of beauty and brains, a true Afghan that we have enjoyed, she has always been everywhere with us and will do for many more years I hope.

Best Bitch Photo John Hope

BIS Photo John Hope

BB Res BIS John Hope

BB RBIS

BAHC - BIS Judge Clive Winters

Toyah Aged 2 years

Toyah 'The beautiful Veteran'

YAHS - RBIS