Snippets Of History

Afghan Hound History

By Sylvia Evans

Breed Notes Correspondent for OUR DOGS

I have received the most wonderful box of "goodies"

Mrs Gibson's daughter (AKLAM) has sent to me an assortment of show catalogues, pre/and post World War 2 that all of the Acklam Hounds attended. Every Afghan Hound class is marked up giving records of the winning dogs of that era and the shows where Mitzou and her family gained their CCs etc. This is a fascinating insight into an era of dog showing that most of today's exhibitors probably could not even begin to imagine. Those amongst us who can remember showing our dogs at the old Olympia and and the wonderful agricultural shows that also had a large dog show in conjunction, will immediately be wallowing in a taste of nostalgia! Needless to say I have spent some considerable spare minutes just browsing. I will eventually catalogue them into some order to extract relevant pedigree data and I will write a few bits in my Breed notes. In the interim this is for starters.

AHA CH SHOW held at the Lime Grove Baths Hammersmith 1953 Judge Mrs Drinkwater, the catalogue costs 3 shillings, Peggy Riley was the then Hon secretary and listed amongst the exhibitors are Sheila Devitt with CH Carloway Sharmain of Virendale who won the bitch CC, she also won Junior dog with Yussef! Other exhibitors include Marna Dodds, Clair Race, Muriel and Charles Harrison, Margaret Niblock and Ann Dove.

The adverts for the All Breed Ch shows make for some interesting reading and I now realise just how OLD I am getting as I can remember some products long gone! like the Benbows Dog Mixture the ORIGINAL conditioner! this was an internal medicinal conditioner . I recall the smell was AWFUL! can only imagine the TASTE! By the time that I was giving it to my first Afghan Hound (on the advice of an aunt who had long bred dogs) it was in capsule form but the advert for the 1937 Crufts states that it is sold in bottles 1/6;2/6:6shillings and 12 shillings each, or a gallon for 50 shillings.

I do not recall my dog objecting to my popping the capsules down his throat daily and he had a wonderful shine to his coat! He was washed in Bob Martin shampoo! oh and you could NOT leave Crufts until 8pm!!

• An open show held at the National Hall Olympia July 1948 where Betty Howard Gibson judged was run by Woolwich & District CA, it was benched and all proceeds were for the ANIMAL HEALTH TRUST CANINE FUND! Judging here commenced at 10.45 and only exhibitors residing more than 50 miles away for the venue could leave have passes enabling them to leave the venue at 5.530pm! The entry fee for each dog was 7/6plus 2/6 benching fee, all shows were benched!. All the dogs entered had to be examined by the vets at the entrance!..... and I loved this.

"In the event of it being necessary to postpone the show owing to NATIONAL MOURNING, or for any OTHER reasons....the entries made for the original date shall stand for the postponed show date"

There is a catalogue of CAMBRIDGE TOWN & COUNTY CANINE SOCIETY CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW JULY 10.1947, held on the town football club.

That show was still held, same venue but only as an OPEN show in the 1970s as my Amudarya Shura went BIS there, 1977 I think, without looking up my records. Barbara Taylor judged and I recall she had to rush off as she had a bitch due to whelp and I later rang her to tell her and she already knew as her friend had rung her from the show.

The MARGARET LOCKWOOD CUP for BIS was still on offer! it was huge and SOLID SILVER! I could not understand why it was engraved CAMBRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIP DOG SHOW. I believe this championship status was was later lost when incorporated into the EAST OF ENGLAND SHOW held of course at Peterborough.

Enid Nicholls judged the Affis in 1947 and Mitzou won the Bitch CC and her son Mohammed Ali won Junior (d or b) Novice dog and Post Grad dog, and another son Abu Zaid won maiden (d or B) there were a total of 17 Afghans entered. Other exhibitors at this show included one Sheila Bremner later to become Sheila Devitt and Dr Unkauf. It was from Dr Unkauf that Sheila obtained her first hounds including Jalalabad Barwala of Carloway (born the same month and year of this show, bred by Miss Ide) Sheila told the story when she spoke at the AFGHAN 2000 event. Barwala of course was to become such a dominant force behind the Carloway hounds breeding programme in the ensuing years. His sire, Kohistan Shahudin (owned by Dr Unkauf) was bred by Mrs Peggy O'Toole who was a good friend of Mrs H Gibson! so it is interesting how all these paths cross to form an integral part of our breed history. It states that this was the FIRST really big one day show to be held since 1939, viz post war and goes on to say.

"THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE ENOUGH TIME IN WHICH TO ORGANISE IN THE MANNER WE SHOULD HAVE WISHED AND WE CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE A LITTLE IF IN THE TURMOIL OF THE RETURN TO LARGE SHOWS, UNDER CONDITIONS STILL AFFECTED BY THE WAR, YOU DO NOT FIND EVERYTHING EXACTLY AS YOU WOULD WISH"

In addition to the breed classification, there are a number of AV classes.

OLYMPIA an atmosphere to die for! and going up on the trains! (LKA show catalogue for 1947 even gives a map of the London underground within its pages!) I always tried to get to OLYMPIA early so we could park in the British Rail car park as it was in the open & on a level, this was the car park used when in those far off days people put their CARS on to THE TRANSPORTER TRAINS to go to Scotland!! whilst they slept in the sleeping car accommodation, that multi- story car park somewhat frightened me then as a newly qualified driver, with a little A40 car! by then this would be in the early 1970s. No one left EARLY if you were exhibiting a dog.

I do remember going to LKA (possibly 69/70) Sheila Devitt judged, I was nursing and at that time the RCN was having its FAIR PAY FOR NURSES Campaign, (all my fellow Affi exhibitors signed my petitions!) I was working at Guys hospital and this was my day off but i was scheduled to address a meeting for the campaign back at the hospital early evening, so in order for me to leave early and get there, mother stayed with Alex at the bench until my father arrived to take them both home, (we had travelled up to the show by train!) in those days parking in adjacent side streets was easier. Another thing I fondly recall was exercising the dogs in either Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens BEFORE going on to the Olympia Halls, you would see lots of doggy people with a variety of dogs all having an "airing" before being confined for the remainder of the day within the confines of the venue and all that SAWDUST in the exercise areas! ....indoors...well once in you could not get OUT! FUN DAYS.

• Looking at a catalogue for LKA, one for 1947 I find BLETCHINGLEY ZARA entered as a puppy (D & B class MIXED) She did not find favour with the judge! Mr R.Floyd (well he was the professional handler for Southgate with the RAVELLY PATROLS ALI BEY) MITZOU only got a RESERVE in open bitch! Looking through other catalogues, I find that at one time Reg Floyd was living in DAGENHAM!
I loved the advert for refreshments, you could have a TABLE D'HOTEL lunch or tea in the Pillar Hall and the Olympia cafe, mind I recall having a proper sit down lunch with friends at Earls Court CRUFTS 1985! how times change.

I found two open shows, 1947, Blackpool & Fylde, held in Stanley Park and the Morecambe & Heysham show both held within a few days of each other and well supported by the then Affi fraternity. Blackpool had Affi classification but Morecambe (held on the central pier ballroom!) was NSC and Sporting. Exhibitors included Wally Walker, Ali Hupka, Mrs Hall, Bill's mum and the Gibsons, Mohammed Ali did well at BOTH shows. RBIS at Morecambe and huge classes for varieties for those days (almost reminiscent of the classes at open shows in the 1970s)
Ilkley Agricultural Society had an annual show 1951 and as well as all the canine exhibits listed in the catalogue, so were cattle, sheep, horticultural, fur and feather. Home bake and Handicrafts!

• I have a catalogue here, RICHMOND CH held at the athletic ground at RICHMOND SURREY! 14th JULY 1953. Molly Sharpe judging, ZANA, the gold bitch, won the CC from open bitch and Special breeders classes, this bitch won 2 CCs and 1 RCC so they were "unlucky" even in those yesteryear days.

litter brother, ABU ZAID was placed second in limit dog. These were the only two that Mrs Gibson travelled over with for this show. Elwyn says Abu could be a bit "sharp" but Zana was lovely and a pity she did not make up.

Pauline Leyder was entered too at this show with BLETCHINGLEY HERDSMAN, placed second in PG dog.

• With MANCHESTER looming this week, the following from 57 years ago makes some interesting comparisons...taken from MANCHESTER 1951 show catalogue, held at the EXHIBITION HALL BELLE VUE Manchester,15th March (2nd day) HOUNDS: TERRIERS : TOYS. This catalogue cost 3 old shillings.

Mrs Eileen Drinkwater ( whose Geufron prefix figured predominantly during the 1930s era) judged & 48 Affis entered for competition. Judging commenced at 10.45am,dogs could arrive from 7am (remember there was the vetting procedure of each exhibit in those days) NO early removals unless you lived over 50miles away when you could then apply with your entry for an early removal to leave at 5.15pm, the show closed at 6.30pm

DOG CC & BOB Ida Morton (then Mrs Abson) with NETHEROYD RED EAGLE (born 1948,he gained his title that year) The Bitch CC CH AJAWAN RANI TAMBA born Jan 1947;the majority of the senior exhibitors were from the pre & immediate post WW2 era, but names familiar to today's exhibitors include Miss Margaret Niblock & Wally Walker & Roy Wilson. The THREE STREAM Kennel at that stage had not been disbanded & Mr Parker had 4 hounds entered including CH MARIKA OF THREE STREAMS who took the RCC in bitches

The adverts are interesting: DOG BOOKS & REQUISITES.....Bill Hall’s family. CANINE INSURANCE, then a new initiative, was being promoted in those far off days. & exhibitors were being encouraged by BRITISH RAIL! Evidence of many exhibitors travelling to shows by this means of transport is also reflected in the number of TAXI SERVICES /telephone numbers listed in this catalogue.

Prize Money was on offer. First Prize £2; 2nd Prize £1. 3rd Prize 10shillings

The catering arrangements also reflect the attitudes of the times toward meal services, with breakfast from 7am: Luncheons from 12 noon ( a-la-carte, maximum charge 5 shillings!!) & High Teas at 4.30 Tea trolly's also provided a continual service around the hall all day, a world away from today's fast food services!!

PUPPY/dog or Bitch. (11 entries)

JUNIOR /dog or bitch. (8 new entries:3 second entries)

POST GRAD DOG (7 new entries 6 second entries)

LIMIT DOG (3 new entries: 7 second entries)

OPEN DOG (3 new entries;7 second entries)

POST GRAD BITCH (5 new entries:2 second entries)

LIMIT BITCH (3 new entries:4 second entries)

OPEN BITCH. (2 new entries:4 second entries)

In fact the eventual CC winner RED EAGLE won through from 3 wins in his 3 classes PG. LIMIT & OPEN which reminds me of when Sheila Devitt judged Manchester in the 70s & awarded Mr & Mrs Pullins lovely red bitch, CH KOHINOOR DAGMAR her FIRST CC winning through from the PG LIMIT & Open bitch classes! Think a few of the establishment were a bit taken a back that day!!

Looking through these old catalogues,it was far more a common practice to enter into more than the SINGLE class.

I have NO costs for entries for MANCHESTER but WINDSOR CH SHOW 1952 charged a total sum of TWELVE SHILLINGS (members of WINDSOR SOCIETY TEN SHILLINGS & six pence!) similar PRIZE MONEY was paid at this show.

I seem to remember when I started exhibiting in the late 60s we received prize money at ALL shows!

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Updated 25/09/2008 20:13