Crufts

100 years since the Afghan Hound won its first CC award at Crufts so it was a huge honour to have the privilege and opportunity to be able to assess the breed with which I have been involved so passionately with for over 50 years during which time there have been many fads and fashions, none of which I was looking for; an honest Afghan Hound full of quality & fitness that could also demonstrate not only the breed standard points but also give an impression of breed type, balance & strength with powerful movement topped off with that all important keen expression & dignified look which screams pride of race. Crufts is a great occasion for many, and these days comes with a whole lot of noise and razzamatazz so can be quite daunting for the more sensitive breeds and sometimes for the owners’, the quality of the exhibits present would be world class and I thank each and every one of you for the pleasure of seeing them in all their glory; Afghan Hounds are in their origins hunting hounds & although in present times this doesn’t happen, their construction & ability to take or chase down their prey should be evident, in the critique rather than focusing on any particular negatives, I prefer to leave it up to others to glean the merits or demerits of these dogs if they get to judge them in the future. The ultimate winners and most of those placed accepted their awards with humility and grace which is something that should be spread throughout the show world. I hope everyone enjoyed their very special day at Crufts, I know it was an experience I will never forget, and final thanks go to the Crufts Show Management Team, and my two Stewards, Roger Link & Richard Kinsey who were just outstanding in every respect.

There was a mixture of types which we come to expect now however in the very beginning of the Afghan Hound being shown here there were type differences with the Bell-Murray and Ghazni lines blended, these influences were clearly present here today so in the main it seems we aren’t that far away from how it all started; I noticed quite a difference in the style of presentation & handling of overseas exhibits than perhaps we are used to seeing in the UK. As far as detail goes, some I particularly noticed as having a more round eye than a triangular one which ruins the desired expression, & a few with a more forward shoulder placement off the ribs rather than being set well back, body condition is important to me as is movement, I prefer to feel substance on a hound, with tails set & carried well not over the back; having said that, the entry of those present was one of quality & my final four winners were everything I could have asked or wished for & well deserve their accolades, huge congratulations to them all.

Puppy Dog (3)

1. Lloyd & Webster’s Yassir del Ghyryo (Imp Bel) what a great start to the day to see this nicely sized beautifully balanced young black/tan dog and wouldn’t want to change a thing on him; keen male head showing good type & expression, nicely angled fore & aft, good front & shoulder with excellent return, nicely developed ribcage, short loin, well angled rear, nicely angled croup & tail set well with ring, took off with good easy natural stride, beautifully presented coat, nicely handled, really liked him, will look forward to seeing how he matures and can only see good times ahead, lucky owners. Best Puppy

2. Parsons Shukriya Fade to Black, giving away an awful lot in maturity this black/cream had a lean head of good balance, nicely laid shoulder, needs to tighten in front at this stage, not the body development of 1, good hipbones & angled croup, tail set low, angled hindquarters, was slightly overawed by the occasion & gave his handler a tough time in trying to negotiate the super large ring but at times momentarily settled to give off good drive.

3. Kirk-Vickers & Mottershaw’s Istani Robert De Niro with Elegance most attractive upstanding golden youngster again at a raw stage of development needing to drop into himself, straight front, reasonable depth for age, level moderate length of back, nicely angled rear quarters & ringed tail, should have a wealth of coat as he matures, a big ring to move around & his handler coped very well with his exuberance.

Junior Dog (17) 2 abs

Wow what a fabulous class of youngsters, many cardless that I really liked but only had 5 places, not enough! How to separate them that was the problem – but a nice problem.

1. Bovey’s Sitana Johnny Blaze at Karianca, shaded masked cream & what a stunner he is & was much more mature than many in this class, wilful & male without doubt, good balance to his head, keen eye, good scissor bite, no exaggerations anywhere just beautifully balanced, excels in angled front & rear, good strong ribcage with depth & was well bodied, tail set well, his trump card was his movement which was breathtaking with good long easy strides using those pasterns & large feet so well & driving off that super rear, beautifully presented & with careful handling has the potential to go far & given luck, should be a contender for higher awards.

2. Moore’s Cloudside Black Hawk black/tan just into Junior & giving away quite a bit in maturity but ahead of his brothers at this stage on that score. Most stunning elegant head, super eye & great expression, good neck to balanced front & rear, level back & short loin, angled croup, tail set well, moved out very well indeed with good even reach, spring & drive, top quality youngster that I could take home, what a lovely litter.

3. Bastow’s Cloudside Bright Flame Karandikar, red litter brother & oh my word what a prospect he is going to be, most beautiful type with superb head & expression, just the right size & balance throughout, his whole demeanour shouts quality Afghan Hound, moved out very well, all he needs is a few months to develop and he should be taking in some high honours, another I could easily take home.

Yearling Dog (12) 2 abs

This was a very nice class with some quality dogs competing making decisions very tight & not enough cards!

1. Ulatowski’s Part of Infinity A Touch of Freedom black/tan who excelled in elegance of head which was very detailed & had a well shaped dark eye, good to see his mandarin beard, nicely sized male who had a good neck to sound front, well returned underneath, moderate back with good ribbing, short loin, prominent hipbones nicely angled croup, sweeping hindquarters, tail well set with ring, took off with good reach, springy action & ground covering even drive, quality young male who should continue to do well. Beautifully presented coat & well-handled without being overdone.

2. Tromp’s Bel Ch Popovs Adonis Jw'25 Nl Jch Hollandcup Jw'25, another very appealing black/tan of good size & similar balance, quite hard to separate these two. His head was lean & of good balance with keen expression, good strong jaw, lovely firm front, good spring of rib, prominent hipbones with slope to croup & low set ringed tail. Huge feet well down used to great advantage on the move with long sweeping strides, very nice young male and see the Sire is from the Saxonmill kennel.

3. Reed’s Way Up Portofino (Imp Ita) very nicely proportioned brindle with black mask & beard, going to have a huge coat when fully mature, good strong neck, nicely laid back shoulder, front of good width, returned nicely underneath, level topline, short loin, good fallaway, angled quarters & ringed tail, stacked profile looked good, moved out well covering the ground evenly but for me, not quite with the power & drive of the first two.

Post Graduate Dog (7)

All very different in this class

1. Gunn’s Katanga's God of Thunder JW, black/silver whose coat was gleaming with condition & he stood out for balance of construction & classic type with good strong lean head, keen eye & expression, lovely mandarin beard, long strong neck to well laid shoulder & good return, sound front & large broad feet well down, ribcage had good spring, short loin, good hipbones & angled croup, ring tail set low, sweeping quarters used to huge advantage moving & driving well in fact the best I have ever seen him go, super reach in front, coat was like silk, careful not to overstretch him on the stack but otherwise beautifully handled.

2. Gilchrist & McLennan’s Khawari Purple Reign superbly presented & impressive domino/cream upstanding taller male also displaying good carriage, movement & type. His head was lean & long with good chiselling & keen eye, good strength of jaw, sloping shoulders & super strong front held well underneath, good ratio of ribcage to loin, sweeping hindquarters, shown in super hard & lovely condition with good muscle tone, should do well, closely contested tussle here between these two very different hounds.

3. Watson’s Shimalma Chambord beautiful classic type of male with a lighter frame than the first two, pale golden with lean head, triangular eye, mandarin beard, good length of muzzle, personally would prefer a lot more strength throughout as he has a nice outline & fits the standard, good straight front & angled rear quarters, nicely set ringed tail, a wealth of coat shown in good condition. On the move he held himself well displaying sound movement.

Limit Dog (13) 1 abs

Superb class very tightly contested and difficult to separate with all those that were placed and some that weren’t, easily capable of achieving high awards.

1. Thompson’s Drishaun Rock Me Baby Gothika, very handsome classy male, beautifully proportioned pale golden with shaded mask, arrogant with super outline, nice saddle & of good size, well off for body & bone, good front & rear, huge feet, super clean lines in profile dressed in a superbly conditioned silky coat, took off with smooth springy gait covering the ring easily with style of high order, beautiful hound with no exaggerations that could easily make up.

2. Heritage’s Amaserwah Any Way The Wind Blows at Jazzmeenah (IKC) another extremely handsome bl/masked red/golden male of slightly larger & rangier proportions but nicely balanced, has type & quality written all over him with good construction & strength combined with sheer elegance, easy natural stride on the move with super almost lazy ground coverage & carriage, ringed tail, silky profuse coat presented very well and is another that definitely has the capability of making the grade.

3. Drage’s Zendushkas Born to Run Isjulees lovely red with great balance & overall type, now maturing very nicely & settling into his frame; he is of good size, very male in head with super keen expression, quite arrogant, his construction throughout fits the standard well, nicely ringed tail & in great condition he moved off very well using his assets for all he was worth. Quite a hard dog to show I would imagine as he is wilful & sometimes runs away with himself, looks a real classic hound & one you can imagine hunting in the Afghanistan plains, should do very well.

Open Dog (8)

What an amazing class of quality dogs at the top of their game, another class difficult to separate presenting some head scratching moments!

1. Lancashire & O’Donnell’s Ch Drishaun Baby's in Black JW, black/tan absolute king of the ring today, arrogant & looked right through me upstanding with very male lean detailed head of strength, prominent occiput, good muzzle & almost roman nose, lovely tan markings beneath his chiselling, punishing jaw with good scissor bite, he displayed a good clean outline from his excellent proportions with no exaggerations, terrific body strength & depth, looked a real stallion today & could imagine him in the Afghanistan desert plains, a real hunter; judged him as a puppy & am delighted to see he has now matured into the most handsome male full of energy & fitness, adorned with silky smooth jacket presented in the highest order. Raised his game a gear & took off with the most beautiful free flowing stride & carriage accentuating his obvious quality, super hound, & have never seen him go as well as he did today. Dog CC

2. Pascoe’s Ch/int/lux/nld Ch Popovs Aladdin at Sarakhan (Imp Nld) have given this handsome shaded/masked red/golden very top awards on two occasions previously & my opinion of him remains as high as ever, most lovely type, masculine head, great expression, strength of frame with beautiful square traditional outline, reminds me of so many great dogs of past years with good breed characteristics, he is a very worthy Champion & showed us that with his enthusiastic reach, lift & driving power around the ring today, head & ringed tail carried well, a wealth of silky beautifully conditioned coat enhanced all of these attributes, I hope he is able to pass on these qualities to some good breeding bitches for the future here in the UK. Res. Dog CC

3. Parker’s Saxonmill Majic Moment at Khatira, quality black/silver lovely primitive male from a super litter, now approaching the top of his game he looked a picture & displayed so many of the breed’s standard requirements & is full of type, not always an easy boy to show, took off around the ring with some style reaching out & using his well angled hindquarters to drive off, his 3rd CC & title cannot be far away at all.

Veteran Dog (7)

Lovely class mostly of good Champion Veterans that still look as good despite some being in their advancing years, every one of them very appealing & worthy so it was a tricky class.

1. Winters Ch Pashtari Lord Tennyson Tokando nicely sized black/silver from Champion heritage & at 10 years old showing a bit of age however still carries the classic shape that comes from good construction, moderate deep body & good angulation, moved around the ring with ease albeit at a slower pace, with forehand reach & good use of his hindquarters, well done.

2. Trainor, Trainor & Rogers Tulak Fast & Furious at 9 1/2 years classic b/m red/golden very masculine lean long head, dark eye with super expression, good neck & well placed shoulders, good front, wonderful large feet well down on the ground, one of the few with a slope to pastern, good spring of rib, strong loin & hindquarters angled well to give an impression of a very typical original type of Afghan Hound; lovely coat & condition with huge ear fringes, his running handler got the very best from him moving around with good easy free stride.

3. Reed’s Ch Cloudside Sunstrike JW 9 year old dark brindle upstanding & substantial male of good size, lean head, good length of muzzle, great beard on him, reachy neck into laid back shoulder, front held under, good width & very good ribcage, short loin, prominent hipbones & nicely angled rear quarters, ringed tail, moved out well enough to show his carriage, forehand & drive, presented beautifully & kindly handled, has matured very well. 

Good Citizen Dog Scheme (1)

1. Hughes Alishan Sensa Una Donna at Nantmelan (imp. Fra) 4 years old black very feminine, refined & thoroughly enjoying her day here; stood well & showed off her good length of neck, for me was quite light in her ribs, good fallaway & ringed tail, exuberant on the move & her handler coped well.

Puppy Bitch (3) 

1. Parsons Shukriya The Memory Remains, red litter sister to 2nd in Puppy D and quite different in look & shape. She had a typical head, good backskull & slight stop, was lean of foreface which was nicely balanced with good detail & roman nose, balance of angulation fore & aft, quite square from point of shoulder to pelvis, very raw at this stage & will need time, but gave a good account of herself with an animated if a bit wild performance, which is always nice to see in one so young.

2. Kirk-Vickers & Hughes Istani Liza Minnelli with Finkime, attractive cream feminine young lady scoring over her litter sister today with slightly more substance, has nice proportions & is another at a very raw stage, handled & moved out quite well showing off her ringed tail.

3. Reaney’s Istani Miss Jackson at Andazraq’s attractive bl/masked red with very refined head, good dark eye, much lighter frame than her sister & more upright in front, angled rear, saddle & ringed tail, was quite controlled on the move & is another that just needs a bit more time to develop, close decision between this one and 2.

Junior Bitch (8) 1 abs

This was a lovely class closely contested, some very nice exhibits all at very different stages.

1. Dare’s Sitana The Eternal at Lakarnadream JW black/masked cream of lovely type & shown in wonderful bloom, at the top end of the age for this class you could clearly see her quality through her lean head with long foreface equally balanced, dark triangular eye, good chiselling to foreface, scissor bite, the hint of mandarin whiskers, good neck to well laid shoulder & good return, brisket, topline & loin all good with hindquarters perfectly angled, coat presented very well & she had a nice natural saddle. On the move she showed verve, reach & spring, raising her ringed tail she covered the ring with long free strides. Classic bitch who can only go onto better days.

2. James Cloudside Camomile at Simkhan, delightful sh/masked red full of type, very wilful with loads of potential, most lovely feminine & detailed head, adequate neck into good shoulder line, upper arm nicely returned, quite square in body, good brisket & well ribbed, strong over her loin & quarters with reasonable angle, ringed tail set nicely, coat coming on her now & attractive red saddle, full of verve on the move absolutely loving it, would expect her to eventually finish very well.

3. Neilly & Moore’s Cloudside Whispering Angel very nice classic outline on this black/brindle, petite & feminine all through, good dark eye, length of neck set nicely into her shoulders, level back, angled croup, sweeping quarters, moved out well with forehand reach & rear drive, still developing will look forward to seeing her mature.

Yearling Bitch (7) 1 w/d

Lovely class of very promising young hopefuls for the future, was spoilt for choice.

1. Lancashire & O’Donnell’s Drishaun Consider It Done JW, black/tan, very smartly turned out this young lady looked right through me with an absolute steel look, substantial all through despite looking finer visually, most lovely shape & balance, daughter of Dog CC & very similar in overall construction, style & attitude, rock hard condition she sailed around the ring like she owned it with a style of high order, would expect her to do very well in the future.

2. Odell & Evans Drishaun Just Consider Sukeshi bl/masked golden litter sister to 1 with a more classic traditional outline & look, very feminine with loads of substance, really appreciated her front & rear hindquarters, depth & balance of body, took a lap to settle but when she did she demonstrated her construction through her good movement, all wrapped up in a nice red saddle accentuating her lovely coat, nice youngster now coming into her own.

3. Bloor’s Pretty Infinity A Touch of Freedom at Pashtari (Imp Deu) very attractive black slightly taller & slightly finer she had a very appealing feminine head of good strength & super dark eye, good expression, lovely overall outline showing good angles fore & aft which came into their own on the move with such an easy springy gait & carriage, liked her very much and feel with a bit more maturity could easily go a lot further. Litter sister to the winner of Yearling Dog & of the same quality stamp, in beautiful coat & condition, handled well.

Post Graduate Bitch (11) 3 abs

1. Lancashire & O’Donnell’s Drishaun What Baby Wants JW classic red with type that appeals to me, can’t be ignored for her presence, litter sister to the Dog CC she had a beautiful lean & typical head, good chiselling & keen eye, scissor bite, balance of angulation, good spring of rib & level through her back to strong loin, prominent hipbones, red saddle & coat presented in the highest order, she moved around the ring with good long stride & will undoubtedly have her day in the future.

2. Lawson-Ball’s Sitana Mystique at Zarcar another very traditional & classic red of very nice construction all through so no negatives with that at all, giving away a lot here in maturity & needs time to develop her finish, on the move she comes into her own with long raking strides with the desired spring, not an easy girl to handle & she gets a bit carried away with herself just spoiling the outline on the move, but a very nice bitch from this super litter that is really slow to mature but will be worth it.

3. Lorenzo Rivers Prestigious How Will I Know attractive black/masked blue brindle, very feminine with head of strength & depth in profile, dark eye, good neck to clean shoulder laid well, straight front & very good feet, ribcage oval with reasonable spring, longer cast than 1 & 2, firm loin, hipbones prominent & falling away nicely to sweeping quarters & ringed tail, presented in lovely coat, she strode out with a long even gait, head position forward as they should be, quite stylish on the move, handled well.

Limit Bitch (12) 3 abs

1. Moyes, Lockett-Davies, Shaw & Hunter-Ryan’s Rhazmakh Heart O’Summer by Bryelis JW, black/tan, very good for size, type & construction all through, head was feminine, lovely length of muzzle to balance with dark eye & keen expression, her body balance ratio was just right & she had a nicely angled croup accentuating her outline, ringed tail set on well, coat was gleaming & she set off around the ring with long stride, power & spring with her handler getting the very best out of her, she makes you look twice at her must be a strong contender & must have a bright future.

2. Gilchrist’s Khawari Raspberry Beret red/brindle loved the look & shape of this one just beautifully balanced with a most lovely head & good dark eye, she looked amazing, quite square in overall shape & constructed very well with good angulation, sweeping quarters & ringed tail, shown in the most wonderful coat & condition her stacked profile had great appeal & then she moved off soundly with good freedom of stride, close call between these & would expect her to continue to do well. See she is litter sister to the second in PG dog class, eye catching girl.

3. Rhodes, Shaverneva & Garrad’s Alaqadar Ariodante of Shadowfax (ai) (Imp Aus) this exhibitor didn’t wait for his critique however, I recall her as petite, and quite an ultra-feminine black with appeal in her head & expression, very square in outline with good angles, she had very springy gait but her handler moved her a bit too fast which doesn’t get the best out of her assets.

Open Bitch (7) 1 abs

Super class of special exhibits, all new to me they were an honour and a pleasure to judge.

1. Podesta, Pfeil & Donahue & Sobrado’s Am Gch Zaida Bint Muti von Haussman, a breathtaking red/gold who exudes class & style; head quality, eye & expression just superb with a look that went right through me just as they should, I did not exist for her at all; magnificent stance came from well put together conformation which is quite plain to see when stacked & more especially once she moves away & around the ring in such style, ease & power with little or no effort, you can see she is definitely a hunter hound. In addition the rapport with her handler was quite something to be admired, nothing excessive just gentle unassuming management, her presentation & coat was beyond exceptional, and I was more than delighted to award her Bitch CC; this was her 3rd in the UK so she gained her title on this day of 100 years of Afghan Hounds at Crufts, plus she also went BOB and later Hound Group 3 from a very strong collection of hounds.

2. Hall’s Ch Saxonmill Majic Mirror black/brindle of the highest quality, another with great proportions carrying the most beautiful detailed balanced head, superb eye & expression & shown in excellent condition, text book quality throughout, moved out with style of high order showing off her ringed tail, easy flow to her movement, she is a proper hound & it was wonderful to be able to assess this one having previously given her sister a high award; how proud she must be as a breeder to have produced such consistency of type, a pleasure to judge, Res.Bitch CC

3. Robicheau, MacDonald & Stromberg’s Valhalla Starfire at Amira, stunningly beautiful black with excellent head properties, lean & with keen expression, good length of neck into good forehand construction standing well over her front, nice square body, good depth & topline to prominent hipbones, good fallaway, sweeping quarters & ringed tail – what’s not to like! A wealth of coat beautifully presented, she set off with good forehand reach & good rear drive using her hindquarters so well, in complete harmony with her owner, liked her very much.

Veteran Bitch (9)

Super class of lovely bitches

1. Tromp’s Ch/int/lux/ir/nld Ch Popovs Sazerac at Sarakhan (Imp Nld) sh/m red I have done very well in the past & still absolutely love her quality & type, my cup of tea; now at 9 ½ years she clearly still enjoys her showing, enviable classic type, super head & expression, good length of neck showing off her well laid shoulders, nice square body in profile, prominent hipbones, fallaway good to sweeping quarters, ringed tail, moved out very well, silky coat & saddle gleaming, very classy Best Veteran

2. O’Donnell’s Ch Drishaun Faith Is Like A Lily for Javidan JW super red/brindle with much to admire delightfully feminine & lean, super outline & stands well over her ground with great outline & sweeping quarters, good substantial deep body & spring of rib, moved off with some style, shown in terrific condition, one to be proud of.

3. Rhodes, Shaverneva & Garrad’s Shadowfax Threepenny Opera JW at 8 years old this tallish cream/domino is in peak condition & has the most lovely balanced head, good eye & expression, quite the regal lady, super for shape & construction fitting the standard very well, good large feet, muscle tone was evident too, ringed tail set well, has good bone without losing any of her femininity, strode out beautifully with springy gait & a style of high order, sired by a favourite of mine & carries similar qualities.

Jill Cross (Gilari)