19th June 2020

 
I have received notification of the passing of Dr.Ivor Moss.  For many years he had been living in a care home.  He and his late wife Gloria were very active in the Saluki Club in the late 70s and 80s, they exhibited their dogs under the Negma prefix.  They made up one Saluki, Ch Tahawi Xanthippe of Negma in 1980.  Gloria and Ivor were also members of the Coursing Club.  Ivor was a medical doctor, in that position he was the physician for Crufts while it was still at Earls Court and for Windsor Championship Show.  Ivor was also very active in the Kennel Club up until the point when he needed to go into assisted living.  At the time of his death Ivor must have been well into his 90s.  Rest in Peace Ivor.
 
I have spoken to Buzz Faber’s daughter to see how Buzz is doing.  She is in a care-home at the present time and will be there for the foreseeable future.  Her dogs are all being looked after.  If I hear any more information, I will post it here.  Her daughter is still here in the UK sorting out Buzz’s affair so if you would like to send cards to cheer Buzz up, please send to her home address and her daughter will see Buzz receives them.
 
Helen Haywood has sent me information on the on-going competition for the 2021
Calendar.  They are: “There are 142 entries this year.
The slide show will go live on the SGHC website on June 14th which would have been the Open Show date.
Voting will remain open for 2 weeks until June 28th.
It will show a slide show of thumbnail photos, and voters will be asked to vote for their top 12 photos.
By clicking on each thumbnail it will enlarge the photo and give the voter a list of 12 options from Favourite to 12th Favourite. 
The website will collate the votes in the background, not visible to visitors.”
 
The Kennel Club has had an Update regarding Crufts 2021.  To paraphrased their comments, they state: “Qualifications criteria for the show will be announced once the Government guidance is clear on future events, which may not be until the autumn.  It may be that the show will need to be reformatted in a way to comply with the new regulations.  If so, more details, about this will be announced as information becomes available”.  So, besides waiting to hear what the qualifications for next year’s Crufts we also have to wait to see what the restrictions to enter and leave the Country with our dogs, as we are no longer in the Common Market.  At this point to enter Northern Ireland with your hounds you need an up to date Pet Passport.  
 
The influential Stud I am exploring this week is the grandfather of the English Saluki.  He is Ch Sarona Kelb. All information for this article comes from “The Saluki in History, Art and Sport”. By David and Hope Waters 1969.  1st Edition.
After the 1st World War military officers were returning from what we now call ‘the middle east’. While they were stationed there, they became acquainted with the Salukis as they had the opportunity to join their Arab hosts on hunting trips.  Brigadier-General Lance and Florence Lance became interested in the breed from the Brigadiers military travels. Which enabled them to import some hounds from Syria.  At this time the Brigadier and Mrs Lance and the Hon Florence Amherst were drawing up the standard by which the Salukis Club would be recognized by the Kennel Club.  In 1923 The Saluki or Gazelle Hound Club was officially recognized and accepted by The Kennel Club.  Ch Saona Kelb was to become the first dog Champion in our breed.  “Brigadier Lance considered that Kelb excelled in soundness, quality and feather and was a wonderful coursing hound.  He was a typical Shami type Saluki from Syria and left his stamp on the breed siring 10 champions.”
 
The Brigadier wrote: “Ch Sarona Kelb was born in Damascus 1919, his sire Selughi was a white and Black and was an exceptionally fast and clever coursing dog.  His dam Baalbek was a small grizzle bitch given to me by the Kaimakam of Baalbek.”  
 
Hope and David Waters in their book state: “He (Kelb) was brought to England in 1921, very soon became a champion after the breed was awarded certificates, and stamped the breed with his type from the first.  At Cruft’s one year, both certificate winners and both reserve certificate winners were himself and his sons and daughters and the following year every first-prize winner was a son or daughter of his. Probably every winning Saluki of any note, either on the bench or in the coursing field, has his blood from several different lines today.  He died at the age of twelve years and was the Champion at Cruft’s the year before his death”
 
From Saluki Achieves I have recorded the following details: Sarona Kelb was bred by Brigadier General F. Frederick Lance, owned by him and Mrs Glady M Lance.*
His sire was Seleugh and dam, Baalbek.  He was born in the Syrian Arab Republic.  Colour was black and tan.  He had 18 mating partners with 111 offsprings.  (51 males and 60 females.  He produced 10 English Champions. The champions are ;
Hassan of Ruritania, Sarona Muzbat, Tarzan of Ruritania, Shem of Iraq, Sarona Gulshere, Orchard Shahin, Orchard Rahma, Ameena of Ayot, Sarona Gemil, Sarona Ghulab.
*The SGHC has two lovely portraits of the Brigadier Lance and Florence donated by the Lance family.  The Club has restored them and reframed them so they can be exhibited at Club events.
 

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