24th April 2020

 
I hope everyone is fairing ok during this difficult time. As someone said to me today, during the war they suffered but at least they could meet up with their friends and get together.  Well, there is a glimmer of hope that in the next couple of weeks the country will have seen the worst and maybe we will be allowed to move about more freely.  
 
Caroline Pickering (Sydney Kasaque) is organizing a game to keep the Saluki Community amused.  It is called ‘Toilet Roll Challenge’.  One is supposed to take a video clip of you and/or your hound with the toilet roll coming from the right and leaving from the left.  When you have completed the video please send the results of John Davies who will compiling all the clips then posting them.  John’s E:mail address is: forcemotors@gmail or you can find him on facebook. 
 
As a matter of interest, I thought I would look at an influential Saluki from the near past.  The dog is Ch Hekla Royal Brigadier of Fargaze. He was born on the 3rdMay 1979.  His sire was Ch Wildspray of Daxlore Of Hekla and dam, Sedeki Idi of Hekla.  His breeders were Brian & Rosemay Hill. Raffi as he was better known was owned by Jenny and Norman Ziman who campaigned him to his title.  He won his first CC when he was just over 12 months. The judge was the well respected hound specialist Judy de Casembroot. His second CC was awarded by Hope Waters, who needs no introduction and his third was by Harry Jordan, another well known judge. So all in all he attained his title at a young age in a very competitive period of time.  Most importantly Rafi was a positive influence in the breed producing very beautiful sound stock both physically and mentally.  If you look back in the pedigrees of English Salukis you will often see him there.  Rafi sired 8 litters and at that point Jenny said, not more.  
 
His champion off springs were: Ch Kasaque Dharmas, Ch Cranstal Chance,  Ch Cranstal Chaos, Ch Mumtaz Fantasia of Fargaze, Ch Mumtaz Nocturne of Minsha and Ch Mumtaz Mazurka at Malenkhai.  Many more of his off springs did well in the showring but did not attain championship status.  
 
here to edit.