2nd October 2020

 
During this difficult time it has often been trying to keep the Breed Notes going with interesting breed related items.  In this week’s notes I am more then pleased that three of the Saluki fraternity have sent me information to relay.  They are different and varied and I thank them very much.  
 
Congratulations to Maya Monk and Al Zubeyda Mahabbah.  Sascha as she is more fondly known is involved in scenting.  She has now passed her level 2 with flying colours finding all 8 of the items she was challenged to find.  It is amazing what our Salukis can do with a little encouragement.
 
Along with this same theme Masha Shaverneva has written about the latest conquest for her agility Saluki, Altai.    
 “Several clubs have been able to hold COVID compliant agility shows since June, and there are two KC shows going ahead this weekend. These shows take a lot of organisation but they run amazingly well. Exhibitors arrive at their scheduled time slot, travel between the rings in the car, walk the course in groups (cohorts) of 6, run their dogs, move on to the next ring and go home after running 3 classes. The only disadvantage is that you do not get to see all your friends, but you can request to be in the same group at the time of entry, and on the plus side you also have most of the day free. 
 
Altai and I have competed at several shows since June, including 5 shows run by Kelluki club. Those were part of a 6 show series of Kelluki Summer League. Altai has been running really well and we had 3 x 2nd places, 1 x 3rd, 2 x 4th, 2 x 5th and 3 further clears which meant he finished as the Large Beginners Runner-up and received a very generous hummer of doggy goodies for himself, a therapy, chocolates and cider for his humans. 
 
We have also ventured into a new sport of canine hoopers and have completeda 6 weeks course in summer. Hoopers is based on agility, but it is designed as an all inclusive safe sport for all. there are no jumps to jump and no contact equipment to climb. Instead there are hops a dog runs through and barrels a dogs goes around to change direction. there are also tunnels on some courses, but these are larger than in agility so even Great Danes can easily negotiate those. In competition a dog runs the numbered being directed by the handler who can either run, walk or stand. team gets extra points if they manage to do extra challenges as set out by the judge which include handling all or part of the course from a certain distance or marked area.  As Altai completed a Silver Hoopers Award test we felt brave enough to enter several hoopers shows too. It looks like Altai enjoys canine hoopers as much as agility and we have had 6 clear runs, 1 x 2nd and 2 x 3rd places at two shows, half of them with bonus points for distance handling challenges too.” 
 
 
Pam Wadsworth found the following results for a *Sanction Show which was held in the grounds of Michael and Jesse Lyne’s Dunfield House, in an old 1970’s magazine.   You can see some of the names of people and dogs that are in our pedigrees of today. Also notice the class sizes.  The judge was Vikki Gwynn, well known Greyhound breeder and exhibitor.  Interestingly her husband was the actor Michael Gwynn.  Michael is perhaps best remembered for his role in the first episode of the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers "A Touch of Class" (1975) as the conman "Lord" Melbury who eventually humiliates Basil Fawlty.[2] For Hammer Films, he performed in several productions including the war film The Camp on Blood Island (1958), and Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960), a rare drama film for the studio; the actor also appeared in one of their very best horror movies, The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), in which he played a tragic experimental subject who turns into a cannibalistic killer, and the less well-regarded Scars of Dracula (1970) in the role of a priest determined to battle Count Dracula.[3][4][5] He had a lead role in 1960's Village of the Damned, produced and distributed by MGM-British Studios.[6]
 
 
 
Sanction Show 1970
 
Although not blessed with the brightest of weather, the rain held off for the Sanction Show on 30thMay.  It was held at Dunfield House, Fairford, Gloucestershire, by kind permission of the owners Mr and Mrs Michael Lyne.  The wonderfully springy turf of the lawn made movement easy for man/woman and hound!  The judge was Mrs Victoria Gwynn and she has very kindly sent us her report.  An innovation at this show as the children’s handling competition, which attracted a considerable entry.  The winner was Miss Catherine Bullock, handling her mother’s Starflight Solitaire.
 
It was a great pleasure to see and handle so many beautiful Salukis and I thank the Saluki Club and its officers for allowing me this facility.
 
Thanks too to exhibitors for a splendid entry.  I was distressed that so many worthy hounds were turned away unrewarded.  As the classes were so large, I have included the name of the Reserve award in each case, as I think them well worthy of mention.
 
I am indebted to two good stewards, Mr and Mrs Mooney, who looked after me so well.
 
101 Exhibits – 181 Entries
 
Puppy Dog(7) (1) Tebbs’ Almanza Kafiat – well grown fawn, surprisingly firm and mature for his eleven months.  Masculine head, strong, well-boned body and legs, big quarters.  Has great scope and moved very freely.  Best puppy.  (2) Bullock’s Starflight Scimitar – ten months grizzle dog.  Well made, straight front, good spring of rib and quarters, straight sound mover.  Should like finer head.  (3) Wieden’s Sedeki Bin – a well grown golden of ten months.  He has quality and is sound with good bone, depth of brisket and strong quarters.  Moved well with impressive forehand.  (R) Sedeki Bal.
 
Junior Dog(19) (1) Almanza Kafiat (2) Ormsby’s Burydown Yehudi – quality cream.  Excellent head, neck and shoulder.  Good body and quarters with correct moderate angulation and well let down hocks; first class legs and feet, free mover.  (3) Caston’s Benjamin of Thurlsway – seventeen months black and red.  Nicely built sound dog who moved with drive.  (R) Amena Rualla Khallil.
 
Novice Dog(25) (1) Almanza Kafiat (2) Overton’s Stoneybridge Spartacus striking read and white dog of twenty months.  Good head and feathering, dark eye; straight front, good lay of shoulder; strong loin and quarters.  Moved gaily and freely.  (3) Applebee’s Mazuri Hanuman of Lineage – classy black and silver.  Well boned with correct angulation of shoulder and hock. Excellent legs and feet, sound mover. (R) Barker’s Burydown Nimrod.
 
Graduate Dog(17) (1) Abbott’s Hasana Rafiq – beautifully built silver grizzle smooth.  Alert, intelligent head, long neck let into well-laid shoulder; good depth and rib cage; firm loin and strong quarters giving great drive in moving; sound legs and feet.  Well muscled and in fine bloom and was eventually best in show.  (2) Almanza Kafiat.  (3) Cuff’s Burydown Umbashi – big cream dog with dark pigmentation. Strongly built with great quarters. Moved with excellent forehand and drive. (R) Stoneybridge Spartacus.
 
Post Graduate Dog(14) (1) Hasana Rafiq (2) Cooper’s Divels Yakoubi black, tan and cream.  Nicely made with fine head, long neck, well-laid shoulder, sound quarters, legs and feet with strong pasterns.  Moved freely. (3) Wieden’s Sedeki Saditt – another very enviable smooth, black and silver.  Well made and compact with good bone; nice depth, powerful quarters, fluid movement. (R) Almanza Kafiat.
 
Puppy Bitch(10) (1) Bullock’s Starflight Sceptre – ten months black grizzle, well grown for her age.  Good head with dark eye, long neck, firm front.  Has to drop a little yet in brisket but good rib cage with strong loin and quarters.  Legs and feet excellent, good feathering.  Moved well both ways.  Best bitch. (2) Lucas and James’ Bedouin Geldara Amalia – only seven months but a well built girl.  Cream with good dark pigmentation.  Is a sound mover and has all the essentials.  (3) Henderson’s Sedeki Asala of Kumasi – gorgeous smooth red grizzle of ten months.  Chiselled head with dark eye, long graceful neck, perfect shoulder placement.  Good depth, big quarters, the whole animal giving an impression of supreme quality.  Unfortunately, she was too unruly to place higher.  I did manage to get a glimpse of what a superb mover she will be.  Presented in top condition. (R) Rogers’ Ellerthwaite’s Lisa-Lyka.
 
Junior Bitch(17) (1) Starflight Sceptre. (2) Ashwell’s Xanthippe El Ghazi – sixteen months pied bitch.  An exhibit of tremendous quality.  Lovely delicate head, good body and quarters, well muscled with strong second thigh, good angulation and moved freely.  (3) Long’s Amena Jo – well made cream of seventeen months, good body and bone.  Covered a lot of ground.  Good forehand but moved a little close behind.  (R) Geldara Burydown Yanina.
 
Novice Bitch(31) (1) Starflight Sceptre. (2) Lloyd’s Stoneybridge Safibadeh – striking pied bitch, more mature at three years.  Elegant head and neck, dark eye and abundant feathering.  Well balanced with well set shoulder, big rib cage, strong loin and quarters.  Moved effortlessly, presented fit.  (3) Xanthippe El Ghazi (R) Amena Javelin.
 
Graduate Bitch(21) (1) Batty’s Myhorlyns Springbarn Destiny – sizeable but feminine, white and red parti. Superb head, neck and body, great depth and long in loin but no weakness here; powerful quarters with moderate angulation.  In the first instance moved perfectly and should have been best bitch had she not, in the final assessment, gone very slackly and thrown it all away.  A pity!  (2) Yardley’s Bedouin Dahili – well presented deer grizzle.  Sound and fit with well made body and excellent legs and feet.  Moved very well.  (3) Applebee’s Sedeki Khamsa of Lineage – elegant white and black parti.  A pretty head and good feathering.  Impressive depth, oved freely.  (R) Xanthippe El Ghazi.
 
Post Graduate Bitch(18) (1) Myhorlyns Springbarn Destiny.  (2) Kendall’s Tahawi Kenella – lovely black grizzle.  Dark eye built on classical lines.  Good depth, well-presented.  Moved with springy gait as a Saluki should.  (3) Bryant’s Tahawi Lucina – striking red and white parti, difficult not to be seduced by the gorgeous colour.  Built on similar lines to Kenella but less depth and I preferred Kenella’s front.  Moved well. (R) Tazi Burydown Rizpah.
Victoria Gwynn.
*Sanction Shows were a forerunner to Limited Shows.  You had to be a member of a club to attend.   There were no classes available after Post Graduate as the show was mainly for young dogs. Dogs with RCCS or CC were not eligible to enter.
 
The Northern Saluki Club facebook page has a new name.  It is called the ‘UK Saluki Friends’, it is still hosted by Caroline Pickering on behalf of the NSC.
 
On the front of the new KC web site and the cover of the KC’s Annual Report for 2019/2022 is a photo of a grizzle male Saluki.  His name is Almas Al Farid, he is owned by Elisabetta Bellomi from Italy.
 

 
 
 
here to edit.