We then began to seriously research what we wanted in our Afghan Hounds, and chose a few breed "icons" which seemed to us to embody everything we thought an Afghan Hound should be. They were also outwardly somewhat dissimilar in many respects on initial appraisal, but on serious examination of the photos (all we had to go on in those days!) remarkably alike in the composition of the breed hallmarks they exhibited - like square, athletic, hard, angular outlines, long legs both on the fore and hind limbs, hard toplines and sharply defined croups with prominent hipbones, tails with excellent rings, magnificent length and strength of head, and above all an indescribable air of majesty, superiority and commanding presence (what we believe the standard means by "aloofness") which came through clearly without even seeing the live dog, although of course we will always wish we could have been so lucky. They were DUTCH GER. BELG. AM. CH. OPHAAL (of Crown Crest) (Imp Holland), AM. CAN. VEN. CH. SHIRKHAN OF GRANDEUR, and AM. CAN. CH. CROWN CREST MR. UNIVERSE. When ENG. (AUST.) CH. MAZARI OF CARLOWAY (imp U.K.) arrived in Australia, we at last saw for ourselves the indefinable essence of what an Afghan should BE, and then when ENG. (AUST.) CH. WALIWOG OF CARLOWAY (imp U.K.) followed shortly afterwards, he was immediately added to our wish list. We have spent the rest of our lives working to incorporate the "type" these Afghan Hounds represented and endeavouring to preserve the bloodlines we have so deliberately sourced which trace to them.

Next to arrive at Calahorra was our true beginning, with the arrival of (later Ch.) EMIR AWAZIR DEERA, our black masked gold foundation bitch, who was by Ch. Tarababa of Carloway (imp U.K.) ex Ch. Frankkenn el Ardashira (who had a Carloway, Bletchingley and Khorrassan background). The litter was line bred on ENG. CH. BLETCHINGLEY ZARA, but it was not until recent times that we began to - comprehend the influence a prepotent ancestor can exert up to seven times and even further removed in the pedigree, despite the commonly accepted "lf it's off the piece of paper, it doesn't really count" (i.e. three or at most five generations) mentality to which many subscribe.

Tarry was imported by the late Joyce Davey, a lady of enormous vision to whom the breed owes a great debt. Her stock is behind most of the Afghans produced under both the Calahorra and the Dzum prefixes and have therefore been influential not only in Australia but also throughout the world and continue to be so.

CH. EMIR AWAZIR DEERA born: 12.4.63. foundation bitch of CALAHORRA, dam of 10 Champions, grandam of CH. CALAHORA BARCAROLLE

Tarry carried the English lines that we most admired and we also wanted to have his daughter because he was by ENG. CH. WAZIR OF DESERTAIRE (imp U.S.A.) and this would give us our first link to the great Crown Crest Kennels of Kay Finch and their inestimable contribution to the Afghan Hound as we know it today.

Obtaining her championship easily and winning many in group and in show awards in the days when Afghans seldom did, Wazir went on to produce ten significant winning and producing champions.

Next on the scene were the black and tan litter mates (later Ch.) EL TAZZI JABBABIRAH and sister JAUZAR; offspring of the recently imported (Ch.) Ajman Shiramin (imp U.K.), daughter of Ajman Branwen Kandahar (imp U.S.A.), and also carrying valuable old English lines including those which Barbara Skilton had so carefully imported. These Afghan Hounds provided us with our first link to Shirkhan and to Grandeur.

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