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(AFGHAN HOUND BREED HISTORY - SPAIN)AFGHAN HOUND BREED HISTORY - SPAIN Mid 1950's - 1962
The history of the breed in Spain is especially interesting, on two counts. Firstly it appears to have started with different/later origins than in some other European countries, secondly the bloodlines and breeding appear to have developed quite differently to those in central Europe. This author is learning as he goes along the Spanish history trail, any offers of assistance would be gladly welcomed.
The indications are that Afghan Hound history commenced in Spain around the mid 1950's via two Scandinavian imports, Tanjores Gazelle and Tajmahal Marquis. Whilst in the ownership of the original Spanish owner, E Schultz they were mated and a litter produced. Subsequentially ownership was transferred to Snr Martinez of the Del Moredal kennels. Snr Martinez also imported an English bitch of Khorrassan/Threestreams breeding but she was not apparently bred from. Del Moredal kennel is known in English Afghans as bloodlines exist in the pedigrees of Rifka (Claire Race UK) Afghans, but more on this later.
Snr Martinez closely inbred, remaining within these original foundation lines. A dog Yaki, from the first Marquis/Gazelle litter (bred by E Schultz) was mated with Pilar Del Moredal (bred by Snr Martinez and also a Marquis/Gazelle mating, therefore a brother/sister mating) and produced Athos who was subsequentially mated back into the line (to an aunt) to produce Ophelia. So after three generations of breeding (one by E Schultz, two by Snr Martinez) from the foundation imports we have the following pedigree;
XENOS VDOM TAJMAHAL MARQUIS TAJMAHAL ARIDJA YAKI MOHAMED ALI OF ACKLAM TANJORES GAZELLE TANJORE ATHOS XENOS VDOM TAJMAHAL MARQUIS TAJMAHAL ARIDJA PILAR DEL MOREDAL MOHAMED ALI OF ACKLAM TANJORES GAZELLE TANJORE OPHELIA BARUKHZYS DHIRSTADYUMINA XENOS VDOM RASHNA DU CHATEAU DE ROCHES TAJMAHAL MARQUIS AMMANULLAH AV HINDRA TAJMAHAL ARIDJA FLAMINGO EL KHANDAHAR MIRKA DEL MOREDAL TURKUMAN DAMMAR PINETREE MOHAMED ALI OF ACKLAM MITZOU OF ACKLAM TANJORES GAZELLE BAGDAD R'AKELA TANJORES FLAMINGO EL KHANJAHARWith the above pedigree we have arrived at 1962 and can reflect upon the above pedigree. As is apparent the Del Moredal lines are heavily inbred, in fact the measure (inbreeding coeficient) totals 28% inbreeding level which traces back to the Tanjores/Tajmahal imports, but there is a little more inbreeding also coming from Badgad R'Akela and Flamingo El Khandahar. The rate of inbreeding per generation is very high for Ophelia at 9.14%. Geneticists (UK) have commented that a constant level of 5-6 % is fine (and as seen in some German lines), higher than this then recessive traits may become increasingly fixed.
Its opportune to briefly pursue the inbreeding aspects. Not only is the pedigree in "modern" times highly inbred, but ancestors such as Tanjores/Tajmahal are inbred (less so, but notice Flamingo El Khandahar), and of course the Belgian Barukhzy remained strictly within their Ghazni lines, moderate/high inbreeding. So overall, there is a consistent level of moderate to high levels of inbreeding. Carla Molinari (Do Vale Negro Afghans Portugal, and well travelled European Afghan Hound commentator) once stated that this high level of homozygosity could not produce good results in Spanish Afghan Hounds.
In the next section of Spanish History we will explore how things developed.
Steve Tillotson, April 1996