This Site Chosen By Microsoft As THE Afghan Web Link for Encarta Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange (Afghan Hound Denmark World Congress Report)

DENMARK 1997
3rd World Afghan Congress Report #6
David Frei (USA) Page2

One topic on the schedule that day seemed ambitious, to say the least: "International world wide Afghan Hound Standard." Maybe it's an admirable and appropriate goal for a world congress, with Afghan fanciers from 23 countries on hand, to try to produce one international standard for use all over the world. But knowing Afghan Hound fanciers like I do, it just ain't ever gonna happen, at least not in my lifetime. But the idea of even talking about it was intriguing, and with Birgitha Runmarker of Sweden the listed speaker, I was prepared for some interesting dialogue. However, Birgitha spent most of her time comparing the different standards and different dogs rather than advocating a single standard, and there weren't any fireworks. Maybe the topic title was lost in the translation.

One of the most curious moments of the Congress came when the legendary Christina Jernberg of Sweden delivered her message, "What has happened to our aristocratic Afghans?" Her world-famous El Khyria Kennels have provided the foundation stock for many Scandinavian Afghan Hound fanciers. She has rarely ever spoken in public (she declined an invitation to speak at our World Congress in San Diego), and she fought back from a life-threatening illness some years ago to remain active in the dog show world. Given all of that, it was easy to understand that she was greeted with a standing ovation. But then, delivering her message in Swedish and with an interpreter translating to English, she proceeded to rip into today's version of the Afghan Hound and the breeders who produce it. She finished by saying she will be devoting her time and efforts to her Chows from now on. Unbelievably, when she was done, the room gave her another (mostly) standing ovation. I was amazed, quite frankly. I, an Australian friend sitting right in front of me and a few others stayed seated silently and we all looked at one another in bewilderment at what we felt to be an inappropriate response to her disputable and debatable charges. What a shame that someone with that kind of respect and following and history in the breed would choose to take a swing at us and then run out the door to her Chows. If you really care, Christina, stay and fight for what you believe in. Sunny Shay and Kay Finch and Gini Withington may not have liked everything that they saw in the ring toward the end of their days, but they never would have walked away without fighting for the wonderful breed they loved.

David Frei/Dog News USA July 97
Copyright(c) 1997

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DENMARK CONGRESS 97
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