FULL CIRCLE
By Steve Tillotson
Afghan Hound Breed Information Exchange, March 1999
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Grandeur is the USA kennel established in the early 1940''s by Sunny Shay. Branwen is the Spanish kennel established in the early 1950's by Cynthia Madigan. The historic link between Grandeur and Branwen is that Mrs Madigan's kennel was founded on Grandeur stock. The link became circular with the return of Branwen lines to Grandeur 30 years later.
Grandeur exists today as one of the longest prevailing active Afghan kennels in the world and continues to extend the legacy of Sunny Shay. Grandeur these days is a private stud where they continue to breed "True To The Heart Of Grandeur", pun intended.
The Branwen legacy has also been extended via the efforts of dedicated breeders in the UK, France and Spain.The next generation of Branwen inspired ofspring has arrived, puppies are in their new homes on the American continent and will once again be combined with Grandeur lines.
So, after extensive amounts of international collaboration the circle prevails and the lagacy's continue, let's find out some more.....
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The photo top left shows Sunny Shay with Far Away Loo (Shaitan Bedar x Cleopatra) , a Grandeur foundation bitch born in 1939. Loo's pedigree traces back exclusively within the US breed's foundation imports from the UK of Badshah Of Ainsdart, Ashna of Ghazni. Westmill Omar, and, interestingly also includes the later UK import Westmill Taree.
The photo top right shows Diablo of Grandeur (Kakashah Larch Tree x Amber Of Grandeur), the Branwen foundation dog born in 1956. Diablo's pedigree is the epitome of all that is Grandeur, and it is also a pedigree that reflects the first 20 years development of the Afghan Hound in the USA.
Kakashah Larch Tree (bred in the UK by Mr Morris Cole) was exported to Sunny Shay and became a very influential stud dog. Remarkably, three other Afghans from this Kakashah litter were also exported to other breeders in the US. The littermates exported were Kakashah Tiger Lily, Lakme of Kakashah and Kaguli of Kakashah. This Kakashah pedigree is very rich in Turkuman lines. Noting that Sunny Shay had imported Turkuman Nissim's Laurel several years earlier, (another pedigree rich in Turkuman lines), the decision to import Larch Tree was truly "inspirational". Later of course, Larch Tree and Laurel's breedings came together, a good example being Laurel Ridges Boy Blue (dog, born 1959), sired by Larch Tree, dam's pedigree contains Blue Boy Of Grandeur and Turkuman Nissim's Laurel.
I could wax lyrical for ages about this particular era in Grandeur breeding, but will save that for another article some time in the future. Suffice to say, that Diablo's pedigree is so full of interest, not only containing the Turkuman roots via Larch Tree, but also the Grandeur roots via Blue Boy Of Grandeur and lines back to Far Away Loo and her US breed foundation ancestors. This then is the legacy of Grandeur, perpetuated by the Branwens who bred almost exclusively within their imported Grandeur lines. Let's look at our first pedigree in this article....
| Parents | Grandparents | Great-Grandparents | Great-Great-Grandparents |
| Kakashah Larch Tree | Abdin of Tzaharane | Chota Nissim of Ringbank | Turkuman Pomegranate |
| Turkuman Night-flowering Cactus | |||
| Tzaharane Topaz of Khorrassan | Badakhshnan of Valdorern | ||
| Natara of Westover | |||
| Kakashah Khishna of Kuranda | Ch Netheroyd Alibaba | Netheroyd Ansari | |
| Netheroyd Camelthorn | |||
| Kuranda Netheroyd Red Poppy | Ch Netheroyd Red Eagle | ||
| Jalina of Tolrua | |||
| Amber of Grandeur | Am Can Ch Blue Boy of Grandeur | Am Ch Taj Akbaruu of Grandeur | Nehru of Ku |
| Doreborns Karya | |||
| Am Ch Khanhasset Ginger of Grandeur | Am Ch Ali Khyber | ||
| Far Away Loo | |||
| Am Ch Gambulla of Iradell | Am Ch Ali Khyber | Am Ch Rudiki of Prides Hill | |
| Pommelrock Kashan | |||
| Am Ch Karan of Khanhasset | Am Ch Ali Khyber | ||
| Am Ch Shibergam of Dunrobin | |||
Whilst most of us have heard of Turkuman, some of you may not be familiar with Turkuman Pomegranate who is the double grandsire of Turkuman Nissim's Laurel. Below is a stunning photograph of Pomegrante provided by Sue Virgo (Sumahari UK). Also shown below is a hitherto unbublished photograph of Natara Of Westover from my own archives, Natara also occurs in the above pedigree
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(Photo's from Sue Virgo archives, and Ruth Weddle's "Our Afghan" magazine)
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Update 22nd May 2003 -
Since posting these pages I have received a photo from Stephanie Hunt-Crowley (Chandhara) of the Diablo son, Chandhra Branwen Sheen Kamri. Pedigree and photo below
| Parents | Grandparents | Great-Grandparents | Great-Great-Grandparents |
| Am Fr Ch Diablo of Grandeur | Kakashah Larch Tree | Abdin of Tzaharane | Chota Nissim of Ringbank |
| Tzaharane Topaz of Khorrassan | |||
| Kakashah Khishna of Kuranda | Ch Netheroyd Alibaba | ||
| Kuranda Netheroyd Red Poppy | |||
| Amber of Grandeur | Am Can Ch Blue Boy of Grandeur | Am Ch Taj Akbaruu of Grandeur | |
| Am Ch Khanhasset Ginger of Grandeur | |||
| Am Ch Gambulla of Iradell | Am Ch Ali Khyber | ||
| Am Ch Karan of Khanhasset | |||
| Branwen Karuna of Grandeur | Am Ch Hajji Baba of Grandeur | Am Ch Turkuman Nissim's Laurel | Chota Nissim of Ringbank |
| Ch Netheroyd Turkuman Camelthorn | |||
| Am Ch Zala of Grandeur | Am Ch Sahib of Sutton Place | ||
| Am Ch Kahlua of Khanhasset | |||
| Kushtar of Grandeur | Nissim of Grandeur | Am Ch Turkuman Nissim's Laurel | |
| Blue Pearl of Grandeur | |||
| Hakia of Grandeur | Am Ch Hakim of Grandeur | ||
| Zem Zem of Grandeur | |||
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Let us conclude this first page with the pedigree of a modern Grandeur Afghan which shows the Branwen influence, and some of the ancestors mentioned earlier
| Parents | Grandparents | Great-Grandparents | Great-Great-Grandparents |
| Triumph of Grandeur | Shahrp of Grandeur | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur | Am & Can Ch Boy Blue of Grandeur |
| Rubicon Rhea Sylvia | |||
| Shakira of Grandeuer | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur | ||
| Am Ch Bahais Sunny Sassaphrass | |||
| Turkhana of Grandeur | Sumava Branwen Kazak | Branwen Firang | |
| Branwen Laurel Rose | |||
| Shahrana of Grandeur | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur | ||
| Fantasia of Grandeur | |||
| Trademark of Grandeur | Triumph of Grandeur | Shahrp of Grandeur | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur |
| Shakira of Grandeuer | |||
| Turkhana of Grandeur | Sumava Branwen Kazak | ||
| Shahrana of Grandeur | |||
| Shahpphire of Grandeur | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur | Am & Can Ch Boy Blue of Grandeur | |
| Rubicon Rhea Sylvia | |||
| Shahkira of Grandeur | Am Ch Blu Shah of Grandeur | ||
| Am Ch Bahais Sunny Sassaphrass | |||
One particular Branwen breeding stands out as being significant in the development of modern Grandeur (USA), Sumava (Spain) , Chahcheran (UK/France) , Sumahari (UK) and Jatabe (Spain) Afghans. This breeding involved the mating of Branwen Firang with Branwen Laurel Rose and was the last Branwen litter bred. Let's move onto the next page to study this further..
Copyright(c) 1999 Steve Tillotson
Other places to visit
Grandeur Afghan Hounds, USA
Sunny Shay handling Afghans in England
Branwen AKC registrations and pedigrees
More Grandeur/Branwen/Sumava Photo's
Sue and Mick Virgo, Sumahari Afghan Hounds (UK)
Stenara Afghan Hounds, Sao Paolo (Brazil)
Henry Dietzgen, Mahimmar Afghans (USA)
Sumava Afghans, (Spain)
Stephanie Hunt-Crowley, Chandhara Afghans (USA)
Jatabe Afghans, (Spain)
UK - Brantwood Kennels
Turkuman Nissim's Laurel
Library/Articles Page
Web Pedigree Produced By "The Kennel Club Breed System"
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