Shahanshah Salukis
Salukis exclusively since 1975
In November, 1984 my second homebred litter arrived while living on Long Island, NY. Ch. Shahanshah Rima of Canem-Dei, my pick bitch from the Rodha/Shahil litter, was a petite golden-red girl with an incredibly deep brisket and high tuck-up. She finished her championship handily in East Coast competition, and when it came time to breed her and I asked Mimi's opinion on sires, she suggested I look at the English import Ch. Windswift Aziz, bred by Vera Watkins and imported and owned by Tatiana Partridge, Samarin Salukis, of North Edgecomb, Maine. Aziz was a double grandson of Eng. Ch. Bedouin Caliph, a prepotent sire in England possessing a gorgeous outline, deep body, lovely layback of shoulder, in short the qualities Mimi had sought in her original breeeding stock. Caliph also descended from some of the same English dogs--Burydown and Knightellington--that lay behind Canem-Dei. Aziz, a top-producer in America, had produced a record nine champion get in one year and eventually was to produce more--three of them coming from Rima's litter.
And what a nick, for what was mostly an outcross! Not only did three pups finish (the red dog Ch. Shahanshah Sandstone, owned by Susan Jones; my cream boy Ch. Shahanshah Sand Storm; and cream Aziz look-alike daughter Ch. Shahanshah Sand Castle, owned by Christine Colley), two more should, and would, have finished their titles if life issues hadn't crashed down upon me and limited dog show activities for a time. My gold parti bitch Shahanshah Sand Pebble's BOW at the 1990 SCOA National under saluki breeder-judge Cynthia Madigan Boissevain was one of the most memorable accomplishments of my life in salukis. Pebble collected a four point major under Midge Horn a few weeks after her National win. Her lovely red-parti sister, Shahanshah Sand Star, lacked only two points to finish. I had wanted to breed her to Mimi's black and tan dog "Vulture," a Wahli/Ripper son, but it was not to be, due to graduate school, divorce and single parenthood all descending on me at once. I held to my course as best I could in the multiple endeavors: complete my doctoral degree in history, raise my son Tristan Lueking as well as I could, and keep the saluki dream alive for the next future step.
Ch. Windswift Aziz and handler Sue Lackey, SCOA National, 1984.
Stormy (left) and Pebble, about 8 weeks old.
Lori, Cassie, Stoney, Stormy, about 9 weeks old.
Ch. Shahanshah Rima of Canem-Dei
Pebble: what BOW at the National looks like at 9 weeks old!
Stoney, five months old at Cathy Diener-Farrell's, Long Island, NY.
Star, 6 months.
Stormy, 6-9 Month Puppy Dog class, SCOA National, 1985.
Cassie, about 18 months.
Ch. Shahanshah Sand Castle, CDX.
Cassie in maturity. Sweetness personified.
Shahanshah Sand Star, 13 points, both majors.
Ch. Sahanshah Sandstorm, Westminster Kennel Club (while still in the classes).
Ch. Stormy not long after he won BOB at an ASA trophy supported entry, Indianapolis KC, Asa Mays judging.
Ch. Shahanshah Sandstone at 6 weeks (left), and about two years old (above & below).
Pebble, SCOA National 1987, Gerda Kennedy judging.
The Road to Best of Winners, SCOA National Specialty, 1990, Cynthia Madigan Boissevain, judge.
Setting up in the Open Bitch class.
Coming into the corner.
A moment of balanced grace, captured forever.
The moment of truth: Open, American Bred, and Bred by Exhibitor winners line up for the points.
WE DID IT! WINNER'S BITCH!!! Tears, celebration, and glory followed!
The icing on the cake: Best of Winners! In the Best of Breed ring (left), and accepting the BOW award. Every breeder's dream come true.
Kudos! And many thanks to Sarah Winstead, whose lovely bitch Blue Nile Prophecy was Reserve, for these cherished photos.
