This is a story about a bitch that changed my life in the World of Dogs!

Izzy was a very special puppy being she was out of “Louie” Ch. Boanne’s Heart N’ Soul a dog that Laura Murphy and I bred.  Louie was owned by Lex Robertson & me.  Her dam was Xandali Lucky Stripe a Brindle bitch who was out of Scarabet Sebring Salusa, an S/M Cream Bitch that I loved.   Since I had given Lex, Louie, he wanted me to have one of these puppies.  All I had to do was to look into this Black & Brindle puppy bitch’s face to know she was the one I wanted.  She was just so exquisite.

Izzy was 3 ½ months old when I brought her home from a Match in Ohio.  Lex was calling her K.D. for Xandali Ingenue, which he than named her Black sister. I felt Izzy was very exotic and wanted a name to fit her.  One of my all time favorite movies was Ladyhawk, so I name her Isabeau from the character in the movie.

Being she was the only puppy we had at this time she became very SPOILED. She was also very independent and could be very stubborn if you wanted her to do something she didn’t want to do.  She was very easy to show and I didn’t have to demand much from her, which I found was a mistake.  I was at a Match in Ohio one month before the Breeders Cup (3-94) when all of a sudden she didn’t want me to stack her for the judge to go over her.  She just refused and all the trying in the world would not work.  She did end up moving with her tail up and won her class in both Sweepstakes & the reg. class.  I also have this on video for all to see.   Anyway, after that I had to teach to her to “STAND STAY”. We would go into my kitchen and I had to scream at her very loud or she would not believe me.  The look I got was “Oh you really do mean this”.  I would praise her very time she stood and we began to get somewhere.  By the time of the Breeders Cup, she stood great and now I only had to whisper it in her ear.   She won the very large 6 – 9 month class that day under Mrs. Julie Roche.

Her first points came when she was 11 ½ months at the AHC of Southwest Ohio 5/28/94 under Lou Guerrero by going WB/BOW from the 9 – 12 month class.  She was also Best In Sweepstakes that day.  She finished on 8/21/94 under Dr. Duane Butherus with 4 majors, 3 BOBs and a Group 2.  The other judges that gave her points were Mr. Reggie Nesbitt, Mrs. Margretta Patterson, Mr. Stephen Shaw, Mr. Robert Stein and Mr. Alexander Schwartz Jr.

She was now a champion at just over 14 months, so what do you do now?  I decided I would show her in the Breed, as she loved it so. I was also spoiled!  To show a dog that loved to show as much as she did (anyone that has shown for a number of years knows what I am taking about).   Her first show, as a champion was at the Midwest AHC.  She was also entered in the Sweepstakes class, as this show was just a week after she finished.   She did go Best In Sweepstakes with a very large entry under Breeder Morgan Garth Jones.  She did not do anything in the breed, but she showed great!

Our next big weekend out was the 1994 National in Allentown, PA (10/94).  She was entered in the Breed at the National for the first time.  That year her uncle Ch. Buena Vista Khabardar “Cassidy” owned by Laura Murphy, won the Breed.  She was also entered at the AHC of Northern New Jersey after the National under Mr. Jay Hafford.  She had a moment of not wanting me to stack her for Jay to go over her but finally did let him. If anyone has a tape of that you can see me whispering in her ear!  She hadn’t done that since the match when she was 7 mos. old.  She did go on to win her first Specialty at 16 months that day.  Thank you Jay as that was one of the most exciting times for me & Izzy. NOTE: I have a video of Izzy growing up from the time she came home with me. Many of the shows I have mentioned, including this specialty are on tape.

I continued to show her in the breed and she did win breeds and place in the groups.  As she and I aged she became a bigger mover and it was hard for me to keep up with her. I wanted Bobbi Kinley-Blewett to special her but at the time she had other obligations so I decided to breed her and show her later. 

Her first litter (12/24/95) by Jubilan’s Octagon, produced Multi Ch. Boanne’s Rosenthorn, Ch. Boanne’s Kiss From A Rose, Ch. Boanne’s A Rose Isarose O’Verpatsha, Ch. Boanne’s Hawkcrest O’Jamocha, and Rus. Ch. Boanne’s Come Pour the Brandy.   Her second litter (2/20/98)  by Multi BIS & SBIS Ch. Ch. Mithra Gabriel of Etrigan produced SBIS Ch. Boanne’s Dragonheart, Ch. Boanne Dragonfly LX Kameron and Ch. Boanne’s Dragon’s Jewel.  I kept her coat for both of these litters.

I showed Izzy between litters and won some breeds and a Group 1.  I showed her at the AHC of Greater Columbus Specialty when her last litter was 9 weeks old and she made the cut. You could tell she had had puppies but she showed her heart out.  Bobbi showed her the next day at the Central Ohio All Breed show, under Peter Machen and she won the Breed.

We decided to bring her out just at Specialties in the beginning. Her first show was the Midwest AHC in August, 1998 (her Gabe puppies were 5 1/2 mos. old). She won the Specialty under Mrs Janis Reital by beating many of the top winning specials at that time.  She won this Specialty 5 years in a row!  Her next Specialty win was the Greater Pittsburgh AHC (10-98) under Mrs. Sandy Frei over many top winning specials again.  Izzy loved to show and the more she moved the better she was.  I started giving her a massage before she would go into the ring and she loved it.    Izzy loved being fussed over so much, this became a ritual between the two of us before each show.

The following year (1999) we went to all-breed shows and it was also the first time that Bobbi & I took Izzy to Westminster.  We almost didn’t make it there on time, due to traffic jam in New York City.  Fortunately we did make it there in time and she won the Breed under Mrs. Janis Rietal. This win was so exciting and not at all expected.  In the Group ring, Bobbi wore a red frilly dress. There was an article in Vanity Fair about Westminster and going around the page were caricatures of a girl in a red frilly dress with a black Afghan which was very flattering.  The next three years we took her to the Garden and each year was as hectic and exciting as the first.  The second year we went thinking that Ch Grandeur Tryst would win but we wanted to compete. Bobbi and Izzy fell in the ring at the Nutmeg show (3 days before Westminster) and both were hurt. Bobbi was in a lot of pain and Izzy wouldn’t even gait close to her at the AHALI show.  When Izzy stepped into the ring at Westminster, however, she showed her heart out!  It was like she came alive at Westminster. She ended up winning the Breed there 4 years in a row, which no other Afghan has done.

Izzy had a remarkable show career and I am so proud and humbled by it all.  She is the Top Specialty Winning Bitch in the history of our breed with 30 Specialty Best In Shows.  At the National she won the Breed in 2000 & 2002, plus Best Brood Bitch in 1997 & 2000.  She also was the Top Winning Afghan in the breed for the year 2000. She won her last two Specialty Best In Shows in April, 2004 from the Veterans class at 10 years 10 months, which is the record for the oldest bitch to win a Specialty.

I have been asked many times, how I got her to move the way she did. What did I do?  I did not do anything; this was the way she was. As a puppy she had lift and spring and just moved so easy.  As she grew up you could see and feel her taking bigger and bigger steps but still with that lift and spring.  Not just the up and down lift & spring but she would spring forward as she move.  As she grew older, it just became more powerful when she moved.  I have pictures of her, totally off the ground.

I know, some of you in the Afghan Hound World are aware that Izzy sustained an injury to her eye that could have hurt her show career. It was in July of 1999 at a dog show, while I was grooming Izzy, she unexpectedly threw her head back into the grooming arm. We discovered later, that the protective cap was missing.  When this happened it ripped off her upper eye rim (what the eye lashes are on).  When the Show Vet came to examine her eye, he said her eye was fine but I needed to get her to a Vet for surgery. I immediately took her to meet my Vet for surgery as Izzy’s eye had some damaged tissue under the upper eye lid.  My Vet used threads the size of a hair to repair the eye which was very swollen.  I had to ice pack the area and had her at the Vet’s almost very day for her to check.  She was already entered in some shows 2 wks after the accident and my Vet said she would be fine by then.  That was hard for me to believe, but sure enough it was much better. We did go to that show and she won the breed.  I know a lot of you wonder why Izzy had her hair combed over her left eye, well now you know.  Izzy was so special to me and I was so relieved her eye was okay.

Izzy, my Vet and I had a very unique relationship.  I was always there when she had surgery or anything done to her.  It never was questioned.  When Izzy won at Westminster, one of the first persons I called was my Vet.

After Izzy won the 2002 National, we made Izzy a house dog.  I would, over the years, bring her in when George was traveling but she always loved going back to the kennel with her pals and her own space.  So it took some time getting her used to staying in the house.  She would follow me around and be where I was.  If someone came to the door and I knew them, I would have to give them a hug and let her know they were OK.  She was very protective of me.  If someone was about to give me a hug that was a no, no until she knew they were OK. 

She came to enjoy the house and she wanted nothing to do with the kennel.   She was great with our Chinese Cresteds and cats.  She was the protector of all the things in the house.  At first she wouldn’t let one of our cats out of the dinning room.  When Laura Murphy, my dear friend  died, I brought Lauren, “Ch. Buena Vista Constant Craving” home to live with us.  I didn’t know what Izzy would do, if she would share or not with another Afghan.  The first night I kept Lauren and Izzy apart, then in the morning I let Lauren out in our yard, and then let Izzy out with her.  Izzy just wagged her tail and there never was a problem.  I even ended up with a mixed breed from my daughter that Izzy accepted and she later became the one that looked out for Izzy in her later years.

Izzy loved playing with toys and chewing on raw hides.  She learned in the very beginning that when you came in from outside you got a “cookie”.  So as a result, she was barking at me to go outside all the time!   Her favorite spot in the daytime was our bed.  In the evenings she would share my meal and usually have me up and down to let her out to potty or to get her a drink of water.  She only did this with me.  I guess you could say she had me trained! When she thought it was bed time, she would bark at you until you would go to bed.

Izzy was a once in a lifetime bitch and I know that.  In the beginning when we first started to Special her, it was never to break records.  I wanted her shown as a bitch that I thought had the qualities and movement of what I believed an Afghan should have. Izzy gave her all and accomplished so much more than I ever dreamed possible.  Out of all this, I received so much love from friends & admirers of hers from all around the world.  I want to thank you all for cheering her on at the shows, for your wonderful cards, e-mails and just being our friend.  To all the judges that gave her awards and just admired her; I thank and appreciate you all. 

Izzy, I will never forget you as your legacy will live on forever!  You gave your all as a show dog and as the queen of our home. I know you loved us as much as we loved you.  You have left us with so many wonderful memories, of which I will always be grateful.  Till we meet again.

Love,

Your Mom

attacking anxiety and depression

Izzy’s owners:  Anne Evans, Lex Robertson, Ken & Lin Valimaki

Judges that gave Izzy Specialty wins:

Mr. Jay Hafford (1), Janis Rietal (2), Mrs. Sandra Frei (4), Mrs. Besty Hufnagel (2)Mrs. Pamela R. Levander (1), Dr. Barry M. Deitch (1), Mrs. Glorvina R. Schwartz,(1)Mrs. Avery Gaudin (2), Mr. Charles E. Robinson (1), Mr. Kent Delaney (3), Betty Stites (1)Ms. Mara Lynn Mercer (1), Douglas Gaudin (1), Romaine Switch (1), Terry Charon (1), June Boone (1), Abby Shaw (1), Brigett Ferguson (1), Helen Elmer (1),  Sandra Weinraub (1)  Shelley Hennessy (1), Mr. John Roger Morton (1),