Picture of Katie
The WindCrest kids matched Annie's achievements in 1994 earning 4 ASFA Field Championships, 5 AKC Field Championships, finishing #1, 2, 6, & 13 in ASFA Top Ten, #1, 2, & 11 in AKC Top Ten, and were the #1 & 2 Afghans combined ASFA and AKC. They took Best of Breeds at the Invitationals in Regions 6, 7, and 8, the Toledo Afghan Hound Club Specialty, and at the Grande Prix Challenge. At the Afghan Hound National Specialty ASFA trial they placed 1st, 2nd, 4th and Best of Breed. Combining AKC and ASFA trials, Annie and her kids defeated 594 hounds. One is AKC pointed. Annie is a loving companion, an exceptional courser, a good trainer and a wonderful Dam whose kids are following in her footsteps. Whatever we ask of her she gives, and then gives more.
Campaigning Annie and watching her run was a wonderful experience. We were hooked on coursing and began to look around for our next coursing hound. We realized how special Annie was and decided to breed her to a dog who shared her good temperament, sound confirmation and love of coursing. Jr. Lee, CH Zcsirrah's Way Cool Jr., LCM II, SC, more than met these criteria. The breeding produced eight irresistible puppies who were loving, sound, and have proven to be coursing hounds. They were so irresistible that we kept five.
Neither Katie nor her littermates needed training to chase the bunny. At young ages we periodically played with them with a lure on a fishing pole taking care not to overdo it. As they became older we began limited practices at first alone and then with their mother. It was with pride and pleasure that we watched Annie run with her kids.
Along with breeding, conditioning is an important component of a good courser. Katie and her littermates are not road worked but they get plenty of exercise. Katie's sister, Country Girl, and her aunt, Witch, are the playful ones and get the running started. These daily runs around the back yard and through the shrubs help Katie stay in shape and improve her agility. When she's not running in and out of the overgrown shrubbery, she and her brother Quigley are climbing them to look over their neighborhood. During the coursing season she stays in shape by running at field trials. We do not course Katie heavily but often run her just one day of a weekend. Although her mother had plenty of heart and would run every weekend including now at the age of nine if we would let her, we have been pacing Katie's running.
Because of this pacing and a later start, Katie trailed her brother Winston for most of the year. However her speed and determination did not go unnoticed by the judges. Her placements included Best of Breed at the Presidential Cup, Toledo Afghan Hound Club Specialty, Region 7 & 8 Regional Invitational, and at the Afghan Hound Club National Specialty. She finished 1994 as the ASFA #1 Afghan with 136 hounds defeated and the AKC #2 Afghan with 34 hounds defeated. Katie has not competed for Best in Field as it our practice not to run for BIF. Katie has been more than what we hoped for - we get great pleasure watching her run, she's a real sweetheart who greets us every morning with a kiss, and she's a joy to live with.