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Track & Field Afghan Hounds
Oval Track Racing – Open Field Hare Coursing – Hunting Afghan Hounds
Humbabarauma of Synergon CC CM coursing a California desert Jackrabbit
Afghan Hound Racing
&
Hunting with Afghan Hounds
It comes as a surprise to many people when they learn that performance bred Afghan Hounds still exist.
Oval Track Racing
There are newspaper accounts of Afghan Hounds racing around the racetracks of England since 1931.
A pack of racing Afghan Hounds blasting off !
There have also been on and off again Afghan racing events in the United Stated for many years. In Germany, and soon after in neighboring countries of Austria, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands there have been timed oval track races with Afghan Hounds since the 1950’s. Today these races culminate in the Sighthound World Championships of Oval Track Racing and the European Sighthound Championships held in alternate years.
We are very grateful to have discovered these amazing Afghan Hounds that our friends in the European racing community have preserved and nurtured. They are physically powerful canine athletes with strong outgoing characters that make them wonderful companions.
We feel very fortunate to have these special Afghans as the foundation of Synergon Track and Field Afghan Hounds today.
High Flying Kepi of Synergon
High Flying Kepi of Synergon racing in the finals of the 2014 Sighthound Oval Track World Championships held in Tampere, Finland.
Hunting with Afghan Hounds
They are also called Afghan Tazis or Aboriginal Afghan Hounds but primarily they are called upon to assist their human companions in the hunt.
Aboriginal Afghan Hounds (i.e. Tazis ) in Northern Afghanistan. By Kuchi Productions, Afghanistan.
Tazi: A Journey with the Afghan Hounds by Kuchi Films
Across Afghanistan and Pakistan the most common prey the Tazis hunt is the Desert Hare (Lepus capensis).
Afghanistan’s Desert Hare
(Lepus capensis)
In a similar vein, the most common prey we hunt with our Afghan Hounds here in the United States is the Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus).
We first attempted hunting with an Afghan Hound 40+ years ago when we added one to a mixed pack used on Whitetail Deer and Agouti in the jungles of Panama.
We are told that Afghan Hounds have always been versatile hunting dogs. They have traditionally hunted everything from hare and fox to big game such as Chinkara Antelope, Argali Sheep, Ibex, and even Wild Boar when they raid crop areas.
Our hounds have been used to track wounded deer and flush Quail from the California chaparral. But the Afghans really shined when they showed us their big game hunting abilities by successfully tracking and catching Wild Boar from their very first time they crossed each others tracks.
Open Field Coursing
OFC in the United States primarily involves hunting wild Jackrabbits in their native terrain.
Synergon Afghan Hounds have been hunting in NOFCA field trials since the 1980’s. Before we discovered the official coursing trials in California we simply enjoyed memorable days in the desert coursing Jackrabbits with the Afghans teamed up with our Greyhounds.
Hounds & Hare at the 2013 Grand Course Rarebreed hunt
Since that time generations of Synergon Afghan Hounds have hunted Blacktailed Jackrabbits in the fields and deserts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas.
And then there is Wyoming, the place that the big Whitetailed Jackrabbits call home. We love the windswept snow covered plains of Wyoming and it seems that the Afghans (and Borzoi) are completely in their element when hunting those big northern hares.
Whitetailed Jackrabbit shedding winter’s coat
Vuri-Durran van de Bremmen, Elite Racing Champion Afghan Hound
2014 Sighthound World Championships
Xoran and Zaluchy !
Little Kepi closing in on Jr.
High Flying Kepi of Synergon WC-2014
We’ll see when i get around to to creating an ABOUT page for the Synergon Hounds. One can see from this HOME page that there is a lot of stuff here that is not specifically about our dogs. I hope it gives a hint of a little known world of the Afghan Hound beyond the show ring. Here we will celebrate the original hunting-type Afghan Tazis existing in and around Afghanistan, Pakistan, India etc. and also the Aboriginal Afghan Hounds in Russia. There will also be as much info as i can gather about the amazing and often ignored racing Afghans of Europe.That is the plan.
i’m very happy to see this beautiful real Afghans. My first afghan was born in 1977 here in Denmark and she look just like this – not much coat at all. She was an desert afghan I think. All my others after her, have much coat….to much. I hope so much we can take care of the real Afghan hound allways. Thanks
What is an Afghan Hound ? Afghan Hound is a hunter, a lure courser, an oval track racer, a show dog and much more, but most of all he is a loyal companion a friend and a family member. Great job on the Web page. You have managed to show us a glimpse of what the Afghan Hound can do. Keep up the good work.
I am interested in getting a puppy in the United States.I had a dog that looks exactly like the Russian Afghan for 15yrs. He was remarkable. I am not interested in hunting,showing,or racing. I want the dog as a companion. I was told by Aljhari Afghan Hounds that you had one of her dogs that was born in the states.I have 2 acres of land fenced in and access to 50 acres everyday where I walk.
I am looking for a cream with a light face. A male. My dog strongly resembled the bhakmul from Russia.
He was the love of my life. Please let me know.
Hi Kathy thank you for your inquiry. At this time we have no puppies. I appreciate your love for the dogs but I would not sell an afghan just for companionship. Synergon afghans have been bred for performance and they will be going to performance homes. I would be happy to direct you to a breeder who you could contact for a companionship. Are you on facebook? Ernie.
so after seeing you recent FB message…probably all babies are spoken for…but would love to be added to a waiting list for the future…hoping to know you and yours…have known Vicky Clarke (Garofalo) since the early 1970s…bought my first afghan in 1968 (my beloved companion for 18yrs)…he was heavily pattered s/m cream and no topknot…imagine that…lol…hoping we could be friends and see how things go…i love your website…and looking forward to the future…you are welcome to talk with Vicky about myself (for a reference)…i visited Vicky in 2012 and fell in love with NV…hoping to move there in a few years…will visit again in the Fall of 2018)…and move to NV soom after…my email is down…but i am on FB…Carole Owens Pollock…Westerville, Ohio…937-681-3390…my email went its working…is riverdogz33@excite.com…hope to hear from you when you have the time…thanks…peace…and happy holidays…
Hunting winter hares with Afghan Hounds video: Afghanistan?
Can you email me you number for contact? Or email. Thanks.
Do you export puppies to the UK? I have owned afghans since 1968 bred several litters and I race and coarse them here, but I was unable to breed from my last bitch who is now 10 years old and although I have Borzoi that are my current show dogs, I do not want to be without an Afghan and your type is what I am used to looking at yours Yvonne Odell (Sukeshi)
https://www.zassc.com/
puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gen 23 I think
Ernie, I own no sighthounds but am fascinated by NOFCA. It is my dream one day to witness it in person. May we cross paths one day.