CH. EVERGLO'S SPARK OF GOLD ROM
This is the best show photo of Sparky that I have, and it was in black and white. It's been colored in to give an idea of his coloring, gold with no black tipping. Sparky did have ink black pigment, which he threw consistently to his offspring. He was even test-bred to a liver nosed bitch, and produced a litter of 5 black pigmented puppies. This indicates that he didn't have a gene for liver, or self color ... but was totally dominant for black pigment.
Sparky was 10 1/2 inches tall, and 14 1/2 inches long - from point of shoulder to ischium (back point of pelvis). He weighed about 16 or 17 pounds, and was a solid, chunky little dog - not barrel ribbed, and possessed straight front legs. He was a bit steep in shoulder, and lacked angulation behind ... but an excellent mover with a "heads up" attitude. He loved the show ring, and would stand in front of me, and bounce straight up to waist level to get a treat of liver ... actually, he would do anything for a piece of liver!
Here's his pedigree:
Chiang Foo
Ch. Fu Al Tirito
*Fardale Fu Ssi
La-Sa-Gre's Hijo D'Al Tiro
Chiang Foo
Ch. Fu La Diablita
*Fardale Fu Ssi
Glen Pine's Chagpo-Ri
Ch. Wu Tai
Ch. Ming Tali II CD
Ch. Ming Kyi
Ch. Miradel's Nima
Fraser Don of Lost Horizons
Miradel's Fa Li
Diminutive Delight
Ch.
Kai-Sang's Clown of Everglo
Chiang Foo
Ch. Fu Al Tirito
* Fardale Fu Ssi
Ch. La-Sa-Gre's Manchado Dorado
Chiang Foo
Ch. Fu La Diablita
*Fardale Fu Ssi
Kai-Sang's Tzi-Ren of Miradel
Hamilton Kushog
Hamilton Sandur
Hamilton Kyichu
Ch. Chika Rinpoche
Shebo Schunde of Hung Jao
*Ch. Yah Sih of Shebo
Yi of Taishan
CH. EVERGLO'S SPARK OF GOLD ROM
Ch. Fu Al Tirito
Las-Sa-Gre's Hijo D'Altiro
*Fardale Fu Ssi
Glen Pine's Chagpo-Ri
Ch. Ming Tali II CD
Ch. Miradel's Nima
Miradel's Fa-Li
Ch. Kai-Sang's Clown of Everglo
Ch.Fu Al Tirito
Ch. La-Sa-Gre's Hijo E'Altiro
Ch. Fu La Diablita
Kai-Sang's Tzi-Ren of Miradel
Ch. Hamilton Sandur
Ch. Chika Rinpoche
*Ch. Yay Sih of Shebo
Tibetan Cookie of Everglo
Ch. Wu Tai
Ch. Ming Tali II CD
Ch. Ming Kyi
Ch. Miradel's Ming-Fu-Tzu
Ch. Ming Tali II CD
Miradel's Kahn-Dee
Miradel's Fa-Li
Ruffway Hun-Nee-Bun
Ch. Fu Al Tirito
Las-Sa-Gre's Hijo D'Altiro
Ch. Fu La Diablita
Ch. Glenflo's Girga
Ch. Ming Tali II CD
Ch. Miradel's Nima
Miradel's Fa-Li
Those dogs with an * were brought
in from England, by Mrs. De Gray in Southern California. Although listed
as Shih Tzu on their import pedigrees, Mrs. De Gray told AKC that for all
intent and purposes, Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apsos were one and the same. Since
Shih Tzu were not AKC registerable at that time, AKC went ahead and incorporated
these dogs into AKC status. There was a huge outcry from the English Shih
Tzu breeders, as well as Mrs. McFadden in the US ... and finally Mr. Neff
of the AKC agreed to no longer register any of the "Shih Tzu" from England.
AKC did not revoke registration on those dogs already registered in the
US, on the grounds that too many had been incorporated into breeding programs
by that time.
No one knows why Mrs. De Gray
did this, but I suspect that since the Hamilton Farms Lhasas were difficult
to get at that time, she may have felt this was the only way to bring in
new bloodlines. Not exactly an ethical means to an end! It's fortunate
for the Breed, however, that she did this, as the "Clown" line brought
in many good qualities, including excellent temperament, good hips, and
a general lack of inherited defects.
Sparky did not look like the Shih
Tzus of my day ... regardless of the source of the breeding stock behind
those English imports, I'm sure they looked more like Lhasas than the Shih
Tzus I was used to seeing. I later visited England and saw their Shih Tzus,
and was quite amazed to see how much they resembled Lhasas, rather than
the Shih Tzu that I had seen in the US. They were larger, longer nosed,
and longer in body ... predominantly gray, without the well-defined white
markings. The Shih Tzus I was used to seeing were short legged with bent
pasterns, big round rib cages, big wide skulls with rather protuberant
eyes and nose set well up on the head between the eyes.
Sparky had a very clean, narrow
skull and a 1 1/2 inch muzzle. He did have more stop than desired, and
a rounder eye ... but beyond the head, he was up on leg with medium bone
and substance, and excellent coat texture. The ratio of height to length
was exactly what our interpretation of the Standard calls for today, and
while "short bodied" in comparison to many of the Hamilton and Karma Lhasas
in the show rings of the 60's, he was certainly "longer than tall". Our
current Standard does not say how much longer than tall, that is an individual
choice among breeders; however, Lhasas should retain good balance in type
(see Seminar article)
without becoming over long. Some breeders prefer the "long" look, I have
no argument with them ... I just prefer a more "balanced" outline.
Sparky was a delightful little
Lhasa - stubborn and proud, he would never give kisses! The most he would
do was give a little nose-push when he was particularly happy to see me.
He welcomed strangers in a calm, aloof manner waiting until they sat down
before he would approach. He would never tolerate strangers taking him
out of an ex-pen, will tell THAT story in the "1970's" link! (to be continued)