At this point the decision was made to retire “Triumph” from All Breed Shows. He won and retired in May of 1993 with his 85th Best in Show. That coincided with Michael having another hernia repair, and during his recuperation everyone but me went to England to attend the First World Congress on the Afghan Hound. It was during their trip to London for the World Congress that Lotte Jørgensen introduced Roger, Evelyn and Michael to Anna Strömberg. Anna came from an active Afghan household, and was anxious to come aboard as an assistant at the shows. She made plans to arrive in a month’s time.

First American Best in Show for both Tryst and Anna. Judge Col. Jerry Weiss. (Nov 1993)

Towards the end of the summer of 1993, Anna literally came off the flight from Sweden and landed in Ohio at the Midwest Specialty Weekend. I hardly got to say hello to her before she had me up and groomed for the ring. I won two Bests of Breed at the All Breed Shows under Bob Stein and Desmond Murphy. That was my first experience of what I call the “Mike and Anna Show”! Mike would tell Anna just how he wanted things, Anna would try to oblige, and we all spent the next few years seeing who could do what better! I guess you could say I won!

I was working out the “kinks” and doing very well in the East Coast Hound Groups. Michael planned to show “Triumph” only at specialties and Anna would show me at most of the same Specialty Shows. There would be only a few times that one of us didn’t win the specialty, with the other going Best of Opposite Sex. My first Best in Show came in November of 1993, while Michael was spending his birthday on vacation in Hawaii. Anna had taken me to a local show, where Mrs. Diana Powers would “discover” me in a strong Hound Group and Colonel Jerry Weiss would bestow the first of my 161 Best in Shows. Two weeks later I would beat my father for the first time at the Northern New Jersey Specialty under Dr. Barry Deitch, Anna and I were most pleased!

My second Best in Show was a few weeks later with Michael showing me. Would you believe I was shown again at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia? This time I was the Breed winner. I would go on to win three consecutive Breeds, three Hound groups and a Best in Show at that show. I finished out the year as the Top Afghan Hound Bitch and number two Afghan, behind my sire “Triumph.”

My infamous Westminster cover! (Feb 1994)

Now, it is no surprise that after all the years of successfully showing dogs, Roger and Michael realized that the potential as a real contender was possible. They had always followed what was considered the norm in campaigning a Special. That being to prepare for a year getting to the Top, a year at the Top, and a year coming down off the Top. What they didn’t prepare for was the incredible “momentum” that I was able to not only generate, but more remarkably, sustain. As luck would have it, my “big break” was put on hold due to the fact that Michael’s mother Lee was judging the Hound Group at the 1994 Westminster and neither “father” nor “daughter” could compete. I graced the Westminster Dog News Cover that year and while no one got to see me in the ring, all of NY saw me being carried around Madison Square Garden, and most of them were ringside “looking” for me! I did get a reputation for being very photogenic and Dog News would never allow another dog to be on that Special Issue from all the attention I caused!

Best in Show #100, record BIS for any hound. Judge Roxanne Berton. (Jan 1996)

In the kennel my three sisters from the first breeding were producing extremely well, having had four litters between the three of them. Because of my great success, and knowing that I had the potential to be the first and only Hound to ever win over 100 All Breed Bests in Show, Michael would take me that extra mile! I joined that elite group in January of 1996, with my 100th Best in Show under Judge Roxanne Peterson Berton. During this time, Anna, Michael, and I traveled the country attending over 120 shows each year. You must be thinking, “Oh my God! I could never do that!”