The history of Silkens in Holland goes back 13 years. 

It was at the Donaueschinger Windhundtage of 1998 that I met Francie Stull and her Silken Windhounds for the very first time. Some of these were to become the foundation of the breed in Europe. Completely intrigued, I had pictures taken of my Borzoi and their small cousins, but as the former were still young (five and two years), I was not interested in adding a Silken Windhound to the pack. 

It took another five years, when I was aleady planning to import a Borzoi puppy, that I remembered the lovely Silken Wíindhounds. Thanks to the internet, a connection was quickly made and the proper questions asked. And yes, when coming to the 2004 Borzoi Centennial to pick up the Borzoi puppy, I could also take home a little Silken girl. 
With the addition of the black brindle and white Kristull Jasmyn at Bon Zoi'z to our pack the Netherlands was added to the list of European countries with the breed, following Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Germany. 

While at first Jasmyn was mostly company for our other dog, Dutchie, gradually she showed talents all her own. Over the course of two years, she did very well in obedience class, on the lurecoursing field, and was even portrayed in Holland`s most important all-breed dog magazine. 

When in 2005 I read about a planned Silken get-together at two Slovenian shows, my former husband and I decided it would be nice to see more Silken \Windhounds. As the breed was recognized there, I also entered Jasmyn in the Lendava CACIB show, in addition to the sighthound club show. Much to my surprise she received 2x the CAC, a bonus in a weekend filled with Silkens and their people. To make a long story short, Jasmyn finished for her Slovenian championship title in Maribor, September 2006, and became the third Silken Windhound to achieve that title. 

In 2007, I planned a litter with her but a stuck dead puppy poisoned her and the other puppy, so I was left empty handed. 
Long before that I had reserved another Kristull puppy, and in May 2007 I picked up the extreme white, Kristull Paladin at Bon Zoi'2. Dutchie was happy to have company again but I still wanted to breed a litter. 

Luckily for me, Chris Swilley of Renaissance Hounds was willing to let me have black brindle, Kristull Yasera. She was in season when I picked her up, so a week after arriving in Holland we were on our way to Switzerland to mate her with Kristull Elven King. The result of this tryst was a lovely litter of seven puppies, born 11-27-2007. 

Of these one went to Finland, two found a wonderful home in Switzerland, and the other four stayed in the country. 
In the summer of 2007 Willeke, who had waited for a Jasmyn puppy, imported the jet black Jagne's Black Cleithe from Sweden. This brought the total amount of Silken Windhounds in the Netherlands up to seven. 

There are not many possibilities to showcase the breed in this country but we do our best. Both Willeke and I are members of a lure coursing club where our little hounds get to practice, proving they are dedicated chasers of the plastic bunny! 
The Silkens come with us when we visit dog shows, enchanting the general public so we have an opportunity to educate and answer questions. Sometimes they even make it into the discussion forums. 

In May 2009 I imported an other extreme white with cream brindle puppy, Kristull Brocade at Bon Zoï'2." As she has different lines behind her, she makes a good addition to the European gene pool. 

After the very successful 2008 ISWS Specialty in Germany, we organized a specialty in Holland, September 2009, on the field of  the lure coursing club. We held the show on Saturday and lure coursing on Sunday. The show saw 23 entries and we had 12 entered for coursing. From those 12, 8 ran well enough to have the judges sign their CIC paperwork, which means there are now Coursing Instinct Certified Silken Windhounds in England, Germany, and Holland. 
With Slovenia still being the only country in the world to recognize the Silken Windhound, show venues aÍe a "tad" restricted, especially when you live in Holland. 

But this spring I decided to travel south and try for titles on my girls. I entered Yasera, Brocade, and Dandy (from Yasera's litter) in the Maribor and Portoroz shows where both girls finished their titles. Yasera is now a SLO Veteran Champion, Brocade a SLO Youth Champion, and Dandy picked up 4 CACs. Hopefully he will get his finishing one next year... 

Sight & Scent . Jonuory/Februory ' 2011 '67