Erick Conard's Lucky Hit Ranch: Anatolian Page
Mektup of Obruk (Mekki)
Putting the Record Straight
by Mrs Caroline Southen
Mektup of Obruk (Mekki)
was imported from a shepherding village in Turkey in 1971 as a
puppy by Dr.Nicholas Flemming and Miss Natalka Czartoryska. She was
bred by the shepherd Ali Ozturk from the village of Obruk, just south
of the Central Anatolian Lake Tuz Golu. It is Dr Flemming's recollection
that a great deal of bargaining took place between them and the shepherd
to obtain the puppy they named Mektup.
Dr.Flemming and Miss.Czartoryska were on archeolical field trips to Rhodes,
Crete, Cypress and Turkey. They travelled Turkey extensively between 1969
and 1974, and Dr Flemming recalls how thorough Miss Czartoryska was with
her selection process, and the length of time spent with the shepherds
and dogs before bargaining for their best working dogs!
When Miss Czartoryska and Dr Flemming returned to the UK, Mektup was
registered with the UK Kennel Club as an Anatolian Karabas Dog.
(Karabas meaning black mask and ears, of which Mektup's was perhaps
one of the blackest I've seen!).
In 1975, Dr.Flemming and Miss. Czartoryska acquired a male Anatolian from
Dr.Whittof-Keus, this dog was registered
Anadol Yali, and in May that year,
Mektup and Yali produced their first litter of 5 all fawn puppies
(Aslan Temmuz, Bayan, Bir, Karina, and Saranda Pat.).
The next year, Mektup and Yali produced another litter of 5 all fawn puppies
(Dev, Raki, Sanli, Tolgar, and Zarif).
In February 1977, Dr Flemming and Miss Czartoryska invested in taking Mektup
back to Turkey to mate her to a suitable working dog. On the 13th February
1977 Mektup was mated to a fine white working Anatolian Shepherd Dog,
Akkus
of Oltan. The notes on this dog made at the time say
"Outstanding top
flock guard in the area. Special expedition made from village with owner
into mountains to 'sheep station' - finally mated Mektup to Akkus after
5 hours of courtship!". Mektup was then re-imported to the UK, and in
quarantine, on 15th April 1977, a litter of 6 fawn puppies were born.
They were registered under Dr.Flemming's 'Havuz' affix:
Mektup of Obruk x Akkus of Oltan April 15, 1977, Litter
At left is a picture of Mektup's journey to Turkey in 1977 to be bred by
the beautiful white working guardian, Akkus of Oltan.
These pictures
show the journey, courtship, mating and finally, the resulting puppies, a
HAVUZ litter, which were born in quarantine in England.
Metkup and Akkus meet and breed.
Pups resulting from Metkup's 1977 breeding to Akkus.
Mektup x Akkus April 15, 1977 Offsping
Havuz Bokiz,
HAVUZ Dalga,
Havuz Kaplan,
CHAMPION Havuz Tarak,
Havuz Yosma,
and Havuz Zinde
Mektup of Obruk (Mekki)in Old Age Metkup of Obruk 
in old age
Interestingly, Havuz Zinde was acquired
by Miss Pauline Hosker of the 'Truvas' kennel, and then went on to Mr and
Mrs Broadhead of the 'Seacop' kennel for breeding, records showing that
Zinde whelped at least three litters.
There was a further Havuz litter out of Mektup, before the first Hisar
Litter was registered in 1979 after the separation of Dr Flemming and
Miss Czartoryska's partnership. The first 'Hisar' litter was the pairing
of Havuz Dalga, with a Turkish import Arilan, owned by Mr John Lloyd. The
mating resulted in a litter of 4 fawn puppies registered under Miss
Czartoryska's 'Hisar' affix (Ates, Karaman, Tugla, and Yavuz). The same
year, Miss Czartoryska produced another litter by Mektup and
Yali (Anadol Yali), this
time, a litter of 6, still all fawn! (Simar, Yagma, Yakin, Yanar, Yatagan
and Yesim). One of the most well known Mektup daughter's is Hisar Yarin,
who was a big show winner. She went to Miss Pauline Hosker's 'Truvas'
Kennel, where she whelped at least 5 litters.
Mektup whelped a total of 8 litters between 1975 and 1982 (43 Progeny).
Mektup produced dogs which were sound, long lived and adaptable, and she
herself was hip-x-rayed HD clear and lived a long happy life with Natalka. Mektup
ruling the roost until her death in 1987 from kidney failure.
This article is compiled using my own personal experience with Mektup,
whom I had the pleasure of knowing for the last 7 years of her life,
along with Kennel Club Records, and communications with Dr.Flemming
(Oct.04).
I hope that this information will help to put to bed the myths, rumours
and fantasies about Mektup and her origins.
Caroline Southen
Hisar Anatolian Shepherd Dogs (UK)
Havuz Anatolians 1975 - 1979 Dr Nicholas Flemming OBE
Hisar Anatolians 1979 - 1998 The Late Miss Natalka Czartoryska
Hisar Anatolians 1998 - present Mrs Caroline Southen
Click picture below for
Erick Conard's Address Email and Phone Number Information
in a New Window
Erick's Address Email
and Phone Numbers Link
Mektup of Obruk (Mekki)
was imported from a shepherding village in Turkey in 1971 as a
puppy by Dr.Nicholas Flemming and Miss Natalka Czartoryska. She was
bred by the shepherd Ali Ozturk from the village of Obruk, just south
of the Central Anatolian Lake Tuz Golu. It is Dr Flemming's recollection
that a great deal of bargaining took place between them and the shepherd
to obtain the puppy they named Mektup.
Dr.Flemming and Miss.Czartoryska were on archeolical field trips to Rhodes,
Crete, Cypress and Turkey. They travelled Turkey extensively between 1969
and 1974, and Dr Flemming recalls how thorough Miss Czartoryska was with
her selection process, and the length of time spent with the shepherds
and dogs before bargaining for their best working dogs!
When Miss Czartoryska and Dr Flemming returned to the UK, Mektup was
registered with the UK Kennel Club as an Anatolian Karabas Dog.
(Karabas meaning black mask and ears, of which Mektup's was perhaps
one of the blackest I've seen!).
In 1975, Dr.Flemming and Miss. Czartoryska acquired a male Anatolian from
Dr.Whittof-Keus, this dog was registered
Anadol Yali, and in May that year,
Mektup and Yali produced their first litter of 5 all fawn puppies
(Aslan Temmuz, Bayan, Bir, Karina, and Saranda Pat.).
The next year, Mektup and Yali produced another litter of 5 all fawn puppies
(Dev, Raki, Sanli, Tolgar, and Zarif).
In February 1977, Dr Flemming and Miss Czartoryska invested in taking Mektup
back to Turkey to mate her to a suitable working dog. On the 13th February
1977 Mektup was mated to a fine white working Anatolian Shepherd Dog,
Akkus
of Oltan. The notes on this dog made at the time say
"Outstanding top
flock guard in the area. Special expedition made from village with owner
into mountains to 'sheep station' - finally mated Mektup to Akkus after
5 hours of courtship!". Mektup was then re-imported to the UK, and in
quarantine, on 15th April 1977, a litter of 6 fawn puppies were born.
They were registered under Dr.Flemming's 'Havuz' affix:
| Mektup of Obruk x Akkus of Oltan April 15, 1977, Litter | |
|---|---|
|
At left is a picture of Mektup's journey to Turkey in 1977 to be bred by
the beautiful white working guardian, Akkus of Oltan. These pictures show the journey, courtship, mating and finally, the resulting puppies, a HAVUZ litter, which were born in quarantine in England. |
Metkup and Akkus meet and breed. |
|
|
Pups resulting from Metkup's 1977 breeding to Akkus. |
|
|
Havuz Bokiz, HAVUZ Dalga, Havuz Kaplan, |
CHAMPION Havuz Tarak, Havuz Yosma, and Havuz Zinde |
| Metkup of Obruk
in old age | |
Interestingly, Havuz Zinde was acquired by Miss Pauline Hosker of the 'Truvas' kennel, and then went on to Mr and Mrs Broadhead of the 'Seacop' kennel for breeding, records showing that Zinde whelped at least three litters.
There was a further Havuz litter out of Mektup, before the first Hisar Litter was registered in 1979 after the separation of Dr Flemming and Miss Czartoryska's partnership. The first 'Hisar' litter was the pairing of Havuz Dalga, with a Turkish import Arilan, owned by Mr John Lloyd. The mating resulted in a litter of 4 fawn puppies registered under Miss Czartoryska's 'Hisar' affix (Ates, Karaman, Tugla, and Yavuz). The same year, Miss Czartoryska produced another litter by Mektup and Yali (Anadol Yali), this time, a litter of 6, still all fawn! (Simar, Yagma, Yakin, Yanar, Yatagan and Yesim). One of the most well known Mektup daughter's is Hisar Yarin, who was a big show winner. She went to Miss Pauline Hosker's 'Truvas' Kennel, where she whelped at least 5 litters.
Mektup whelped a total of 8 litters between 1975 and 1982 (43 Progeny). Mektup produced dogs which were sound, long lived and adaptable, and she herself was hip-x-rayed HD clear and lived a long happy life with Natalka. Mektup ruling the roost until her death in 1987 from kidney failure.
This article is compiled using my own personal experience with Mektup, whom I had the pleasure of knowing for the last 7 years of her life, along with Kennel Club Records, and communications with Dr.Flemming (Oct.04).
I hope that this information will help to put to bed the myths, rumours and fantasies about Mektup and her origins.
Caroline Southen
Hisar Anatolian Shepherd Dogs (UK)
Havuz Anatolians 1975 - 1979 Dr Nicholas Flemming OBE
Hisar Anatolians 1979 - 1998 The Late Miss Natalka Czartoryska
Hisar Anatolians 1998 - present Mrs Caroline Southen
Erick Conard's Address Email and Phone Number Information
in a New Window
Erick's Address Email
and Phone Numbers Link
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