The first Silkenfest, Easter weekend 1999, when we formed ISWS, International Silken Windhound Society and started the road to achieve AKC recognition

The First Silken Fest – Easter 1999

Author; Dee Jones, kennel Lagniappe, May  2010

The first Silken Fest happened in 1999.  I use the word happened, because it was a spontaneous gathering of those who had fallen in love with the little dogs with the big future.  There was little planning and no preconceived ideas about what we would do, no sense that we were embarking on an adventure that would launch a new breed.  Even with no plans, we managed to have a ‘show,’ in that we collectively evaluated every Silken we could lay hands on, agility, and straight racing.

In autumn of 1998, while she waited for her first Silken Windhounds (Omni and Nuna) to complete their six-month quarantine in Germany so that they could enter Sweden, Sussi Stjernborg decided to come to the U.S. to visit Francie. 

At the time, there were several people who belonged to the Windhounds List. In 1999, internet chat lists were a relatively new concept that enabled us, however far apart we lived, to talk about our dogs.  We felt like we suddenly had a new family of friends.  So, it was with eagerness that we accepted Debs Herold’s invitation to spend two days at her home for a Silken play date while Sussi was in Texas. 

The only plan we had was to get together and get to know each other better, have fun, play with the dogs, and then drive the two hours from Riesel, Texas to Austin to spend Sunday at Kristull Ranch, where Francie and Chuck Stull had invited us all for a shrimp boil.

Attendees of the first Silken Fest were:

• Debs Herold, Possumtrot
• Sussi Stjernborg Starcastle Hounds
• Francie Stull, Kristull
• Dee Jones, Lagniappe
• Keely Collins
• James and Doris Gates
• Terri Dates
• Lucille Meale, Windspirit
• Betty Petron and John Gonzales, Den~San
• Eija Achren – via internet from Finland

Everyone contributed food.  Dee Jones brought Easter eggs, including traditionally dyed ones that could be fed to the dogs and a huge bag of dog treats, as well as a Doberge torte for the humans to consume.  A doberge torte is a traditional Louisiana cake; it became a tradition at the next several Silken Fests, along with the shrimp boil.  Eija sent chocolate from Finland. 

On the photo Francie is holding up the plates.

Debs gave all of us the first Silken Windhound decals.

The first group arrived on Thursday, flying into Waco.  The rest of us loaded our Silkens into cars and drove to Debs Possumtrot Farm on Friday.  Most of us showed up during the afternoon.  Then we waited for Francie and Sussi to finish their drive north from Austin.  As soon as they arrived, we all headed to an antique store that was famed for its collection of dog memorabilia.  Since Borzoi statuary was popular in the early 20^th century, the store had quite a few specimens.  We particularly enjoyed seeing those.  Many of us at the first Silken Fest already owned or had owned Borzoi.  We immediately noticed that some of the smaller pieces could have passed for Silkens.

After we returned to Debs’ place, we talked for hours about the dogs and how they came into existence.  It was like a grown up slumber party.  As the night grew into the wee hours of the morning, we gradually all fell asleep in beds, sofas, or on the floor, wherever we could find space.

After breakfast on Saturday, we made a point of sending a summary of our activities to the Windhounds List, so that those who were not with us could participate vicariously.  We continued taking turns to post information throughout the festivities.

Using a basic AKC model, we began trying to describe the breed both as we saw it in 1999 and as we dreamed it could be.  Everyone contributed. 

Height was immediately a major discussion point.  We went outside and studied the dogs living at Debs’ place.  To our surprise, we found that we had to increase our original proposed height to fit the breed into the standard, because so many of the dogs were above that height.  We were keenly aware that a small dog could not be tall.  It was pointed out that the final height of 24-inches was the minimum standard for an Afghan Hound, which no one considers ‘small.’  We recognized that while the standard had to describe the ideal of breed, the ideal could not be an imaginary dog; the standard had to reflect the reality of the breed. 

We measured the dogs using a yardstick and the Lion King video box.  It became a joke for years. The Lion King became the official measuring standard for Silken Windhounds.

We also sat around Debs’ dining table and created the International Silken Windhound Society.  The word international was deliberately chosen to reflect the several countries working together toward achieving the goal of making Silkens an AKC breed.  We thought we would pass Silken Fest around the world – what a wonderful excuse to travel to distant countries.

We decided on officers and their roles and wrote a mission statement – to make Silkens an AKC breed.  The goal of AKC recognition is the sole reason for the existence of the ISWS.  Even in 1999, we realized that the day would come when Silkens would need a U.S. based parent organization to represent them to the AKC, but that seemed far in the future.

Saturday afternoon we took a break from the work of setting up a framework to create a new breed and took the dogs straight racing.  Debs had a pull-lure and a squawker.  The dogs loved it.  We made it a contest, with Merlin the Magician and Punzi taking top honors.

James Gates led an agility demonstration with his Silken Shadow.  Shadow was superb at the obstacles, while the others tried clumsily to learn a bit.

Sunday morning we formed a caravan south on I-35 to Kristull where Francie and Chuck hosted the first Silken Fest shrimp boil   

The Stulls had invited others who lived in the area and owned Silkens to join us.  It was a wonderful experience, turning our dogs loose together to let them run and play.  Those without experience in other breeds may not realize just how unusual it is to see twenty or more dogs who do not know each other play together with never a cross bark or raised lip.  That became the trademark of Silken temperament and we felt that maintaining that temperament should remain a critical goal for all future breeders.

Late in the day, people began to drift home, some stayed at Kristull – others returned to Possumtrot.
Lucille went home with Torie, a tiny puppy who could be tucked beneath her seat.

By Monday, the party was over, but the future had just begun.

The original of the above text was posted on a free wordpress site in 2010.
We don’t know how long that page will remain there and it is now riddled with ads…

ISWS, International Silken Windhound Society started because we want to pursue the goal of AKC recognition.
We have waited for 27 years, we are almost there, but not quite yet.
In April 2026 Silken Windhounds were accepted into AKC FSS, Foundation Stock Service.