Page 7 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 10
P. 7
T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 0 7
In the 1980s there was some interest in the This dark decade razed the rest of the
Sloughi on the sidelines of horse shows. peasants, and the Algerian Rif emptied itself
Some Sloughis were exhibited, and some completely; everyone went back to town.
breeders were recognized but this event
quickly stopped after the economic crisis After security and stability in the early
following the oil crisis in 1984 until the 2000s, a fad linked to the import of the
break-up of the country in 1988. The Galgo español and the Greyhound ravaged
Association des Chiens Lévriers Algériens, the breed, the Sloughi was completely
ACLA, existed then. dropped by young hunters. Price
speculation made the Galgo español 10
Despite this unfavorable climate, the times more expensive than the Sloughi, and
Sloughi club d’Alger was created in 1988 by suddenly the Sloughi found itself both
Jean-François Chaulet. Dr. Bensemen, abandoned by the hunters and by the
founding member of the club, testifies that breeders who could no longer bear the
there were several events organized for the costs of breeding a neglected breed, whose
promotion of the Sloughi and its correct breeding costs are considerable.
preservation in Algiers and in the South,
but the dispersion of the members of the This has brought happiness to some
club and the situation during the black neighboring breeders who have begun to
decade put an end to the activities of the import the remaining Sloughis.
club. It quickly came to a halt following the
start of the country’s deterioration The resumption of hunting activities in
between 1992 and 2000. southern Algeria by hunters from the Gulf
countries has also contributed to the loss of
the purity of the breed, as crossbreeding
with the Saluki has become a second fad for
some breeders.
Left: Jean-François Chaulet, president of the
Sloughi club d’Alger.
Saluki coming from Qatar to Laghouat.
