Page 66 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW Issue 15

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 6 6

Thomas Liedtke: Jenna must have come from Syria. ...

The speed comparisons of Sloughis with sighthounds at the beginning of the 20th century
are irrelevant, as sighthounds in particular were mainly used for coursing at that time.
They were much slower back then. And Sloughis were used in completely different
environments. Greyhounds that show their full speed in such terrain usually only do it once.

Przezdziecki was the first to bring Sloughis to the racetrack in Algeria and organise races.

Thomas Liedtke: ... No, I don't know the videos of Clark. ... Xavier Przezdziecki was very
interested in racing, I also have a photo from the 50s from Algiers. What else can you say
about it? Was there betting on dogs? I read in Johan Gallant's Africanis that this was

important in South Africa in the 1980s.
I assume these were races with bets like I experienced in France.

Thomas Liedtke: So it was mainly about speed. But speed in the field is something else.
You said Jenna was also a good hunter?
I didn't say speed, I said movement. That means better movement, better reactions in the

terrain.
The fact that this also added some speed was a bonus. The main goal was a more light-
footed gait.

Thomas Liedtke: What makes a good Sloughi and what makes a good Saluki from a
particular region?
...I don't see a big difference in skills.
... Most of the Sloughis from the 70s came mainly from Algeria and Morocco and were rather
heavy to very heavy. Xavier Przezdziecki said they were not Sloughis but calves.

... The movement of Grey's, Whippets is completely different from the Saluki/Sloughis/
Azawakh group. The former get their speed from the curvature of the entire back, which
fatigues them faster than the more economical movement of the Oriental dogs, which only

turns the pelvis back and forth. This is a much more economical movement and heats up the
body less.

Thomas Liedtke: Do you think this is the result of centuries of breeding or are these two
basic types? The Sloughi type and the Vertragus type?
I think this is the result of breeding with certain goals in mind. Agility, hunting ability,

endurance and speed.

So much for the conversation with Hans Peter Oechslin.
Various conclusions can be drawn from this.