Page 25 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 6

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W
Sloughis and horses in the courtyard of Baraket, Ghardimaou © Biebach
The Bergmanns‘ concern was to pass on
the long-standing traits so treasured in
horses to Sloughis of health, toughness,
performance and longevity in an
unadulterated form, and to recognize and
continue to preserve the true treasures of
our ancestors. This was certainly the case
with the early animals in the 1980s.
Roland Stichelmeir writes:
“… the Bergmanns were by no means
dropouts, rather the opposite, Heinz-Gerd
always worked, and the animals were just a
hobby in the beginning. .... and don’t forget,
in the end we all liked Gisela, and she was a
crucial part of my life."
“… The reality in Baraket was by no means
rosy. Keeping horses and dogs was very
borderline, the essentials were missing (food,
medication)."
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During the 1960s and 1970s, inspiring and
creative spaces emerged, and people
strived to create their own paradise, as did
the Bergmanns in Ghardimaou on the
Baraket estate. The world stands in stark
contrast to this today. We are now used to
creating an image that only consists of
external properties. From this point of
view, the Bergmanns' Sloughis seem
strangely alien, less perfect in their
appearance. No world winners are made
from this material! Or maybe yes? But they
have the substance that makes this breed
so distinctive in an inimitable way. We
often think today that such breeds can be
bred from any other breed within a few
generations! But that is a thesis on which
the ancient Greeks failed. The Bergmanns,
with all their imperfections, are a shining
example for revitalizing and preserving the
basis and for that we owe them our
heartfelt thanks!