THE SLOUGHI*
North African Sighthound

History in the Western Hemisphere

Achievements of the Sloughi Fanciers Association of America

It was in 1979, following the importation of two German Sloughis, that Ms. Carole Cioce did some preliminary work to initiate an "American Sloughi Club". Although this was not brought to fruition at the time, through her inquiries she was advised, in a letter dated November 1, 1979, from Marianne Goldstein, manager for foreign registration for AKC, that a new breed folder on Sloughis had been opened by AKC and that they awaited with interest information regarding further progress of the breed in the USA.

In 1986 and 1987, several people with Sloughis and other Sighthounds revived the idea of forming a Club for the breed. In 1987, A rare breed exhibit sponsored by the Rare Breed Kennel Club was organized in collaboration with the Kennel Club of Beverly Hills in California. Representing the breed for the first time was the beautiful red brindle Jaaram Nubia, owned by Jack McGuffin, who manned a booth with information about the breed.

On January 1, 1988, the SFAA was officially established as a breed club, encompassing the hopes of this handful of enthusiasts interested in establishing a safe haven for this marvelous creature we know as the Sloughi. The founder members were Carole Cioce, Gisela Cook-Schmidt, Jack McGuffin, Mario Rechtszaid, and Kaethe and Carl Rodarty.

As all-too-frequently occurs, the SFAA experienced a rocky start. Due to unresolvable conflicts and differing philosophies between the Presidency and the membership, the Club's membership voted for dissolution (in accordance with Article XIV of its Constitution and By-laws) for purposes of reorganization, but was soon back on track in the early part of 1989. The subsequent premature death of three of its members was a second blow that also slowed the activity and progress of the Club for a time. After these painful episodes, the Club managed to pulled itself together again and has since continued to work to accomplish its goals: to be an organization that monitors, promotes, preserves and protects the interests and well-being of what has miraculously come down to us through the ages as a remnant of centuries of cultivation under the hardships of nomadic life in the arid regions of North Africa: the Sloughi.

Today the SFAA is an active conservatorship alliance which includes some of the oldest pioneers and experts of the breed in the world, as well as more recent enthusiasts, from many countries in both hemispheres. The SFAA promotes an integration of the Sloughi among all Sighthound activities in the Western Hemisphere.

In this context, the achievements of SFAA members and their Sloughis are many and are best described as setting milestones for the development of their breed in the Americas, and summarized as follow:

1973	First Sloughi Import, Tagiurie el Sian from Lybia (K.&C.Rodarty).
1979	First import of German-bred Sloughis Picaro and Nisa Schuru esch Schams (C. Cioce). C. Cioce does some preliminary work to start an "American Sloughi Club"
1980	Fahran of Mumtaz-i-Javanadmi from Holland and Tounsia Kahloul de la Treille from France are imported (K.&C. Rodarty, M. Rechtszaid)
1982	Picaro Schuru esch Schams wins the first Champion and the first Temperament Test titles in the Western Hemisphere.
1986	The first litter of Sloughis to be shown in USA is born (Fahran X Tounsia)
1987	Jaaram Nubia is the first American-born Sloughia to participate in a dog show (J.McGuffin)
1988	The Sloughi Fanciers Association of America is founded The SFAA's Stud Book is opened
1994	The first American-bred Sloughi is Champion and first Best of Group, A'ssissa Shi'Rayân The first Sloughi wins Best in Show, Aswad Shi'Rayân The first Sloughi wins Best Puppy in Show, in Canada, El Emin Schuru esch Schams The Sloughi is recognized for non commercial Oval Racing (NOTRA)
1995	The first 5 Sloughis are pre-qualified for lure coursing The first Sloughis participate in a dog show near the Capitol Sloughis are presented to the public attending the well known Sighthound Western Combined Specialty Shows in Lompoc, California. 8 Sloughis launched the first sprint race of the newly founded LGRA The first 2 supported entries for the breed in the Western Hemisphere are organized by SFAA with Sue Grant, in Toronto, Canada The first publication in USA about the breed, "The Sloughi", is published The perpetual Jaaram Nubia Memorial Cup for excellence in coursing is awarded for the first time, Amir Shi'Rayân The SFAA defines the conditions for the different levels of its dual Championships titles.
1996	The American Sighthound Field Association creates the miscellaneous stakes to allow rare breeds, including the Sloughi, to participate in their lure-coursing events. The first Oval Racing Champion title and the first Field Champion title in lure coursing are won The first American-bred Sloughis win the FCI International title, Temperament Test and Best Brace in Show. Another brace wins the first Best Brace in Show on the American Mainland The first supported entry for the Sloughi in the USA is organized by SFAA with the States Kennel Club. The first Canadian Champion title for the breed is won The first Reserve Best Veteran In Show is won The first Reserve Best Breeder's Group In Show is won
1997	The first 2 litters out of all Champion parents are born. They blend Dutch, French, German and Moroccan Lines (at Shi'Rayân). For the first time American-bred Sloughis win the World Champion title, bitch (BOB) and dog (BOS), together with a Best Brace in Show at the World and International shows in Puerto Rico. The first specialty for the breed is organized by the SFAA with the States Kennel Club. The SFAA becomes SKC's parent club for the breed. The first Sloughi bitch becomes Oval Race Champion The first Reserve Best In Show Bred by Exhibitor Puppy is won. The first 2 Veteran Champion titles are won. Faced with an increased number of Sloughis showing up at shelters, bred and abandoned by non-SFAA members, SFAA adopts the policy of tattooing or microchipping the dogs it registers. A new registry is developed for rescue cases adopted by SFAA members. The second edition of the SFAA's book "The Sloughi" is printed. 1998 The SFAA celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The SFAA has also honored the work of dedicated Sighthound enthusiasts who have worked for the Sloughi with members of SFAA. Its special Service Award was given in 1995 to Mr. Jack. W. Lewis, president of NOTRA & LGRA, for his support in accepting the Sloughi to participate in these non-commercial racing events, and in 1997 to Mrs. B. Rogers for judging the first Specialty for the breed.

SFAA members have also been active in publishing articles about the Sloughi in Sighthound Review, Dog World, Field Advisory News and on the Web, and in providing various show circuits with very much sought after expert material for judges. To date, more than one hundred judges have evaluated SFAA Sloughis in the show ring and many have assessed their coursing ability in the field.

LGRA: Large Gazehound Racing Association (non commercial sprint racing), NOTRA: National Oval Track Racing Association (non commercial oval track racing) , SKC: States Kennel Club.

Contact addresses
The Sloughi Fanciers Association of America
P.O.Box 1202, Wildomar, CA 92595, USA

International membership, code of ethics, Constitution & Bylaws, club championships, quarterly newsletter, rescue service, reputable breeders, informative book about the breed.

Phone: 909 674 3079
E-Mail: jaaram@earthlink.net
orFritzsch@creighton.edu
Fax: 402 280 5556 (attention Dr. B. Fritzsch)

© Copyright 1997 D. C. de Caprona

* NOTE: This information has been contributed by, and is property of The Sloughi Fanciers Association of America, and is gratefully used here with permission..

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