ABOUT SFAA
SKC LIFETIME CHARTER MEMBER
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Since the opening of the first American Sloughi stud book in 1988, the members of SFAA have worked to integrate the Sloughi in all sighthound related activities in the Western Hemisphere. SFAA organized the first supported entries and the first specialties for the breed in the Western Hemisphere and the USA. SFAA members have bred or owned nearly all top winning Sloughis (BIS, BOG, BISS) in the Americas, the first American conformation champion (1994), as well as all the performance dogs in this country. By working together with the National Oval Track Racing Association, the Large Gazehound Racing Association, the National Open Field Coursing Association and the North American Coursing Association, SFAA's efforts enabled the Sloughi to become a breed officially recognized by these associations, thus participating in their non-commercial field events. SFAA members also worked with the American Sighthound Field Association to enable the Sloughi to become an officially recognized breed for lure-coursing. Except for the SFAA Field Champion and the SFAA Lure Courser of Merit titles in lure coursing, the different SFAA championship titles require that a Sloughi succeed in both performance and show events. The Nubia Memorial Cup, a perpetual trophy, donated by SFAA's founding member and past president, Mr. Jack McGuffin, rewards the Sloughi that has accumulated the highest number of points in any combination of field events every year. SFAA wants to preserve the breed as a healthy and enjoyable companion and also sponsors activities involving the Sloughi as a companion. Last, but not least, SFAA's Award for Services Beneficial to the Breed is offered to any person whose time and effort proved to be essential in supporting the breed. SFAA, an international conservatorship alliance of members who reside in the USA, Canada, Europe and North Africa, also provides breed information, rescue services, a code of ethics, and a quarterly newsletter. Our honorary members are among the first to have bred the Sloughi in Europe and imported the first Sloughi into the USA. |
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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:
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 and photographs of Sloughis in Sighthound Review, Dog World, Field Advisory News, Dogs in Review, Rare Insight 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. ASFA: American Sighthound Field Association, LGRA:
Large Gazehound Racing Association (non commercial sprint racing),
NOTRA: National Oval Track Racing Association (non commercial oval track
racing) , SKC: States Kennel Club.
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Welcome Page
About Sloughis
- Articles of Interest to All Dog Lovers
- About SFAA - The
Nubia Memorial Cup - Photo
Gallery
SFAA’s
Code of Ethics - Specialties -
Hall
of Champions - Sloughi Rescue
SFAA Contacts
- Links - Prince
of Sloughis Video/fund raisers
Entrance (web
ring page)
These pages,as well as the text and images within
them, are copyrighted by SFAA 1995-2004.
They may not be reproduced without written permission
from the Sloughi Fanciers Association of America.