The Sloughi Moussem
Marrakech, May 3, 2008

Text and photos: Dr. Dominique Crapon de Caprona
All photos © de Caprona 2008

     One week after I arrived in Morocco - having spent some time in the back country visiting with hunters and their Sloughis - the members of the Sloughi Club el Wafae who had invited me, prepared for the long trip from Khenichet to Marrakech.  Many phone calls per cellular phones later, owners from the area started gathering with their Sloughis.  Friday night came and around 11 p.m. - it took a while-  eventually, Sloughis and people were sorted out between the three vehicles.  My little rented car ended up taking five people and two puppies, and I drove, like the drivers of the other two vehicles, through the night.  We arrived at dawn in Marrakech, I was by then fighting a serious need to sleep, and with the help of a “petit taxi” we finally found the parking area and the show grounds.  We met there with the other participants who, for the most part, had also driven all night and were arriving one after the other.  People and Sloughis started unloading from the vans. While we all waited for the gates to the show ground to open, flat round breads were distributed to all.  Coming from a country where it is rare to see one Sloughi shown at a show, and then it is most often one of mine, it was quite exhilarating for me to see the parking lot fill with Sloughis and their owners as time went by. The Moussem is the Moroccan Sloughi National Specialty Show, it takes place once a year in a different town, and in Marrakech it was included in a National Dog Show where other breeds of dogs were shown also.  After a while, the gates opened and a long line of people and Sloughis started entering the show grounds, while occasionally the owners of other breeds tried to squeeze through.
      The Sloughi Moussem itself was on a large walled in area with short grass, reserved exclusively for the Sloughis.  This provided for a very exclusive ambiance, as all one could see was Sloughis - dogs and bitches in all they various coat colors and ages. The other breeds of dogs were shown elsewhere on the nearby hotel’s grounds.
      300 Sloughis were entered at this Moussem.  They were presented in four classes, junior and adult classes for dogs, junior and adult classes for bitches.  With only 4 classes for 300 Sloughis, there were many dogs and bitches in each of the four classes. All were presented by men, most were hunters.
 
 

     The show started with a very impressive parade of all the Sloughis around the entire field.  The field was then split in two parts but with no separating fences.  Dr. el Baroudi was judging the bitches and started with the junior class for bitches, while Mr. Basciano, who was judging the dogs, took on the junior class for dogs.

Adult Class:   Excellent 1, Rocky, owned by Mr. Mouhssin (Douar of Benhamou Sidi Slimane) of el Wafae.
Excellent 2, Saphir, owned by Mr. Mohamed Soujaa of Meknès.
Excellent 3, Abbès, owned by M. Driss Ennasim (Douar Beni Boughzala) of el Wafae.

BITCHES
Judge: Dr. el Baroudi
Junior Class: Excellent 1, Doural, owned by Mr. El Kameli of Taounate.
Excellent 2, Chanaî, owned by Mr. Hamid Barouki (Douar Oumrat Taounate).
Excellent 3, Jdia, owned by Mr. Bouzid Tricha (Douar Ait Bouharouch Taounate).
Adult Class:  Excellent 1, Jdia, owned by Mr. Mohamed Tijani of Taounate.
Excellent 2, Tabia de la Cité du Guérrier, owned by Mr. Anas Jamai of Benslimane (bred by Mr. Gouzy in France).
Excellent 3, Skika, owned by Mr. El Abrik of Ait Baha Sous Massa.

      Marrakech is in the South and soon it became very hot.  The Moroccans and their Sloughis seem to have no problem dealing with the heat, but I surely did and ended up quite sick by the end of the day!  I unfortunately missed the final line up for the junior dogs and the adult dogs.
      At the end of the Sloughi judging a Moroccan lunch was served to the participants, presented beneath 2 large tents of the hotel’s show grounds. I wished I had felt better and could have been able to take part in it.  I got a glimpse of other dog breeds being shown there. One of particular interest was the Aidi, or “Berger de l’Atlas”, the other old indigenous Moroccan breed to profit from the conservation efforts of the Moroccans.  Other events took place, including an obedience demonstration by the Guard of the Royal Palace.
      The next day was to be followed by an international show which was of less interest, all the Moroccan Sloughis having left Saturday evening, and only European bred Sloughis remaining to compete against each other.
Eventually, on Saturday late afternoon, after I had somewhat recovered, we loaded the cars for the return trip, about which I cannot say much, except that another driver took us back and I slept through the night. We arrived at dawn in Khenichet, and for the following days to come the Moussem was the main subject of conversation.
      So many memories and a great learning experience for me, to be able to study and watch so many Sloughis in the same location, and to see that this wonderful breed seems to have secured a passion across generations of Moroccan men from young to old, a good sign that it will survive into the future.  Although some of the European bred dogs, not all of which descend only from North African lines, have been blended into some of the Moroccan lineages, it seems that the majority of Sloughis presented there and winning were the result of traditional Moroccan breeding, and it is to be hoped that it is this particular type of breeding that will find support and prevail.

Some of the various coat colors of the Sloughis at the Moussem in Marrakech 2008.
All photographs © de Caprona 2008

Sand black mask overlay	Red sand

 

Sand brindle black mask	Sand ( henna on forehead) Farah, 4th adult bitches, owner Mr. Kadour el Hadri of el Wafae

 

Red fawn, Rouah, owner Mr. Miloud Belahmar of el Wafae	Black red brindle black mask

Sand black mantle, Abbes, 3rd adult dogs, owner Mr. Driss Ennasim of el Wafae	Sand black mask, 5th adult dogs.

Sand brindle with overlay	Pale sand

 

The only dilute blue mantle I could see, a very rare color once favored for the Sloughi, but no longer allowed by the current standard.