Bernard Lignon (Ben-Bahram) 

Request for explanations from Dr Dominique de Caprona with regard to her article

"The Foundation Sloughis of the Western Breeding and their impact on today’s Western bred Sloughi population"

We have learned of the article circulated on the Internet by Dr. D. de Caprona. We cannot help but be surprised by its content. Dr. D. de Caprona is propagating around the world a study which
 

"would have been impossible without Peter van Arkel’s invaluable help in compiling the most comprehensive data base for the breed to date, and in calculating the statistics used in this study.".

It is regrettable that Dr. de Caprona is circulating this without first checking data which is for the most part totally erroneous. We now ask the writer and/or fellow-contributor to provide us with the documentary proof of their allegations before 15 June 2007.

In it, we are accused of having used stud dogs originating from the East, known as "salukis".

Here we would like to refer to the Arabic way of writing the word sloughi (c.f. the sloughi standard published by the Moroccan Kennel Club, written with the assistance of the Moroccan Sloughi Club in December 1976):

S-L-gu-i is transcribed as = sloughi in French, saluki in English.

The various interpretations come from the different ways of pronouncing this word.

It is true that we Westerners are allergic to (or unable to understand) the practices followed by sighthound breeders in the Middle East. For them, the only thing that really counts is a dog's aptitude for hunting, which means that these breeders have been breeding sighthounds for centuries now without any distinction between fringed and short-haired varieties. The statements that you will read below tend to prove that they are not wrong.

The short-haired sighthounds coming from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria quoted in the document and used to breed with other short-haired hounds, even with heavy inbreeding, have never produced fringed sighthounds. (See list below).

On the next page, you will find the detail of some of the unions in France mentioned above - even if in Europe there must have been others, we will only mention here those that we know of with certainty, since the 1980s.

We will start with some of the unions arranged with sighthounds imported from the Middle East.

The descending lines from these unions with sighthounds imported from the Middle East
have never produced a long-haired or fringed subject !

And that since the 1980s !

  - Sloughis for some, salukis for others: "The day when Westerners accept a return to the source, the wild imaginings on this sighthound will cease !".

Xavier Przezdziecki :

Our Lévriers (Le Destin des Lévriers in French)

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·        Now we will move on to other points in Dr. D. de Caprona's text:

The foundation sloughis . . .

                  In the USA:

·        RICHA "from Algeria", is not from Algeria, but in fact nothing other than a direct descendant of the Kahloul de la Treille and Ben-Bahram affixes. In 1986 and 1987, the owner of the Kahloul de la Treille affix exported animals from that kennel from France to Tiaret (Algeria). This bitch therefore changes all the information for foundation bitches in America, since she was not directly from Algeria.

                  In France:

·       D’SELMA is in fact a bitch produced under the Kahloul de la Treille affix !

She was the result of a union between Azawakh x Sloughia. The sire (born in 1986) was pure Azawakh (golden sand) since he came from two registered Azawakhs, while he himself was registered in the French studbook by his breeder. This Azawakh male changed his name at the same as changing owners ! He was subsequently operated on in 1987 at the French Veterinary School in Toulouse for malformation (instability of the cervical vertebrae: "Wobbler Syndrome" which is a hereditary malformation), returning to the Kahloul de la Treille kennel end 1987, when he was used in reproduction. He remained here until almost the "tragic" end of this kennel.

D’SELMA was transferred to the Germigny and Slouaz kennels (since 2005, the Slouaz affix has been experiencing difficulties comparable with those seen towards the end of the Kahloul de la Treille kennel).

It is perhaps useful to know that, as of 1988, the Kahloul de la Treille kennel was no longer registering all its litters with the French kennel club (which led to penalties from the Société Centrale Canine, including suspension of affix for several years). In this kennel, all dogs lived in pens - males and females mixed together - and all were used for reproduction (easy to be sure of the dam, but how about the sire ?…).

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  * We would like to know how Dr. D. de Caprona was able to find out the names of L’Karla Diane's parents since she was registered as first generation purely in respect of appearance, imported from Afghanistan by Mr. Carbone Pilote (not Doctor as written by Dr. D. de Caprona.).

   * Dr de Caprona tells us: "JENNA's story is complicated. He is said to be an import from Syria from the Oreitna tribe." before going on to say: "However nothing could be found about the existence of this tribe".

·       Is this sort of statement really worthy of a scientist ?

   * In fact what happened next with JENNA is worth its weight in gold !

The informant is gifted with the ability to invent things and beats all records in that area. We can't say that this involves mere errors but truly barefaced lies - and we are not afraid to say so. We challenge Dr. D. de Caprona, and her colleague Mr. P.Van Arkel, to provide us with the proof of what they are postulating.

                               Let them give us the documentary proofs:

For JENNA

·       the date of his arrival in France and in what town.

·       the proof that he did not travel alone.

·       let them tell us whose name was on the travel ticket of the person who brought him from Syria.

·       let them tell us the name of his owner in France.

·        let them tell us his exact date of birth.

·        let them tell us the name of the vet who authorised him to travel from the Middle East to France.

·       Why is this supposedly scientific text so full of imaginary details ?

Constructed with vague data (or better - simple rumours or idle tittle-tattle) !

    For example we find:

"Also another dog or bitch named J'Thasma, born the same day, was registered at the same time as Jenna - if he was imported he was with a sibling, an unusual scenario. To add to the puzzle, a third dog named Joker was registered as being born 3 weeks after Jenna and J’Thesma.- was it perhaps a third sibling or truly a dog born another day? There is probably no way of knowing.".

·          In order to construct such a scenario, Dr. D. de Caprona and her fellow-contributor have demonstrated much talent, but saying something is one thing, proving it is another ! This is what we are asking and even demanding at latest for

15 Juin 2007!

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   * Now, another story: that of LABA’AN II AL KHALIJ.

   This story too is not without amusement. We know that there is not much love lost between Mr. Burchard and Dr. D. de Caprona - more like a cold war ! We know that Mr. Burchard breeds Salukis. (So is it not allowed for breeders to have more than one breed in their kennel ?)

·        LABA’AN II AL KHALIJ (sloughi) was used for breeding in France with his one and only sloughi pedigree by Mr. X. Przezdziecki, with French registered female sloughias (L.O.F). None of the puppies born in these litters was ever fringed, nor any of their subsequent progeny.

·       LABA’AN II AL KHALIJ contrary to your statements was never used for breeding with Azawakhs or Salukis.

·       Yet again, we ask Dr. de Caprona to provide us with the proof of what she writes.

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                    CONCLUSION :

   * This text "The Foundation Sloughis of the Western Breeding" which wanted itself to be so scientific seems to us to be just a rough draft for a future work of more depth and substance; otherwise why this fast circulation, for what purpose, in what interest ? We dare to hope that such precipitation to get this embryonic study known was not intentionally harmful !

   * For us "old" breeders, breeding and selection are not just a matter of science, this obsession of some people with the search for purity of blood seems to us at least absurd, or even dangerous. History and the experience of such theories has not always been positive !

Let us repeat once again the quotation from X. Przezdziecki "The day when Westerners accept a return to the source, the wild imaginings on this sighthound will cease !"

Breeding is an art and not a science - that is our fundamental conviction

* Thanks to you and in conclusion, we have learned that MUNA who we were told was first registered as a Greyhound (you see how one can sometimes be ill informed !) was in fact a Galga bearing the name of DONA EL CANTO before being registered as a sloughia in Germany...and being used as a brood bitch there in the Schuru-es-Schams kennel.

   * Your statements will have helped us to define your lies more clearly with regard to French breeding and there we measure our words. We do not speak of other countries since we do not have sufficient understanding of their situation. We have only dealt with the U.S.A because among the females quoted, RICHA imported from Algeria drew our attention. We are persuaded that the information which we are giving to you and on which we can produce proof, will enable you to advance your study and your research.

   * Our intervention with this fine-tuning of your study seemed to us necessary and essential for sloughi breeding in France and we thank you for having given us the opportunity of doing so.

   N. B.   We would very much appreciate it if at all possible for your reply to be sent to us in French, and for 15 June at latest.

   - Enclosed: copy of Standard 188d circulated by the Société Centrale Canine Marocaine in which the word SLOUGHI is explained in Arabic (literary Arabic)

            12 May 2007