Emil and the Sloughis...

A story about the butcher and dog-breeder Emil Reinisch and the Sloughi-breeding "Bo-Ammar"

by Dr. Margrit Miekeley

deutsche Version

When the loudspeaker announces the noon-break at the Sunday-racing-training I immediately go to the club-house of the WRV Westfalen-Ruhr at Gelsenkirchen, to strengthen myself a little between the runs of my Saluki-male-dog "Gorazan al safi". With coffee and a piece of cake I take a seat at the table and look around.

Shari (Cido Bo-Ammar) with one year photo: Dr. M. Miekeley

Some people stand with their dogs at the counter. Suddenly I see the melancholy-looking eyes of a dark-sand-coloured Sloughi staring at a point in a distance. This view seems to me to be familiar and I can't keep of it as it wakens old memories.....
Then I follow the dog's direction, turn around and discover a young lady, who just enters the café. Only when the lady returns to the counter again does the dog see his surroundings again. Through the dog is directly in front of me I have the impression him being far away as it doesn't take any notice of strange people. It is a male-dog with a nice head and a good expression and a height of approximately 70 cm which seems to be small today. His body looks compact and he has graceful legs, finely proportioned frame and a straight back. The dog shows a good condition and his skin looks healthy and well nursed. His ears, tail, snout and toe-nails are darker than his pelt. In his face he has a lot of grey hair, a former black mask, I make out, he is an aged "Sloughi-gentleman". I try to talk to the young lady, and I ask her which breeding he comes from. She says: " This is Farou, but actually he is called Foreman." "Then he can only be "Foreman Bo-Ammar" from Emil Reinisch," I reply. I'm so happy and I scarcely can believe, that I have found Foreman again, one of Emil Reinisch's last dogs! Foreman is the only light male dog from the F-litter of the Breeding Bo-Ammar (Ch. Diane Bo Ammar after MCh. Chaliq Schuru-esch-Schams). I can't hold back my tears anymore, which partly are also meant for my beloved Shari (Cido Bo-Ammar). Yes it was quite sure the glance of my unforgettable Shari! Now the young lady and me talk together and I learn the story of Farou (Foreman).

Emil Reinisch presenting Carbo Bo-Ammar (18 months) in Dortmund. (1984) photo: Dr. M. Miekeley

When Emil Reinisch died in September 1995, the Sloughis Foreman and Diane Bo-Ammar belonged to his legacy. After the death of Emil's wife, one year later, "Foreman" and his mother "Diane" were also a part of the legacy. Some nice people, Emil's friends, took over both of them in Summer 1998. First Foreman was frightened and therefore aggressive against other dogs. By much love and patience and also by the partnership to the three Salukis of the family, Farou (Foreman) developed a sociable Super-Sloughi, being very devoted and intelligent. I'm glad to see Emil's last dog, one of the last but one litter, feeling well.
Emil Reinisch kept his Sloughis in an asphalted yard of a westfalian little town. Even if it wasn't an ideal place for running Sloughis, Emil took very much care of his dogs, he loved and coddled them. Emil was a passionate breeder. When I visited him for the first time in 1983 to see the whelps from the C-litter, he "only" breeded curious pigeons and Sloughis. But he still was a member of the Carrier-pigeon-club, Poultry-breeder-club, Soccer-club as well as of the Fishing-club. Large numbers of cups in a shelf were trophies of the Canary- and Sloughi-breeding.

Diane Bo-Ammar and Carbo Bo-Ammar, photo: E. Reinisch

I liked Emil; as he was a kind of a devil of a fellow. There was nothing Emil couldn't do or organize. He was creative, inventive and original. With pleasure I think of the "Adventure" and of his humorous remarks when I and Emil sold heaps of grilled sausages at a large Exhibition at Gelsenkirchen as it rained cats and dogs and we standing under a sunshade. Emil knew how to enjoy life, therefore he liked to travel. Every year he travelled to Ireland for salmon-fishing. He left his dogs behind and his wife took care of them.

From a journey to Bad Nauheim, where he stayed for course of treatment, he brought Sloughi-hunting-hounds home, for he was totally delighted by the charm and beauty of this dog-race. It was the bitch "Alia bel Kassem" and the male-dog "Adnan bel Kassem" ( from the imported Tunisian-bitch Talit after MCh Es Basshar Ben Burd van Klein Vossenburg). Ch. Alia is the ancestress of the Bo-Ammar-Breeding.

From 1978 to 1993 there were seven litters (from A to G). Emil's favourite bitch was "Abeer Bo-Ammar" who came from the A-litter. With her he was particularly successful at exhibitions (Int., German and Belg. Champion). Ch. Alia Bel Kassem was copulated with the from Tunisia imported male-dog and MCh. "Bedui". From the A-litter Emil kept two dogs, a male-dog and a bitch: Ameer and Abeer Bo-Ammar. Meanwhile Emil bought two more Sloughis, Badi and Basra Min Ahrar al Maghrib. The bitch and Ch. Basra was copulated with the young Ameer for the B-litter. Out of this connection the Europe-Winner 1988 and the Ch. Barak Bo-Ammar stayed in the house Reinisch.

The flock grew quickly and there was a considerable number when in 1983 MCh. Abeer was copulated with "Midrah Schuru-esch-Schams" (Ch. Chauda SeS after Aschkurak SeS). On the 3rd April 1983 the C-litter with eleven sand-coloured whelps arrived. At that moment I got to know Emil and his Sloughis by an advertisement in the Club-magazine "Unsere Windhunde". It's a torture to choose the suitable one among the crowd of the whelps who run muddled around at sixes and sevens and all looking alike! I visited the family Reinisch every week, looked at the whelps and scared Emil, as very time I came, I selected a different favourite whelp. After ten weeks I got on Emil's nerves and he told me: " Now you'll have to decide"! After a long back and forth I decided to take a male-dog with a very dark mask, with a black streak on the neck and on the back. Paws and toe-nails were also dark, and the little baby-dog looked as if he was dipped into soot. This was him, my Shari (Cido Bo-Ammar) and a true love began! Then I went there to fetch him. Driving home in my car he lay well-behaved beside me. Arrived at home, Shari ran on his thick paws like a little puma and curious through all the rooms of the house. Shari knew from the beginning that he was my dog and he showed it clearly to all members of the family.

MCH Abeer Bo-Ammar, photo: E. Reinisch

He took part in our family life unlimited for nearly thirteen years. Shari strolled with us through the public gardens of Versailles, took a bath in the Atlantic-water, lay patiently waiting couchant like a cat under the table of the Café Sacher. Our two sons grew up with him. He always was a kind-hearted but a watchful Babysitter. He also defended reliably our home and yard. With him on the lead I could even go for a walk at night feeling absolutely safe. Shari was individualistic and he had quality, he showed pride and reacted with scorn if he felt unfairness. It developed such a strong tie between us, the people, and him that we still, after six years , like to talk about this Sloughi with all due respect.
As we can see in according breeding-books MCh. Abeer had two litters: For the C-litter she was copulated with Midrah Schuru-esch-Schams and for the D-litter with Ch. Qahir SeS. Both male-dogs' mother is the successful Chauda SeS and both of them originate from the first three litters of this breeding. It was not by chance that Emil chose these male dogs as Chauda was, in his opinion, the breeding-aim of "Beauty and Performance". She was among other things a German Champion and a German Racing-Champion. By that she exactly corresponded with Emil's idea of a beautiful and efficient Sloughi.

My Shari, study of the head, photo: Dr. M. Miekeley

The D-litter from MCh. Abeer Bo-Ammar after Ch. Qahir SeS came on 27. May, 1985. This time Emil kept exceptionally a bitch - "Diane". She took over from Abeer as the mother. On 23 March 1991 Diane had the F-litter with ten whelps after the World-Winner and MCh. Chaliq Schuru-esch-Schams. There were nine black and one sand-coloured whelps (the dominance of the black colour is here evident). Emil was happy with this litter with so many black whelps and he reported proudly about it. He kept the sand-coloured male-dog, Foreman, for himself.

By the copulation of Diane Bo-Ammar with Chaliq SeS and Chauda SeS all the whelps of the F-litter Bo-Ammar over Chalil, Malike, Qahir and Chauda SeS in the third respective fourth generation on both sides have prevailing the blood of the Algerian imported male-dog "Quitus" and of the Dutch-Moroccan "Ifrita al Shams" in their veins.

We took Shari everywhere with us. photo: Dr. M. Miekeley

In addition there is partly blood of the Tunisian imported dogs "Talit" and "Bedui", of the Moroccan imported dogs "Muna" and "Berak Ouled Nails" as well as of Arbi v. d. Kirkelsberg, Afri SeS and El Basshar Ben Burd v. Klein Vossenburg. These different blood-lineages form a comprehensive "Gen-Pool" and outstanding dogs of the F-litter of the Bo-Ammar kennel. The G-litter is also built up on a similar principle. The last litter from Diane Bo-Ammar after Urit Min al Bait Said came on 22. May 1993. Midrah was also the father of this male-dog! By that there was blood of Chauda over Qahir and Midrah on both sides also in this litter. The importance of Chauda SeS at the setting up of the "Sloughi-Kennel Bo Ammar" is to be found in the genealogical tables or in the herd-book. Corvus Bo Ammar, Chauda's grandson and Shari's litter-brother became UICL-Youth-Winner in 1984 and International-Derby-Winner in 1988. I also have successfully attended some exhibitions with Shari.

Though as a working mother and housewife there was not much time left to take part in racings more intensively. As Shari was, as I saw it, the most beautiful and the fastest Sloughi of the world, there was no other confirmation necessary. From the litters B, C and F Emil kept in each case one male-dog (Barak, Carbo and Foreman Bo-Ammar). The bitches he gave to good places. A good place for his dogs was more important than his own breeding-interests. When choosing a customer for his dogs he always proved a sure eye as far as I know. Emil used to work at my dwelling-place as a butcher. I got to know him as a helpful and reliable man who brought meat and innards to my house for many years even after his retirement. I cut it and formed helpings, deep freezed it and later prepared dog's food. My neighbours all knew Emil's old van which parked every eight weeks early in the morning in front of our door. If you looked into the van could see heaps of pieces of meat of all kinds, which were used for making sausages, and Emil transported them farther.

Cido Bo-Ammar, My Shari - about 2 years - Sylt

Whenever I eat "Wurst" I remember the huge heaps of meat in the back of his van! At these "Dog-food-transactions" we always used the occasion to have a coffee in the kitchen, before I went to school to work, and to talk about "Animal-Breeding of all kinds". At a chat with a cup of coffee I learned something about Emil's planes on the Sloughi-Breeding. Emil had also experienced a lot on his journeys and he always reported interesting things. He was not at all a superficial man and he seemed to think about everything. I know that his choice for the copulation of his dogs was aiming "Beauty and Performance". Emil was an absolute aesthete with a firm "grip" for remarkably beautiful male-dogs. Emil rejected inbreeding on principle. His dogs were the result of different blood-lines, out of which a comprehensive "Gene-Efficience" developed and this only little possibility for unexpected congenital diseases was given.

By Emil's death it is evident how important it is to breeders that the whole family participate in the dog-breeding to avoid that the animals become uncalled-for some time or another.

I'm glad for Emil, that by Farouk Bo Ammar's copulations first at the "Madina al Fadila" and later at the "Schuru-esch-Schams" kennels, Emil's ideas of an "Ideal-Sloughi" live on in the blood-lines of the Bo-Ammar-Descendants. The success at exhibitions of this dogs tells its own tale! Now I meet Farouk Bo-Ammar children at many exhibitions. Some of them look very much alike the old Bo-Ammar-Sloughis. By that Emil has undoubtedly created his own "Sloughi Type".

Elegant Sloughis with devoted mannery and wonderful and expressive heads.

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