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Salukis Parade Their Body and Skills

ABU DHABI — Christine Gruber was among the first to register for the Arabian Saluki Beauty Contest at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, early on Wednesday morning.

Around 170 saluki dogs registered for the show — two of which belonged to Christine.

“We’ve just moved to a farm in Sharjah, where my 20 salukis are very happy,” she told Khaleej Times.

Christine, a German, came to the UAE 17 years ago and now breeds dogs here.

“I used to be a German Shepherd breeder before, but when I saw how fast and beautiful the salukis run, I fell in love with this dog. I still breed German Shepherds, but my main focus is on salukis,” she said.

As delay to the start of the competition lengthened, Ghasas (bullet, in Arabic) became impatient. The three-year-old saluki was the oldest of the three dogs Mohammed Al Rumaithi brought along for the competition.

“These small scratches come from fighting,” said Mohammed, adding that Ghasas is now a hunting dog.

“I got him from Oman and the other two, Zakhtoun and Zana, are from Qatar and the Emirates,” said a proud Mohammed.

A judge, Cathy Smith of the Australian Saluki Club (ASC), declared Ghasas a good example of the breed but said he needed more shampooing.

The competition was split into four categories — smooth female, smooth male, feathered female and feathered male. Age did not matter and within the first few minutes of the show, the audience was able to see both 15-month-old dog Bark and 17-year-old Salbouh, the oldest registered in the show on Wednesday.

Bark, a playful and friendly dog, gave quite a show, as he escaped twice from the leash and displayed some extraordinary running speed. The judge also declared Bark a “good example of his breed”.

The judgment involved seeing the salukis trotting from front, profile and back, as well as a close examination of their eyes, teeth, ears, fur, legs and back.

“Judges from the West always check on the ears, which the Bedouin would never think of doing, but it’s always interesting to see how others judge our salukis. Of course, it does not matter in the hunt, but here in the competition, the ears should reach the corner of the mouth,” explained the show presenter and a representative of the ASC.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com