Some photos |
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The
Doocloone affix |
Doocloone was originally my mother's affix which, if I remember right, she
registered with the English Kennel Club way back in the 1930s or 40s - first for Kerry Blue Terriers and
then Dobermans (plus a few miniature and toy Poodles and even miniature Pinschers along the way). My mother
died in 1996 so, when I
returned to the UK from France, I applied to the Kennel Club
to have it registered in my name. Then when I moved back to France
in 2005, I applied to transfer it to the French Kennel Club.
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My
involvement with Sloughis |
Ever since the first time that I went to
live in France (more years ago than I care to
remember!), I have grown more and more
interested in the Sloughi breed - from a racing or lure coursing
point of view as well as for the show-ring. During one of my periods
of living in the UK, I imported two of
my Sloughis from France - first of all Samra in November 2001 and
then Uazzer in October 2004 and of course they both came back
to France with me when I returned there in 2005.
Then in 2007, I was
fortunate enough to be able to obtain a new addition to the Doocloone pack
(brindle of course!!) - a female Sloughia called Chaaba'h Chucha de la Cité
du Guerrier from top French breeders Michel GOUZY and his daughter
Laurence BONNET.
And in 2008, another addition to my
Sloughi pack (but sand with black mask this time breaking away from
my old habit of brindle!) a young male called Djalal-Mansour at
Doocloone d'Al Mahdi from my friend Françoise LATAPIE.
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November 2005 - May 2011 |
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I moved back to France in 2005 (for the
fourth time!!!!) with all my dogs to live in a dilapidated and isolated old
country farmhouse in southern Touraine.
Unfortunately,
due to serious problems caused by my co-owner from the
summer of 2006 onwards, I was not able to make any plans to
stay, to repair or improve the house and grounds, nor even
to move somewhere else until the
situation was finally resolved by the French courts,
unfortunately not at all fairly.
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1999 - 2005 |
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I have wonderful memories of
the years that I spent in this house in Princetown on the
High Moor (Dartmoor).
Princetown itself is one of
the friendliest places I have ever known and it is
surrounded by the most glorious open countryside which is
perfect for long or short outings with hounds or on
horseback.
I joined the local fire
service for a short while as a trainee and loved every
minute of it (even when strung upside down under a ladder....).
When I was living in
Princetown, there were three great pubs - Plume of Feathers
(when James Langton was landlord), Prince of Wales and
Railway Inn (aka Devil's Elbow). And then there was always
the Forest Inn at Hexworthy, or others in Tavistock, or
Yelverton .....
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