Barakabook Article
Issue #7

Galgo Espanol: the hard life of a long distance courser
Carlos Salas Meleros

Mr. Meleros had given to me the opportunity of having this writing translated and published, hoping that it could be useful to spread information about the Spanish Galgo. That's why I heartily hope that no one will shout at a Galgo Espanol: "What an ugly Greyhound!" (Albertina Pioli)
The Spanish Galgo is a hound selected for hunting. It is not a sprinter, but a long distance courser. Its stylized, flexible and bony body has been scarred by the flowing of time, by the long and fatiguing challenges with proud and hard hares. Wanting far less than a "bunch of dry bread and a good couch" it has given through the centuries to the noble and the poor people a lovely time both for the sport and for the food.
Its bent, elegant but severe outline should mirror that country and its pure Spanish spirit (which is melting away by now in the noisy and restless modernity of the urban culture).
The declines in the XX century have deeply upset our scale of values; show and competition have become necessary ingredients for a new culture where idleness is worshipped. The cult of exhibition has exalted the Greyhound, the king of pure speed at dog tracks and in races; the open field competition has been substituted for hunting and so encourages the new Anglo-Spanish crossing which combines speed to stamina.
Together with the country's depopulation and the exploitation of soil, such a factor has knocked the Spanish Galgo onto the threshold of extinction. The introduction of rules, "collaresse", points and championships has brought the člite of "Galgueri" to find in the Anglo-Spanish Galgo the necessary synthesis of speed and stamina in order to win the championships. Such methodical and massive crossing did not contribute to the birth of a new breed - as someone pretended it to be - but to the decimation of the native Galgo's population.
The results of such crossing represents the main part of today's population in the countryside and it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish between the aspects typical of the ancient Spanish breed and those seen more to fix those characteristics genetically.
The dog shows and a new flourishing of hunting could represent the starting point to the preservation and the selection of the traditional Spanish Galgo.
Seen through a Sancho Panza's eyes, trying to preserve against this stream the ancient and pure courser could be regarded as a foolish thing; however history demonstrates that the "Quixote" stock has always remained alive. To these new gentlemen, who can enjoy the "Galgo-hare launches" with no other witnesses than the earth and the sky; to those who can still go into raptures over the beauty of a pure bred Spanish Galgo resembling an authentic work of art; to those whom modern history has taught a love of one's own roots; above all to them, the present writing is devoted.
It is in fact unquestionable - according to the documented trials performed, and by conforming to the anatomy and functionality of the Spanish Galgo - that the stock coming from the Spanish sighthound is the product of that melting which occurred during various centuries, between the hound of those Gauls who arrived in Spain with the Celts and Visigoths and the Sloughi-type hounds brought by the Arabic invasion (at the beginning of the VIII century A.D.) The Spanish Galgo shows characteristics belonging to both of them combined together in order to create a wonderful unity, in order to better adapt itself to the climate, the field, and the conditions of the hare in the Spanish peninsula.
We have not space enough to expand this argument by giving some notes on the paintings and the written works concerning the Spanish Galgo. However, I can not but talk about a painting which I deem to be really important and which I have never heard about in criticism up to now: the scene with the Galgos represented in the Mozarabic sanctuary of San Baudelio of Berlanga dating from the XIth century. These frescos - which unreasonably belong to the Metropolitan Museum of new York - represent a hunting scene: a man on horseback and three Galgos chasing two hares. We are talking about a fresco which has been considered by the historian Marciano Sanchez as one of the most interesting artistic manifestations of the cultural roots of the Castillano-Leonese people.
Commenting on it Mr. Marciano writes: "The man on horseback is not a knight, the painter stresses this aspect having him wear a white tunic and boots with spurs, he also has a horn in his belt. (...) The painter is describing a kind of hunt practised by common people".
The hunt with Galgos represented in fact a traditional practice well known in Castilla in the XIth century and the Galgo was the hound of common people, something which it has continued to be up to now, the prohibitions and the amendments notwithstanding.
The influence of Arabian hounds, during the Muslim invasion, has been well documented in writings above all, but is very important as far as the anatomy of the hound and its functionality is concerned: longing and sad eyes, lovely and dry muscles, long and light legs, wilderness, stamina and ardour. This is the brand of a breed which was born in a very harsh climate, and in very hard conditions of life.

Characteristics of the Spanish Galgo

The Spanish Galgo, differently from other breeds, which are today more fashionable, has never undergone a modern, controlled selection aiming at pointing out a particular anatomic characteristic in breeding. The selection has been caused by the hound's functionality and it has lasted for centuries, having its basis on the oral tradition handled down by the breeders. Its adaptation to different fields and hares has caused a type diversification in the various regions, even keeping those fixed characteristics which makes it different from its English or Arabian relatives.
The Spanish Galgo looks "bony and dry" with an aloof, sometimes cold air. Its legs and forelegs are long and fine. It has a long head, without great difference between the breadth of the muzzle and that of the skull, and a mutton-like nose. It should not have protruding, round or burning eyes, but a languid and "eastern" sight. Its ears should be pink, big and fleshy. It should have a very long, thin and flexible neck almost the same size from the head till its junction to the shoulder blade.
A long neck will help him in keeping its balance in the curves and in killing the game. Its withers should be low, in order to catch the hare when running. It should have a very deep ribcage, with well separated ribs, but different from that of the Greyhound's. Such a structure of the ribcage gives the Spanish Galgo an even longer outline. It should have a bony croup and the right angulation in order to look higher in the back than in front. It should not have cat-feet, but round and close toes in order to change directions easily when chasing the hare. The long tail is a characteristic of the breed and it is usually very appreciated; it has the same dimensions from tip to toe and it serves as a balance during the hound's turns. Its coat should be smooth and bright in the short coat type and not too long in the harsh coat one. Its loins should be strong, with a prominent backbone. It should have the muscles of a long distance courser: dry and flexible without the dimension of the sprinter.
When galloping, the Spanish Galgo should not have a proud gait, because of the low carried head. The gallop is a natural gait for the Spanish Galgo, which in fact was created for it. Looking at it when walking, one will find that the legs try to "single-track".
There are many Galgos in the Spanish countryside that keep one or some of these characteristics, even if those who have them in full are very few. It is still possible to work with the best specimens in order to preserve the Spanish pure breed even if it is becoming harder and harder. People should work together with all their strength and enthusiasm.