TALLY HO !
Two sighthounds spring from the slip, running, turning, straining every muscle to catch a flapping tumbling lure as enthusiastically as their ancestors did to catch live game generations ago. It is a breathtaking spectacle - beautiful, healthy hounds exerting them selves to the limit in an activity similar to the one for which they were bred.
Coursing is a sport as old as the first relationship between hound and man. However, in days gone by, it was not always done for amusement, but often to get food or eliminate predators. In these gentler times, coursing live game is no longer necessary for survival; in many areas such coursing is impractical. But we can still give our hounds the excitement of the hunt through the sport of Lure Coursing. We merely replace the live game with an artificial lure tied to a line and pulled along a course laid out through an open field. These hounds have been bred to chase and they are oblivious to the fact that the lure is only a white plastic bag.
WHY SHOULD I LURE COURSE MY SIGHTHOUND ?
First, your hound will probably love it. Even the most pampered and dignified of sighthounds can rarely resist the opportunity to chase and catch something - anything! Second, it~s a great way to keep your hound healthy and fit. A hound in proper shape is trim and muscular, with heart, lungs and circulation in peak condition. Third, it gives you a chance to evaluate your hound in a way the show ring can not. Our sighthounds are beautiful, but they are functional animals too. A judge in the ring can certainly evaluate beauty, type and the potential to function adequately in the field. But these judges do not see the hounds run, turn, recover from a fall, so can not evaluate speed, agility, determination, courage - the qualities so important in a coursing hound. Lure coursing demands all these qualities and gives us an important tool to use in judging our hounds.
HOW DO I BEGIN COURSING MY SIGHTHOUND ?
Contact the secretary of the BSFA, address at the end of this leaflet. You will be put on the computer mailing list and sent details of events etc. when ready. At a meeting the hounds can run in any order but are judged against their own breed so that the hound with the highest score at the end of the day will be Best In Breed. The hound with the top score will be deemed Best In Field overall.
Before you start lure coursing, make sure your hound is in good physical condition. Sighthounds should be at the proper weight for their size and build and free from disease and parasites. Your hound should be getting frequent, vigorous exercise and its feet should be conditioned to a variety of surfaces.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A LURE FELD TRIAL?
To be entered at a BSF-A event, a hound must be a purebred KC or NGA registered sighthound breed: Afghan, Basenji, Borzoi, Greyhound, Ibizan, Irish Wolfhound, Pharaoh, Saluki, Sloughi, Scottish Deerhound or Whippet.
Entries are generally sent by post, but can be entered on the field with a small surcharge. The course is laid out before the trial, generally in a fenced field. The course is about 500 yards or more. It usually includes some straight runs and a number of turns. The field is checked for anything that could be a danger to the hounds (holes etc.)
When the course is called, hounds line up in the collecting ring to be organised into pairs, single runs to go out to the Huntmaster and the starting line. The Huntmaster gives the signal to release the hounds with a 'Tally Ho!'The Lure Operator is now in charge. The lure should run ahead of the lead hound. The Operator must-be prepared to stop the lure instantly on the rare occasion of a problem occurring. It is largely the skill of this person that makes an exciting run possible while minimizing the risk of injuries.
As the hounds finish the course the Huntmaster calls 'Retrieve your hounds'.
On the field the judges are scoring each hound on its performance and the timekeepers are noting the time for each hound. The cards are handed to the Field Clerk, the addition is checked and the time is transformed into points then the final scores are posted.
Class 1 Yearling 1-2 years Class 2 Intermediate 2-4 years Class 3 Open any age Class 4 Veteran 7 or over Allocation of points: Agility 25 Enthusiasm 15 Follow 15 Endurance 20 Speed 25 Total 1 00
At any point during a run, the judges may excuse, dismiss or disqualify a hound. There are numerous reasons for an excusal (such as coursing another hound). A hound may be dismissed for interfering, either playfully or aggressively, with another hound's course. An excusal or dismissal means that the hound may not run that course again.
No hound under twelve months to run. Bitches in season not allowed on the field. All will be tested. Substitutes can be made.
General Rules: l. All dogs not under starters orders MUST be on a lead. Failure will incur an immediate £10 fine, strictly enforced. 2. All Litter must be deposited in sacks provided. 3. Owners must clean up after their own dogs. Plastic bags provided. 4. All people to stay in spectator areas as specified, until their dogs are due to run. Please conform to these few rules to ensure eveyone has a safe and happy day. From 1992 dogs will run in pairs and be muzzled. The pairs will be drawn on the day. Also you will require a blanket for the dog to run in either red or white.
Secretary: BSFA, Gary Peskett 4 Church Lane West Parley Ferndown Dorset BH22 8TS Telephone 0202 579394. Send your name, address, telephone number, reed and fee which is £5.00 per annum and you will receive details when ready.