Lure coursing
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Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure. Competition is usually limited to dogs of purebred sight hound breeds.
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Lure course
Image:WolfhoundsLureCoursing.jpg In lure coursing, dogs chase an artificial lure across a field, following a pattern that is meant to simulate live coursing. A typical lure course is between 600 and 1000 yards (548 to 914 meters) long. The course must have a minimum number of turns in order to simulate prey (the rabbit or hare) changing direction in a chase. The fields can be fenced or not. If a dog is lure focused they will typically follow the lure from start to finish and not run off course. Dogs "cheat" by attempting to cut off the lure instead of trying to capture the lure using follow, speed and agility. Sighthounds generally have no need to be trained or enticed to chase the lure since the desire to chase is instinctual.
Qualifying to compete
In American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) competitions, a dog must be Certified in order to compete in the Open category of the breed. To certify, a dog must run clean (not interfere with the other hound and pursue the lure) with another dog of similar running style and be certified by a qualified ASFA judge. Dogs used for certification do not have to be certified themselves, nor do they have to be a sighthound, and judges can certify two or three hounds at the same time. In American Kennel Club (AKC) coursing, currently the dog must qualify to compete by running a minimum of 600 yards with four turns twice, in two separate trials, under two different qualified AKC judges. The dogs run alone, and once they complete both runs, they earn a Junior Courser (JC) title.
Levels of competition
Dogs are coursed by breed in braces (two) or trios (three), based on the number of dogs available for the run. Dogs can run alone if there are no other dogs of the same breed entered, however their scores will not qualify towards a title unless they defeat a hound in the Best of Breed run. Running order is detemined by a random draw, and is not based on size or comparable ability. Dogs can compete in open stake, field champion stake (for dogs who have earned the requisite points) or veteran stake (dogs over the age of six years except Irish Wolfhounds (5 years) and Whippets (7 years)). Each dog runs twice during the trial. The first run is the "preliminary". After all preliminaries have been run, the course is reversed for the second run, called "finals". Once all preliminaries and finals have been run, Best of Breed is determined for each breed by stakes run-off or by forfiet. All placements must be determined by total score (preliminary + final), run-off or forfiet. After the Best of Breed runs, the top dogs from each breed may compete for Best in Field to determine the best hound for the trial. Some clubs opt to provide a Best in Event which brings Best of Breed dogs from multiple days to run off. In AKC trials, Italian Greyhounds are not permitted to compete for Best In Field. This is because Italian Greyhounds might be mistaken as prey by the larger sighthound breeds.
Judging
ASFA
In ASFA trials, hounds receive a numerical score based on speed (25), agility (25), endurance (20), enthusiasm (15), and follow (15) for a maximum score of 100 points. "Follow" means in pursuit of the lure, not the other dogs. Judges will deduct a pre-slip penalty of up to 10 points for the early release of a hound in a course. Judges can also assess up to 10 points penalty for a course delay. Judges can excuse a hound from competition for failing to run, being unfit, coursing another hound instead of the lure, hound or handler interference or excessive course delay. Hounds may be dismissed for interfering with another hound. Hounds may be disqualified for being the agressor in a fight on the field.
AKC
In AKC trials hounds are judged for overall ability (10), follow (10), speed (10), agility (10), and endurance (10) for a maximum score of 50 points.
Titles
ASFA
Once an Open hound receives 100 title points plus either two first placements or one first and two second placements, they earn a Field Champion title (FCh). A hound earns a Lure Courser of Merit title (LCM) each time it earns 300 points and four first placements.
AKC
Once a dog has achieved four qualifying runs (50 point runs) they earn a Senior Courser title.
Sanctioning organizations
In the U.S., the ASFA and AKC are the two main sanctioning bodies. Participation is limited to purebred sighthounds. This group includes:
- Afghan Hounds
- Azawakh (Tuareg Sloughi)
- Basenjis
- Borzois
- Deerhounds
- Greyhounds
- Ibizan Hounds
- Irish Wolfhounds
- Italian Greyhounds
- Pharaoh Hounds
- Rhodesian Ridgebacks
- Salukis
- Sloughis
- Whippets
Other sighthounds that are allowed to compete together in ASFA Limited Stakes are:
Only AKC-recognized breeds can compete in AKC trials.
For ASFA, hounds must be registered with an ASFA approved registry (American Kennel Club, National Greyhound Association, the Federation Cynologique Internationale, an ASFA-recognized foreign registry or, in the case of Salukis, a critique registration number from the Society for the Perpetuation of Desert Bred Salukis).
In Canada, lure coursing is sanctioned by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC). In Canada, the sighthound breeds do not include the Sloughi nor the Italian Greyhound, which as of 2005, is still considered a toy breed by the CKC. There is an effort currently to get the IG included in Canadian lure coursing.
External links
For more information or to find a lure course event or judge:
- Canadian Kennel Club
- American Kennel Club
- American Sighthound Field Association
- The Mighty Mite Small Dog Sports Forum
Recommended reading
- Sighthounds Afield by Denise Como
- Gazehounds & Coursing by Dutch Salmon
- Canines & Coyotes by Leon V. Almirall
- Field Advisory News (F.A.N.), official publication for ASFAno:Lure coursing