JD(pink) and Jolie compete in ASFA lure coursing in
What
is Lure Coursing?
Lure coursing is similar to the hare coursing of old, minus the rabbit. A lure (usually a white plastic bag on a string) is pulled through a series of pulleys, by a motor, controlled by a lure operator. Courses vary from short, straight courses offered by the Large Gazhound Racing Association (LGRA), to the slightly longer oval courses offered by the National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA), to the elaborate pulley systems and extremely long courses that mimic the way a rabbit would run in the field offered by the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) lure coursing. The LGRA and NOTRA events are actually considered amateur racing events instead of lure coursing, but since it is all fun for the dog and the events are held in our area I am including them too.
Lure Coursing Competitions are fun to watch, and designed to preserve and develop the skills that greyhounds and other sighthounds have been bred to have for thousands of years. The dogs run for the thrill of the chase and the occasional stuffy or dog treat. Their humans get ribbons and trophies and are excited about earning permanent titles for their dogs. No betting is allowed and there are no cash prizes, this is just for fun.
Coursing is a great way to keep your greyhound physically and mentally fit. Dogs must be at least one year old to compete. All pure bred sighthounds can enter as long as they don’t have breed disqualifications. For more information on the types of coursing see our summary of coursing organizations below or go directly to each organization’s website.
Cooper(blue), Joplin(yellow) and JD wait their turn with a
couple of whippets. Photo Roy Palmer
Types of Lure
Coursing and Racing:
AKC lure coursing:
Coursing dogs are scored by judges on: speed, enthusiasm, agility, endurance, and their ability to follow the lure. Dogs run 2 courses that vary in distance from 600 to 1000 yards; the combined score of both courses determines the winner. Additional runs may be necessary in the case of ties and to decide Best Of Breed and Best in Field. Courses are run with up to 3 greyhounds running together. The dogs are hand slipped and released on the command “Tallyho”, not on lure movement. Dogs wear a colored coursing blanket in pink, blue or yellow and a quick release collar is used, racing muzzles are optional. A hound earns its Junior Courser (JC) title when certified to compete then goes on to earn the Senior Courser (SC), the Master Courser (MC) and Field Champion (FC) titles.
http://www.akc.org/dic/events/coursing/index.cfm
ASFA lure coursing:
ASFA is very similar to AKC coursing and is run with up to 3 dogs on a field.
Like AKC coursing the lure runs through a series of pulleys that make it run in
a pattern similar to that a rabbit would run. White plastic bags are used as
lures. The hounds are judged on Enthusiasm, Follow, Speed, Agility and
Endurance. Courses are usually 600 to 1000 yards. Dogs are hand slipped and are
released on the command “Tallyho”, not on lure movement. They must wear colored
coursing jackets and a quick release collar is used, racing muzzles are
optional. Dogs also run 2 courses with additional courses run in case of ties
and to determine Best of Breed and Best in Field. Dogs compete for the Field
Champion (FCh) title and Lure Courser of Merit (LCM) titles. http://www.asfa.org/
LGRA Racing:
Hounds race 200 yards on a straight, flat track after a furry lure with a squawker inside. They are graded according to previous racing experience or using the LGRA 'WAVE', a weighted average of the dog's last three race meets. There are three programs with heats made up of a maximum of four greyhounds. All dogs must run with properly fitted muzzles and numbered race blankets. Dogs are released from racing boxes or hand-slipped on lure movement, depending on the club and equipment available.
Winners earn points towards the Gazehound Racing Champion title (12 GRC points). Once this title is achieved, the hound earns points towards the Superior Gazehound Racing Champion title (30 NRC points).
NOTRA Racing:
The track is an oval or horseshoe shape and varies between 220 and 440 meters. Dogs wear muzzles and numbered race blankets and are released from racing boxes or hand-slipped on lure movement. This is a speed-based event with the fastest dog over three courses declared the winner. Up to 4 greyhounds may compete at a time together. Dogs compete for the Junior Oval Racer (JOR) title, the Senior Oval Racer (SOR), the Oval Racing Champion (ORC) and the Supreme Oval Racing Champion (SORC). http://www.notra.org/
One of the 3 courses at the ASFA
International Invitational in Falcon,
What do I need
for my Greyhound to compete in Lure Coursing?
Before your greyhound can compete in any lure coursing or amateur racing events you must have the ownership signed over to you by his former owner. To do that: request a Blue Pet Certificate from the National Greyhound Association.
http://www.networksplus.net/nga/petreq.html
You will need to have your dogs racing name and/or ear tattoos when you make the request. The blue pet slip will come in the mail and will have your dog’s actual owner and his address on it. Send the slip to the owner along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for him to send it back to you in. Usually owners are very happy to sign the dog over to you. When you get the blue pet slip back, be sure to make a copy of it to turn in at your first competition. The dog is now officially yours and you can enter ASFA lure coursing and NOTRA and LGRA amateur racing. You can use the signed blue slip to request an official registration certificate from the NGA but that is not necessary for coursing. You will also need to call the NGA at 785-263-4660 and ask them for your dog’s volume and Certification numbers and be sure to have them with you when you course your greyhound. They will give them to you over the phone if you have the dog’s racing name and/or tattoo numbers.
The only thing that you cannot enter with the signed blue slip is the AKC lure coursing. For that you need an AKC Indefinite Listing Privilege Number (ILP).
Go here to download an ILP form: http://www.akc.org/registration/ilpex.cfm
Print out the form and follow the directions on it. You will need to send in a couple of photos of your dog and proof from your vet that it has been neutered or spayed and a $25 check. You can usually get the ILP # in your hand in two or three weeks from the day you send in your information. You can enter the dog in competitions as soon as you apply for an ILP by writing ILP pending on the entry form where the number goes. The ILP makes your dog eligible for all the types of coursing and amateur racing along with Agility, Obedience and many other types of competitions. The ILP can come in handy if you can’t read your greyhound’s tattoo numbers and don’t know it’s racing name or if it was never registered with the NGA for whatever reason. Your dog can still compete in all forms of lure coursing and amateur racing with the ILP number.
You will need a racing muzzle to compete in NOTRA and LGRA available through Halemar at: http://www.halemar.com/itmidx1.htm Get the Racing Muzzle not the Kennel Muzzles and avoid the colored ones. Get the standard or the black. In ASFA and AKC lure coursing muzzles are optional.
You will also need 4 racing jackets to compete in the NOTRA or LGRA racing. A red jacket with a white #1, a blue jacket with a white #2, a white jacket with a black #3 and a green jacket with a white #4. On some of the websites you may see a number #5 and #6 jacket mentioned, but this is only for whippets as greyhounds only run 4 dogs at a time. Greyhounds don't need the #5 and #6 jackets. You can order real racing jackets through the above address of Halemar, or you can make them yourself. Racing Jackets should extend from the shoulder blades to beyond the last rib, be fitted neither too tightly nor too loosely so as not to restrict the stride nor flap in the wind. Numbers should be 4 inches tall. Usually there are other greyhound owners at competitions who will happily share their racing jackets with you when you first start out. For AKC and ASFA lure coursing you need 3 coursing jackets with no numbers in bright pink, yellow and blue. They can be made out of any type of material. Both types of jackets are often available for sale at competitions and can be ordered here:
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/wistwind/lure.html
http://www.geocities.com/dog_togs/courace.html
http://www.swiftsuredesigns.com/
For ASFA and AKC lure coursing you will need a quick release collar they are available at the above address. For NOTRA and LGRA the dogs are allowed to run in a thin, martingale or standard collar as long as the tags have been removed.
Many people also wrap their dog’s legs to protect them from line burn and to keep the dewclaws from catching the line. In most LGRA and NOTRA racing events this is not necessary since the line is out in front of the dog at all times, but the dogs do cross the line and run along it in ASFA and AKC lure coursing. Wrapping legs is not required and many dogs run safely without it. Some people extend the wrap down to cover the large pad on the base of each foot if the ground is rough or hard. Greyhounds can easily tear off pieces of this pad when turning or stopping quickly on a rough surface. It is a common injury that heals up in a short amount of time but it is painful for the dogs and best avoided. You can get VetWrap at you local horse supply store. It is what is used to wrap horses legs with. To give you an idea of how much to buy, I can usually wrap 6 legs with each roll. Wrap the legs just tight enough for the wrap to stay on at a full gallop. Practice at home so your dog gets used to them and you have a feeling for how tight to wrap them. You will want to take the wraps off after each run and re-wrap your dog’s legs just before his next run. Use wraps in black and white only. Other colors are available but it is against the rules to use wraps in the colors of the coursing or racing jackets so it is easier to just stick with black and white rather than trying to remember which colors can be used for which type of event.
Before Your First
Coursing
Competition:
Make sure your dog is in condition! Lure Coursing is not the same as a run in the back yard. Greyhounds put a hundred percent into coursing and an overweight dog that has been a couch potato for a year since he retired from racing should not play the game until he gets into shape. Many human couch potatoes make a similar mistake when they decide to go out to play a game of football with the kids and then wish they hadn’t for at least a week or even longer if they end up in the emergency room. Don’t do that to your dog.
Take an honest look at your greyhound. Can you see the outline of a rib or two? Can you see just the tips of his hip bones? Is he within 5lbs of his former racing weight? If not, he needs to wait to compete until he has lost some weight. Don’t worry, it isn’t as difficult for a dog to loose weight as it is for us because most don’t know how to open the refrigerator to get out snacks. They have to rely on you to feed them. Usually your dog will loose weight with just a slight decrease in food and the big increase in exercise necessary to get in shape for coursing. Remember, your greyhound’s risk of injury is much higher if he is overweight even if he is just running in the back yard.
To get a greyhound into condition for coursing he needs to reach a full double suspension gallop 2 or 3 times a week. If you don’t have a very large backyard you will need to take him to a fenced baseball field or a bigger field if you can find one. If you have two dogs they will often race each other around the field. If your dog won’t run hard on his own, you may need two people and two favorite toys on ropes. Stand on opposite sides of the field and get him to run back and forth between you using the toys as lures. A long pole or a bull whip with a rope tied to it and a toy on the end also works good for exercising your dog in a smaller area. Jogging for a couple of miles with your dog will help you both get into shape. Some greyhounds will chase a ball or a Frisbee, use whatever your dog likes to get him to run. Start out slowly with walking instead of running if your dog is really out of shape and increase the time and distance gradually. Remember, some courses will be nearly 1000 yards (almost twice as far as he ran when he raced) and your dog will be expected to run that at least 2 times in a day during a competition. It is always wise to take your dog to a vet for a checkup before starting a strenuous exercise program.
Lure Coursing Clubs always check their courses to make sure they are as safe as possible but this is a strenuous sport and there is a risk of injury. It is just like soccer or football, we let our children play because they enjoy it but we know that accidents can happen. By making sure your dog is in the best possible shape, you minimize his risk and increase his enjoyment.
Make sure your dog’s nails are as short as you can get them. They should not touch the floor when the dog is standing. When a greyhound runs there is a lot of force put on those toe nails and if they are long you can end up with painful broken nails or possibly a broken toe. This is something you should do anyway if your greyhound runs around in your yard to minimize the risk of injury. There are lots of wonderfully helpful dog lovers at these events and they WILL point out long toe nails to new folks. Trust me after the 3rd person tells you that you need to trim your dogs nails in the same day, you will really wish you had remembered to trim them.
It is probably best to go to a Coursing Competition as a spectator before you actually go as a competitor. Most clubs offer coursing practice and certifications before or after their competitions for your dog. Most of the coursing/racing clubs require your dog to run a practice course before they are actually allowed to compete. Here are the requirements for each individual coursing/racing organization:
ASFA: your dog should run a practice alone, then runs with another dog in front of judges to be certified. Both can be done on the same day at a practice.
AKC: Your dog must complete two courses running alone. They must each be run on separate days in front of two different judges. At that point your dog will get its’ Junior Courser (JC) title and be able to actually enter a competition with other greyhounds.
NOTRA: Your dog may be asked to run one qualifying run with another dog before competing.
LGRA: Your dog may be required to do a qualifying run before competition unless he has already done a qualifying run for NOTRA. NOTRA qualified dogs are allowed to run LGRA without another run.
JD does his best to escape
and get to that lure while waiting for his turn. A few dogs wait nicely like
You may want to bring a crate for your greyhound as he will probably become more excited watching the lure and other dogs running than you have ever seen him get before. A crate may give you both a welcome break from the excitement. If it is warm outside don’t count on being able to leave your dog in the car, it will get too hot very quickly and lure crazed dogs have been known to shred the interior of cars anyway. You will also want to have your dog wear a strong collar and use a strong leash. It is a good idea to bring an extra collar and leash with you in case one gets broken. Most competitions are held in open fields with no shade, so on hot days you may want to bring a canopy to keep you and your dog out of the sun. Some sites have access to water, many do not, so it is always wise to bring enough water for you and your dog and a water bowl. A chair for you and a bed for your dog are also nice to have. Some events serve food some do not so if in doubt bring a lunch with you.
Cooper(blue), Joplin(yellow), and Erin(pink) in
At your first coursing competition:
All of the coursing/racing organizations have a calendar of events on their websites. Usually the official entry forms (called Premiums) are available on line or can be requested by email. Arrive early and take your entry form with you along with copies of your dog’s paperwork. Registration with the Coursing or Racing organization can be taken care of when you get to the competition in the case of ASFA, NOTRA and LGRA and will only cost a couple of dollars. For AKC coursing your dog has to be registered by obtaining an ILP number. Your greyhound can actually enter competitions as soon as you apply for the ILP. Just write “ILP Pending” in the space on the entry form that asks for the number.
When you are actually competing you will need to be there early for Roll Call. The dogs sign in and are jogged in front of an inspection committee to make sure they are sound. The females are wiped to make sure they are not in heat (yes, they will even wipe your spayed female). The individual courses are drawn and posted and they will also post the order the breeds are running in. I won’t go into how to read what they post but you can ask anyone there to help you figure out when your dog runs and what color of jacket he should be in.
It is your responsibility to have your dog to the starting line when he is supposed to compete. There won’t be a specific time, you will just know that the Greyhounds compete after the Italian Greyhounds, for example, and you have to watch carefully to make sure your dog is ready when his turn comes. They will run all the breeds once then start over and have the breeds run a second time in the same order. For LGRA and NOTRA the dogs all run a third run.
If there are ties, there will be run offs. In ASFA and AKC the winners will run again for Best of Breed (optional). The breed winners then run for Best in Field against the best of all the other breeds (also optional). For Best in Field the different breeds run together but are judged by how their breed typically runs. It would be impossible otherwise for a slower dog like a Wolfhound to ever win against a Greyhound. The ribbons, trophies and sometimes toys for the dogs are given out after the competition is over. Expect to be there all day.
The LGRA racing events call for everyone to participate even when their dog is not running. Each dog needs a person to release it and someone else at the other end of the track to catch it. They also need many finish line judges and are pleased to show you what to do. NOTRA meets also ask for volunteers to be finish line judges but the ASFA and AKC meets are harder to judge so you won’t be asked to help until you are very familiar with the sport.
A list of what you need to take to your first competition:
4 numbered racing jackets (LGRA and NOTRA
only)
3 bright pink, yellow and blue racing
jackets (ASFA and AKC only)
1 racing muzzle (LGRA and NOTRA only,
optional for ASFA and AKC)
1 quick release/slip collar (ASFA and AKC
only, optional for LGRA and NOTRA)
a few rolls of VetWrap-optional (black or
white only)
Copy of ILP (required by AKC also accepted
by ASFA, NOTRA, and LGRA)
Copy of signed Blue Pet Certificate (ASFA,
NOTRA and LGRA)
Your dog’s Volume and Certification numbers
from NGA
An extra leash for the person catching your
dog (LGRA only)
JD with his two Best of Breed ribbons and his Best in
Event trophy and ribbon from the ASFA Regional competition in Tallahassee Fl on
Easter weekend of 2003. Photo Joanne Johnson
Links to more
Lure Coursing and Racing Information:
Great lure coursing information specifically for Greyhounds: http://www.greyhoundadoption.org/lurecoursing.htm
More general information on Lure Coursing: http://www.geocities.com/~gcmo/lurecoursing.html
Carolina Lure Coursing Society (They have a Yahoo Group that you can sign up for to get information on trials) http://www.gracegift.net/clcs/clcs_home.html
This site has a calendar of most of the coursing events in Ga and the surrounding area:
http://www.toddbirchfield.com/coursing.aspx
Southeastern Sighthound Racing Association (They also have a yahoo group you can sign up for
http://www.gracegift.net/sesra/sesra_events.html