Lure Coursing

Lure Coursing is a sport primarily for sighthounds. The sighthounds chase an artificial lure such as a white kitchen garbage bag which imitates the course of a rabbit or hare.

To set up the "lure" coursing course a line composed of braided fishing line (usually 100 pound test 'trolling' line) is passed around a series of pulleys staked to the ground within a large field (at least 5 acres). The lures (most clubs use at least two lures set 10 feet apart on the line - this reduces contention among the hounds at the end) are attached to the main line and the whole system is driven from a lure machine, a device constructed from a 1955 to 1962 Ford starter motor mounted in a frame.

The competition within a breed consists of allowing the hounds to run in braces or trios (provided that there are two or more hounds per breed) within each stake in the breed, twice. Solitary breed entries usually run alone although, with permission of the handlers, solitary entries with similar running styles may be grouped to run together - but they will be scored separately by the judge(s). For example if there was only one Pharaoh Hound and only one Ibizan Hound entered at a trial the handlers might be given the option of having those two run together. In order to individually identify the hounds for purposes of scoring they are clothed in a coursing blanket. The blanket colors are intense pink, yellow or cyan. The blanket color is assigned to the hounds by random draw. Depending on the trial each hound receives scores from one or two judges for each run. The final placement within the stake is determined by adding together all of the hound's scores and comparing that score with those of other hounds in that stake.

DC VENTO DANZA AUSTRI  (BUG) in Pink running with his brother

CH VENTO DANZA POSEIDON.

BUG GOING BEST IN FIELD

Mya's amazing speed allows her to capture the lure on frequent occasions. Here she enjoys a fresh catch.

Excerpt from:
"Lure Coursing" - Copyright 1995 by Bonnie Dalzell, bdalzell@clark.net. Bonnie Dalzell is an all breed ASFA and AKC Lure Coursing Judge and a long time activist in Lure Coursing.