What is Lure Coursing?

"Coursing “…the sport of pursuing hares, etc with hounds that follow by sight rather than by scent…” [Macquarie Dictionary] is a very ancient sport. The modern version – Lure Coursing – is the sport of coursing using an artificial lure. No live game is used either in training or in racing.

Lure Coursing is usually limited to sight-hounds, that is, dogs that use their eyes rather than their noses for hunting (For example - Afghans, Borzois, Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Deerhounds, Salukis, and Whippets, Beagles, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks). Any other dog, pure bred or not, that has a penchant for the chase, may compete. Lure coursing, as conducted in Queensland, includes not only sight  hounds but also all breeds of dogs, includes non pedigree and Mixed Breeds – making us quite unique compared to other parts of the world where lure coursing is open only to sight hounds. Nevertheless, “the preservation of the functional hound” is one of the stated aims behind the introduction of lure coursing to Queensland.

ENTHUSIASM: (Max 15 Points) Lively, single minded, showing great eagerness and determination in regard to the lure, after the start and until the lure returns to the catching pen for the course.

FOLLOW: (Max 15 Points) Chasing the lure with the intent of taking it, while maintaining a path of reasonably close proximity to the lure's course, considering the relative positions of the dogs to the lure and to each other. Keenness is exhibited when the dog reacts immediately to any change in the motion of the lure. A dog that becomes unsighted for some good reason and yet attempts to find the lure again is not severely penalised, depending on how hard it works at trying to find the lure again, and how soon it does so.

SPEED: (Max 25 Points) Rapidity in moving, the rate of moving or progress. Credit goes to the dog that levels out low, stretching and really drives. Since timing is not used to measure speed, the dog’s manner of "putting out" is an important means of assessing its ability to cover ground.

AGILITY: (Max 25 Points) The ability to move quickly and easily; nimbleness in negotiating terrain, which may cause a dog to slip or slide; turning without going wide or cutting or breaking stride; coordination of movement.

ENDURANCE: (Max 20 Points) Lasting quality, stamina of physical and mental concentration. Credit is given to the dog, which does not fade, or pull up or slacken.

All information taken from the Qld Lure Coursing Association website

http://www.qldlurecoursing.com/index.php

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