** This thread discusses the content article: Fantastic Scottish Deerhound Event **

We are running a 32 dog pedigree whippet lure course at Holyrood Park, (Arthur's Seat) central Edinburgh on 9th Aug.
We have been asked by Historic Scotland if we would run a Deerhound stake for 8 pedigree dogs as well.

First come first on the list. We have one entry already.
We have Arran Attmore slipping who is the Waterloo cup slipper.
The course will be approx 400m with roller turns .
Muzzles are optional you know your dog.

The whole course is fenced in but will be a public event if the weather is good there could be up to 20,000 people there. The Fringe cavalcade is going through the park at 2pm and there is a dog show on the same day.

There are rosettes for all competitors and a crystal trophy and engraved rosette for the winner and an engraved rosette for the runner up
I need names and addresses and car registration numbers to issue passes to competitors as the park is closed to all traffic on the day.

Please get in touch if you need any more info. (Click article link at top of this message to be taken to the article. There is a link there to be able to contact the organisers).

Just like to bring this to everyones attention. Looks like it would be a fantastic location to run your Deerhound!

Woo-hooooooooo. We're in!
Thanks for the heads up Rob.
Sue & Spring

I sounds like a wonderful opportunity, I hope anyone who goes will take a camera so the rest of us, who are a leeetle to far away, can see some pics.

Pam

Spring wrote:
Woo-hooooooooo. We're in!
Thanks for the heads up Rob.
Sue & Spring

Me too, how cool is that?

Re your message, <<Scottish community>> e-mail message as below sent to 'walshsas@aol.com'

Please take into account the different running style, speed and agility between Whippets and Deerhounds when you design and lay the the course out.
Please allow for adequate acceleration, deceleration and recovery time, and distances from and between turns.
Designing a "rabbit escape" type lure course, which may be considered suitable for Whippets, is not suitable for Deerhounds.
Thank you,
Richard

Bummer, I'm going to miss this.

Good Luck to everyone and please get some pix

I would love some pics , too , please ! Not only of the coursing hounds but just as much of the location - the first deerhound breeder I learned from and visit(ed)regularly - and who gave me some very nice dhs , bred by herself an/or out of her lineage - named her kennel after that , Hollyrood ( she had to put an extra "L" in for some reason ) .
I hope you all have fun !!!!

My pass has arrived and I'm beginning to get excited. Sue Rose's got Rannoch and Mini entered, Spring & Sue have Callie and Fergal, Marjory's got in with Nanny, and I've got Tav & Dileas. The last Deerhound is a new one to the rest of us, but belongs to a very keen Whippet racer, so we have high hopes of Ornish.

High hopes need to be based on a realistic and practical foundation.
I hope you all have fun and that it will be a good demonstration of Scotland's only sighthound.
Lure coursing should be a test of what sighthounds can do, not what they cannot do - as for example when they are given too short a length between turns, too tight a turn, with little room to recover. Deerhounds need a straight run up of about 150-200 yards at least to show what they can do, and no silly (hound-bamboozling)lure turns of less than say 90 degrees, to literally throw them off course. A lure can never be a hare. The suggested course length of 400 yards is too short, and suggests that the area is too cramped.
Some careful course inspection by the Deerhound participants, and some tactful discussion over the course design may be fruitful, and prevent a poor demonstration of Deerhound running dictated by a "Whippet course design".
Richard

Dear Richard

I will not be running my dogs if the course is not right and I am sure the the same will apply for the other Deerhound owners

Hi
Anyone got an idea what time this will be at. I'll tell my mother about it in case she wants to pop down and have a look, then she can fill me on all the news by phone later.
best of luck!
Jenny

Sid, Thank you, that's good to hear.
I've seen too many well intentioned but poorly thought out lure coursing demonstrations, that instead of making the particpants shine, made them look foolish, or worse even injured them.
I'm particularly suspicious when organisers think the lure should behave like a hare. Dogs drive and can 'read' a hare. They cannot do anything of the sort with a lure. Beware the lure operator that thinks otherwise.
Have fun!
Richard

Richard thanks for your thoughts on course set-up, lure vs hare, etc. Interesting to me as I don't course my hounds and know nothing of the mechanics. Love to watch them run though. Does anyone know of a site or other source that explains coursing?

I don't know of any website that has an analysis of lure coursing.

Good books on live coursing are:-
Grant-Rennick, 1977, "Coursing: The Pursuit of Game by Gazehounds" Standfast.
Copold, 1977 & 1996, Hounds Hares & Other Creatures: The Complete Book Of Coursing" Hoflin.
See www.hoflin.com/Books/ Comp...20Coursing.html

The latter has a valuable and original analysis of lure versus live coursing.

The BSFA has imported the oldest US version of lure coursing, from ASFA, which itself has some very interesting literature - notably on "judging" and "course layout". www.lurecoursing.org.uk/ about_bsfa.html - They should be offering this ASFA literature.

There is some discussion which you might find of interest on www.fernhill.com/ lurebite.htm

Richard

thx very much for this Richard - will pursue it
shelley

A place has just become available for tomorrow. Any takers?

Trafalgarhills wrote:
Hi
Anyone got an idea what time this will be at. I'll tell my mother about it in case she wants to pop down and have a look, then she can fill me on all the news by phone later.
best of luck!
Jenny

We're working on the assumption that it's a 9:30 am start, Jenny. A bit early for Embry...

Spring has had a text saying see you for the 9am sign in

Shame we couldn't be there tomorrow, for reasons explained last night. We'd love to see how they all go. The smart money's on Rannoch or Dileas, but Mini's a good shout if she retains interest long enough.

Although, if the course is especially susceptible to cheating, then one of Marjory's will definitely win! I think she must have a special ninja routine for them which almost pays off every race...