The Sussex Longdog Associations

The Sussex Longdog Associations

Official web site

Lure coursing

Pictures Of 2006

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The Sussex Longdog Association also runs lure coursing events during the season. The system which we have adopted and improved is taken loosely from the American system, the main difference is we run dogs in pairs out of "slips" and judge the dogs against each other. At the end of each course a red or white flag is raised to signal the winner. They run three at a time and three judges judge all the dogs against a pre set criteria with a % of points for speed, grace, enthusiasm and what ever. At the end of the day they tally up the points over two runs and the highest average points scorer is the winner.

When Mick and I sat down to try to develop a continuous loop lure system the design criteria was to have a system that would accelerate from 0 to 45 mph, run over a distance of up to two miles, have 20 changes of direction and be reversible. We accomplished what we set out to achieve then found that such a system was more than a match for most dogs. We now set the course to a maximum length of 600 to 800 yds and incorporates 12 to 15 turns this is more than enough considering the winning dogs have to run this three times with in a couple of hours.

The lure driver and judge stand up on a scaffold tower 10' in the air and are afforded the clearest view of the entire layout. The slipper slips the dogs from behind a shy once the lure is in motion the run up to the first pulley is 60 to 80 yds so the judge can assess the speed of the dogs giving points for superior speed. Points are then awarded pulley by pulley by the judge for speed determination and to the dog that follows the course most honestly. This some times means that the first dog over the finish line is not necessarily the winner. The direction of the course is changed for the next round so the dogs cant learn the course and second guess the lure.

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