Changing handicaps

[springfield]

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Last year noticed that a few handicaps changed at opens.Giving less yardage over a distance (200yards @3/4lb).(175yards @3/4lb). Does this favour the heaver dogs in weight group?,Used to be yd/lb for these most events at these distances?

 

[Darcia]

I guess your answer may depend on whether you have a small dog at the front of a weight group or a bigger dog off of the back but I personally think that it should be maximum of 3/4yd/lb at 175yds and anything of less distance should be 1/2yd/lb. We have a heavyweight dog who always has to give away a large handicap and although he is competitive he has never won anything off weight handicap, last year we travelled around many of the opens (we were keen as we had not really had a dog capable of competing for a few years), we expected our boy to do better over longer distances as he always seems to finish races really well - but found giving away that extra start had the opposite effect and his best runs were over 150 when it was only 1/2yd/lb. We have already decided that it is unlikely that we will travel to the Northern open this year as we feel a yd/lb is too much to give away (which is such a shame as such a lovely track and lovely people but that is considering the cost too as is a long distance for us), you also seem to get many dogs moving up a weight group so they can run off the front - which of course we cannot do. I didnt realise that there was anywhere that ran 200 yards at 3/4 yd/lb, I would be interested to know how the dogs from the back of the groups got on there? Ofcourse my views are from someone off the back of every group - someone with a dog who always runs from the front will probably give you a different opinion (& if I had a better dog, capable of coming from the back and winning I would probably say different too! LoL). The final thing to take into account is the size of the group - we will never run in another 27-32lb group whatever the handicap as we feel it is too much to give away to the front dog, thankfully it looks like many clubs are looking at running 29-32lb groups this year, which is an improvement whatever the handicap. If the most you ever have to give away is 20-22, 23-24 etc I wouldnt think it would make quite so much difference?

Sorry, I have written an essay there - but it is something I feel strongly about, I would be interested to hear other people's views?

 

[IanGerman]

Viewpoints tend to be coloured by the type of dog a person generally has.

For many years I raced heavy (for their size) show breds who couldn't win 150 yards even at yard/lb. Fortunately the club did do a variety of different handicaps which allowed us to win other races, but it was a long time before we got a dog good enough to compete at Opens.

Then of course yard/lb was NOT what we wanted, and 1/2 yd/lb much more acceptable! When I stated going to Harvel as a "home" club, I then realised that yard/lb was NOT the universal standard that I thought it was, but 3/4 yd/lb the norm.

It's good in a way that different clubs see things in a different way, but it DOES affect which meetings you attend in some instances.

 

[Darkling]

well said Darcia.. it is so hard when you know your always off the back , I SO envy the owners who say" my dog is SO overweight, I'll just put him up a group" well lucky old you!!! with some of us there is nowhere to go, except giving up, running with anunderweight dog or take up obedience or something!