Lurcher Shows (general)

[sarndog]

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Having shown & raced lurchers for many years I have recently noticed the increase in the numbers of whippets appearing in lurcher showing classes & racing heats. I just wonder why, when they have their own shows (lurchers not eligible)& both pedigree & non pedigree racing some people enter whippets in lurcher classes Some lurcher show organisers even put on sighthound classes.) The other thing I've noticed is that rescue whippets change from "I don't know the breeding" in lurcher classes to it's a whippet in ped classes I know that it happens with greyhounds but not on the same scale. I've done quite well with my dogs & compete most weeks but some people may only attend 1or 2 shows & they could potentially be deprived of a place by a whippet (academic whether it's a better looking dog) :wub:

 

[lurcherman]

weird it is, ive always wanted to get involed but the thought of my whippet x racing a true whippet seems unfair unless its a longer distance,, so should my dog race in non ped whippets or lurchers,,?

 

[mao]

What's you're whippet crossed with? I used to run my whippet/greyhound in the simulated coursing as he was better doing this than straight racing. His son is straight racing &, even though he has a collie/greyhound/deerhound mum I think he's faster than his dad :- " (and hairier :lol: ) I don't know what the rules are with running in non pedigree whippet races. I think with the showing if the judge is in any doubt then they should'nt place them. I know judges get enough stick re what they select to keep in or turf out of the ring :angry: so it's not that easy.

 

[lurcherman]

hes a rescue but looks racy say about 40 pound and 23inch

 

[Macha]

weird it is, ive always wanted to get involed but the thought of my whippet x racing a true whippet seems unfair unless its a longer distance,, so should my dog race in non ped whippets or lurchers,,?

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you could go to a nonped club and check out how your dog's speed compares with the others there

over 40 pounds goes in the no-limit class scratch race (all start at the same point) and I think they usually race 175 yards

and then it also depends what race venues are convenient to you!

 

[Macha]

I race my whippet at lurcher shows because there isn't any whippet racing in Ireland, as well as because I also have a lurcher and I travel with both of them as they both love to race. Sometimes the organisers are willing and able to organise separate heats for the whippets and whippet types. My whippet is 21 inches, but the smaller whippets would have a hard time at lurcher races because usually there are just two divisions, under 23 and over 23 (I think there should be 4 divisions; my 24 inch lurcher also has to race some much taller dogs). I've never seen lurchers being trialled the way they do at whippet races; I think it must be safer the way whippet clubs make sure dogs of similar speed and weight race together and that dogs prove they will stay on the lure before they are raced with other dogs.

The lurcher shows I've been to have also had whippet classes. The dogs entered look like whippets but are not pedigreed and some have a bit of terrier and/or collie in them. For instance, there are a brother and sister who are half whippet, a quarter greyhound and a quarter collie but look just like slightly oversize strong whippets. My pedigreed whippet isn't suitable for KC shows so when I've taken him to race at lurcher shows, I've entered him in the whippet class. Someone said to me that the reason he never got a second look from the judges is because they would not place a pedigree whippet at a lurcher show.

People with rescue whippets genuinely don't know their breeding. They may or may not know whether the dog is pedigreed (and sometimes - as with mine- you can be fairly sure just looking). Even if the dog is pedigreed, the rescue societies will not give the adopter the KC papers, so they can't take their dogs to KC shows regardless of whether their dogs conform to the standard or not.

 

[jeff 100]

THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF PED WHIPPETS SHOWN IN THE RABBITING CLASSES AT LURCHER SHOWS, THATS UNDER 21 IN CLASS FOR ME IT SHOULD NOT BE ALOUD COS IN SOME SHOWS THE WINNER GO,S THOUGH TO THE FINALE SO HOW CAN A PEDIGREE DOG WIN A CROSSBREAD CLASS AND BE CALLED LURCHER CHAMP, jeff

 

[mally]

THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF PED WHIPPETS SHOWN IN THE RABBITING CLASSES AT LURCHER SHOWS, THATS UNDER 21 IN CLASS FOR ME IT SHOULD NOT BE ALOUD COS IN SOME SHOWS THE WINNER GO,S THOUGH TO THE FINALE SO HOW CAN A PEDIGREE DOG WIN A CROSSBREAD CLASS AND BE CALLED LURCHER CHAMP, jeff

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I've shown my whippet in the under 21" rabbiting class just because thats what she does goes rabbiting. It says nothing in the schedules about that particular class only being open to lurchers, Another thing is if a dog is entered in the Under 21" rabbiting class "should the dogs entered be working dogs?" i think they should.

IMO if someone enters there whippet in the under 21" rabbiting class and they work there whippet on rabbits then there dog should have as much right as a lurcher of winning the class. After all it's the judges dicission.

I never enter the racing at the lurcher shows as there are some right bent dogs running and i don't want to put my dog off racing.

 

[jeff 100]

I've shown my whippet in the under 21" rabbiting class just because thats what she does goes rabbiting. It says nothing in the schedules about that particular class only being open to lurchers, Another thing is if a dog is entered in the Under 21" rabbiting class "should the dogs entered be working dogs?" i think they should.

IMO if someone enters there whippet in the under 21" rabbiting class and they work there whippet on rabbits then there dog should have as much right as a lurcher of winning the class. After all it's the judges dicission.

I never enter the racing at the lurcher shows as there are some right bent dogs running and i don't want to put my dog off racing.

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I KNOW ITS NOT YOUR FAULT FOR ME IT SHOULD BE ON THE SCHEDULES THE POINT IM MAKING IS HOW CAN YOU PUT FORWARD A PED DOG TO BE IN THE FINALE OF A LURCHER CHAMPIONSHIP, AT SOME SHOWS THERE IN A PURE SIGHT HOUND CLASSES, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST WHIPPETS I RACED THEM NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO FOR 10 YEARS, FOR ME THE UNDER 21 SHOULD NOT GO THOUGH TO THE FINALE IT SHOULD BE LIKE THE SIGHT HOUND CLASS, THEN PEOPLE WONT MOAN ABOUT PED DOGS WINNING LURCHER SHOWS, jeff

 

[jeff 100]

JUST TO CARRY ON FROM MY LAST POST I OWN A RABBITING DOG AND I DONT CLASS HER AS A LURCHER SHE IS 1/2 BEDLINGTON 1/2 WHIPPET THERE IS NO GREYHOUND IN HER, SHES 18IN, jeff

 

[mally]

JUST TO CARRY ON FROM MY LAST POST I OWN A RABBITING DOG AND I DONT CLASS HER AS A LURCHER SHE IS 1/2 BEDLINGTON 1/2 WHIPPET THERE IS NO GREYHOUND IN HER, SHES 18IN, jeff

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Well mate i'd show her if i was you as most of the lurchers at these so called working lurcher shows have never even seen a bloody rabbit never mind worked. It's all a farse in my eyes at the end of the day if it's a working dog it should be welcomed with open arms at any show. After all my pound is the same as the other blokes whether my dog gets picked or not.

My bitch was recently reserve champion at a lurcher show even though she's a purebreed she's a working dog the judge said ' it was nice to see a whippet that looks capable of doing an honest days graft '

 

[jeff 100]

A FRIEND OF MINE WON AT PLEASLEY THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH HIS RABBITING DOG, AND AFTER THE SHOW I HEARD PEOPLE MOANING THAT IT WAS A PED WHIPPET AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE FINALE, HIS DOG IS 3/4 WHIPPET 1/4 BEDLINGTON, AND I KNOW THIS COS IT CAME OFF A FRIEND OF MINE ALL THE OTHER DOGS IN THE LITTER HAD RUFF COATS, BUT BECAUSE PED DOGS ARE PUT IN CLASSES (NOT JUST WHIPPETS, GREYHOUNDS ASWELL) PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS CHEATING, IM GLAD TO SEE YOU WORK YOUR WHIPPETS THATS WHAT THEY WERE BREAD FOR, BUT ON NEARLY ALL SCHEDULES IT SAYS LURCHER AND TERRIER SHOW CLASSES. NOT PEDIGREE, LURCHER AND TERRIER CLASSES, AND AT THE BOTTON SPECIAL CLASSES FOR SITE HOUND, THAT WERE YOU SHOULD BE PUTTING PED DOGS, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST PUTTING NON PED RACING WHIPPETS IN ALL THE CLASSES FOR SHOW AND RACING COS THEY HAVE GREYHOUND IN THEM, I THINK WE WILL JUST HAVE TO DISAGREE ON THIS ONE, YOU NEVER KNOW I MITE SEE YOU AT MY SHOW IN HARTLEPOOL WHAT I RUN NEXT YEAR, IN THE SITEHOUND CLASS OF COURSE. :- " jeff ps her is my friends dog winning rabbiting dog at my show,

 

[wild whippies]

TBH I think it should be at the judges discretion. If I was judging a rabbiting class and theres was a lurcher with poor physical condition and a peddy whippet with toned muscle I personally would place the whippet as I would see that the dog is probably more likely to have been worked and thus more capable at catching a rabbit.

A decent pedigree dog show judge judging say, best in show, is supposed to have knowledge of all breeds of dog and the required conformation for each particular breed. I would like to think the same could be said for judges of lurchers classes.

TBH I think the showing of whippets at lurcher classes should be welcomed as I would hope the folk entering are people who are maintaining the breed for what it was designed for.

Edited to add, It's a shame that pedigree dog shows don't have a re-think and add lurcher breeds to their classes although there could be the worry that future breeding would be aimed towards meeting / exaggerating a set breed standard in order to meet whatever was deemed the fashion at that time.

 

[wunwin]

I agree that whippets should be allowed in rabbiting classes, but rabbiting class winners should not go through to championships. then all ways its fair. As for racing, ive seen dogs that look like track bred greyhounds run in overs, so why shouldnt whippets be allowed in unders. Whats the diff?

 

[jeff 100]

I agree that whippets should be allowed in rabbiting classes, but rabbiting class winners should not go through to championships. then all ways its fair. As for racing, ive seen dogs that look like track bred greyhounds run in overs, so why shouldnt whippets be allowed in unders. Whats the diff?

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I AGREE THEY SOULD NOT GO FORWARD TO THE CHAMP, AND FOR THE RACING I CANT SEE THE HARM IN WHIPPET RACING IN THE CLASSES MOST RACING WHIPPETS NOW A DAYS HAS GREYHOUND IN THEM, I DONT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY ONE FROM HORDEN WHIPPETS ON THIS SITE BUT I HAVE BEEN HAND SLIPPING MY LURCHERS WITH AN ODD WHIPPET AND MY LURCHERS HAVE HELD THERE OWN AGAINST THEM, EVEN BEATING THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE LET ME RACED WITH THEM BUT THEY ARE TOO BIG FOR THE TRAPS, jeff