What Type Of Lurcher Makes The Best Racer?

[jinnyfizz]

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Having taken Poacher lurecoursing last weekend and seeing just how much fun she got out of it, it has sharpened my enthusiasm for all things lurcher!!

I'm curious as to what type of cross produces the best racing or coursing lurcher in peoples' opinion? There seem to be so many different types (w00t)

All advice gratefully received, folks :thumbsup:

Cheers, Jane

 

[Tom Pickering]

My opion would be that most staright racing dogs that compete and consistenly win are straight whippet greyhounds. There are going to be exceptions where a lurcher to lurcher cross is extremly fast but I would definatly favour the first above cross for coming out on top in most cases.

For lure coursing I think that there are a lots exceptions with everyone having different views, I dont think the cross is the main concern. The main point would depend on the type of course which may suit a little dog or a big dog. Hard to tell until the end of the race.( which isn't a good start )

Obviously a dog has to be prepared for running 4-5 times in a short space of time and isn't going to perform to its best of ability if its not fit.

Also depends on how many times the dogs courses over the summer. Alot of dogs get smart and know where to cut corners etc. I also found that coursing dogs will never get better where as I think this may be the opposite with straight racing.

Heres just a couple of my veiws, I hope you get lots of different views on this topic you have started

Heres a picture of my little bitch which done ok at young age. She cuts far too many corners, which may be a fault of my own for coursing on a regular basis or just that she got too smart.

ATB

Tom

 

[pat cope]

She is looking good Tom.

 

[flight]

Sighthound composites would generally be best, though these aren't lurchers they're longdogs! Two diferent animals

 

[jinnyfizz]

Thank you, Tom. That is very useful information :thumbsup:

That's a cracking bitch you have there - real looker What is her breeding?

So, taking it that greyhound is probably the most important ingredient, what would saluki x grey be? A longdog or a lurcher, as both are sighthounds?

Poacher is 3/4 whippet, 1/8th grey and 1/8th collie which has produced very good prey drive but, due to her bad hind leg injury, she has inevitably lost speed and is weak on the left.

 

[posh totty]

poacher has come such a long way in your care jane , im also proud to have been the middle man , she was a pleasure to have here and never once did she make a fuss , i cant wait to see you both again at some point , a true k9 success story and you jane are a true dog lover , thank you

 

[Debbie b]

Hiya

I have had quite a few lurchers over the years and have excelled in both racing and coursing,

One was a 21" bitch who was whippet greyhound who could turn at the gates a lot sharper than the big dogs and she could stay, which means she was suited to the longer distances

My big dog was whippet/greyound x deerhound saluki greyhound, now he won loads of straight races, coursing and hurdles

i have also had a whippet/greyhound/kelpie/collie who came second in a 8 dog stake against whippet/ greyhounds and got runner up to a very good dog from cornwall, she also excelled at coursing and longjump,

the whippet greyhounds now are a force to be recond with in the striaght racing but not necessarly in the coursing, as some take the gates too wide or miss the gates as they are so intense on the lure, be careful not to do too much coursing with poacher as tom says they get too clever and skip the gates altogether

At the end of the day its not the winning its the dog enjoying what it does and of course meeting up with like minded people

good luck jane i am sure poacher will enjoy every minute of it seeing that she has collie in her she needs to be using her brain

a salukixgreyhound is a longdog

Tom your bitch is gorgeous, and i hope she does well in this years campaign

 

[gabbitas31]

I agree with Tom, but I will say if you course your dog, don't straight race it as well because they learn to cut corners, If you every get to see my two four year olds course

this year you will know exactly what I mean, :lol: Di

 

[mao]

Thank you, Tom. That is very useful information :thumbsup: That's a cracking bitch you have there - real looker What is her breeding?

So, taking it that greyhound is probably the most important ingredient, what would saluki x grey be? A longdog or a lurcher, as both are sighthounds?

Poacher is 3/4 whippet, 1/8th grey and 1/8th collie which has produced very good prey drive but, due to her bad hind leg injury, she has inevitably lost speed and is weak on the left.

Sighthound x sighthound ie deerhound x greyhound or whippet x greyhound etc are classed as longdogs. Lurchers have collie or beddie (& more) in their breeding. These are just examples, sometimes can lead to heated discussions :lol:

I think as in working lurchers it's down to personal choice what type of lurcher (longdog) is used for coursing, in the past we've competed with collie/greyhound/whippet, beddie/whippet, whippet/greyhound :thumbsup:

As Tom said how a course is set up also makes a difference as they vary from short runs, tight turns to long open courses with "looser" turns.

With straight racing whippet/greyhounds seem to be the more popular choice currently but there are also some really good racing lurchers around as well. More importantly there are a lot of people who enter racing/coursing as they like to see their dogs race, win or lose

Nearly finished check out the coursing/racing ground before you race your lurcher especially at game fairs as the main show organisers don't always allocate decent ground to the lurcher show organisers so they have to make the best use of what they're given but still get stick from competitors :-

:cheers:

 

[sarah2]

Hi,

So if I've got a greyhound x whippet is he a long dog? We have never raced or coursed him but would love to try as he loves to run and chase rabbits.Thinking of going to a club but worried he may be disruptive! Any tips before we get thrown out?!

Kind regards

 

[storm1]

if you want a straight race winner get a whippet/ghd

 

[sarah2]

Hiya,

Anything we can do to prepare him?

 

[jinnyfizz]

Well!! Thank you, all. This is very interesting

It sounds like it's the luck of the draw if you get a good coursing lurcher and I guess if I want to straight race then I need a ghd/whippet x.

What percentage of ghd is the norm in a straight racer?

I take the point about not coursing too much - I can see how easily they could get lure-wise, so I shall take it easy with that :thumbsup:

Mao - thank you for all the tips I can relate totally to the condition of the ground when racing/coursing as I keep, train and run my own point-to-point horse and some of the courses can be really rough, although they are getting better as the sport gets more professional (not that it should, because it's meant to be for amateurs :- )

The next questions I have are about training!

What sort? How much roadwork? How much fast work? etc etc!!!

Keep the advice coming!!! Thank you! I really appreciate it :thumbsup: