Kerava, May 1998

One half of "Team Deerhound". From the left: Sanna Jääskelainen, Reetu, Mimosa and Kielo Honkaniemi.

The Saluki Club organized a two-day coursing meet at Kerava, some fifty kilometers to the north of Helsinki, in spring 1998. Four Deerhounds took part in this competition: Dora (Kerslake Angie), Mimosa (FIN CH Expo Siluett's Mimosa), Reetu (FIN CH Galerita's Quickstep) and Peppi (Magbeth's Elektra). All Deerhounds were at their very first coursing competition. The track was on a skiing slope which made for varied terrain and an exhausting uphill climb.

The "bunny"

Depending on the organizers, the lure is a jumble of cloth strips or a rag, usually white in color and approximately rabbit-sized. For keen-eyed dogs the fact that the lure looks nothing like a rabbit can be disappointing. Dogs who sometimes encounter and attempt to chase real furry animals outdoors often decide that chasing after a white rag is not worth the effort. Hunting live animals using sighthounds is of course illegal in most of Europe, and rightly so.

The lure is attached to a cord pulled by a chainsaw engine. The speed of the lure is controlled by the engine operator, who must be very experienced in order to keep the "bunny" just beyond the reach of the dogs while not discouraging them.

Peppi

The object of the competition is to hunt the prey as a team. The dogs are judged according to their teamwork, speed (though no time is taken), eagerness and the way they keep their prey in their sights all the time. Both dogs should chase after the lure, but often the second dog simply chases the first one. In addition, the dog making the "kill", i.e. pouncing on the lure at finish, gets further points.

The first heat ! One the left, in blue, Dora. On the right, Reetu.

After being examined by a veterinarian, the dogs participate in the first heat. If a dog scores sufficient points in the heats, he or she will be able to participate in the finals. The flag man signals the start to the lure operator. The dog owners' task is to launch their pets at the correct time and the man in the middle is there to ensure this happens fairly. The man in the red vest is the judge of the first stretch. There are other judges interspersed along the route, each responsible for a stretch of his own. Each judge gives points for the dogs' performance on his part of the route and then the points are tallied together.

More pictures from Kerava

More Racing Deerhounds

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