Coursing and Racing

When Daoud was one year old, I started training at the racetrack, which had gradually and very cautiously be done.

When Daoud ran safely out of the box with blanket and muzzle, we started to make the racing and coursing license in September 2009. First my Saluki did two solo runs in full "montour" which is obligatory, and then the long winter break came first. After a further training, Daoud completed with two final runs his licence (each with two Salukis) on 14 April 2010. By the time, he was not yet 2 years old, but during each race it was already obvious that Daoud has a lot of passion and speed. That pleased me, of course, but I also knew that I still had to use him carefully, so that he will not make any bad experiences!

Since I previously did not have much experience with Coursing, I burned out to set up my young Saluki at a coursingfield. Some people in the racing scene are of the opinion that coursing is dependent on the subjective discretion of a judge, so it is sometimes judged unfair. I can not confirm this opinion, because some kind of manipulation is possible on any sports, so also on the track.

When we went a few days off at the sea in the summer of 2010, we also drove expectantly to a lure coursing, but we did not have much hope, because our youngsters had little experience in coursing. But there he showed great talents and we were amazed what our boy showed in the fields. But even more we were amazed at the final outcome! Our young guy and newcomer had really and truly won the Coursing in males! This was a great pleasure and surprise at the same time. We learned that the result for the Nordcup Coursing Competition had been evaluated, and thus we had the obligation to drive to other coursings so Daoud could even get in the standings.

It soon became clear that the first result was no exception, because this had been followed by other first-place finishes on the coursing field. Every time we drove many miles to the North of Germany. But this was no coercion, because the North is a wonderful vacation area that we really like and so some holidays were saved on the weekend. To our delight, a victory in the Nordcup was more likely! We found out that Coursing means fun for the hounds, but even for the people. And as already noted, there is the possibility of manipulation in any sport, also in the objective racing sports!

Finally, our Daoud was missing one point to victory. So he took the honorable second place, this he won in the age of two. So we were very pleased and the winner of the Nordcup "Achthamar Daryush" we granted his victory and give our heartfelt congratulatons again.

Also on the racing track Daoud showed great speed and, above all, not a bit of aggression, what pleased me most. In his first race he was second. However, when an elderly male beside him growled all the way over in a training, he remained better after him.

When I did take my Daoud in a title race, this proved a mistake. But this came about because people told me that in this National Group would not have a race because the third dog will probably be missing. After the first curve my young Saluki took over immediately and leads the group of five males, which three of them came from the same kennel. But shortly before the third curve it was seen on the tail of my dog, that he - as the leader dog - had to slow down for any reason.

Anyway ... I do refuse to annoy me in practising my favorite hobby during my leisure time, especially since it is known there are wrong decisions possible and each person can err sometimes! However, since the racings record less and less entries, and I learned how hard it is to find suitable training partners for a young Saluki (if you're not living in the north of Germany), it is worth considering whether it makes further on sense to continue scareing off the owners of the promising young? But after keeping sighthounds for forty years, I do know, it is more important having a reliable social hound, that is a nice family member and is loved by all.

Big Event (4th Westfalia-LCO-Coursing) on Whit-Monday (6/13/2011) in Gelsenkirchen

"Rouse yourself!”, was my motto, when I started to Gelsenkirchen, because my Daoud should also run a coursing there. All my hounds (Whippet Sloughi, Saluki) took part in training, racing and lure coursing. Then I have met every time the same faces at the kitchen counter and was always kindly supplied with wonderful delicacies from pan and oven by them. First of all these ladies deserve my special thanks! Whit Monday there was also a wonderful cake that I ate but only after the race, because then I could really enjoyed it.

As some males were missing and only four ones were at the start, there should be a mixed race. Therefore my Daoud did not make his first run with the dog "Aladino", as it was to be seen in the programme, but with the bitch "Maymouna's Qatayon-Scheicha". For this run, my boy got 50 points. In the second run he was set with the bitch "Mamnouna's Nedyar", which gave her farewell to the coursingfield in the age of eight. She has shown a lot of fitness.

In any case, Nedyar won the coursing in bitches and my Daoud in males, so both Salukis awarded the CACC (as projected on German Coursing Champion). The owners were pleased, of course, because their dogs had shown nice, clean runs. For me it was a very special event to be successful again with a Saluki in Gelsenkirchen, because with this track-race and town I can transfer nice memories. By the way, I also started my teaching-career in Gelsenkirchen but many years ago.

PS: In this way, I would also like to thank the organization and helping hands that this event could come about. I can imagine that there was much work to schedule and to perform the 3 days for our sighthounds. But it was worth it – because it was a very nice day once again!

 

I would like to thank the following people for kindly providing photographs: Heinrich Brake, Thorsten Budenz, Helmut Dietz, D. Fährke, Stefan Kopriva, Tamara Niebel, Markus Pannen, Alexandra Quast, Per Quast, Rudolf Schwab