ASFA Trial

ASFA Trials 2009

 ASFA Trial 2008

Club Name	Date	Location	Judge	Results
LVCC	11/15/08	Ringoes, NJ	Ellen Bonacarti, NJ	3-rd Place in Single Stakes, after Greyhound and a Borzoi

                                                                                                                                       
Waht is Lure Coursing?                                                                                           Lure coursing is run on a large field - usually 5 or more acres in size. A series of ground pullies are placed erratically in the field, and then a line is strung around them making a continuous loop. Attached to the line are three white plastic garbage bags, which symbolize 'the bunny’. A lure machine (motor) powers the line around the pullies. The course can be anywhere from 600 yards to 1200 yards in length.                                                This sport is exactingly for sight hounds. That is not to say that non-sight hounds can't participate in practices and fun matches.  But, only sight hounds can partipate in 'field trials' where they are awarded points for their performance.                                                                                                                                           The breeds that are recognized as sight hounds by ASFA (American Sight hound Field Association) are:              Afghan Hounds, Azawakhs, Basenjis, Borzoi,  Greyhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds,  Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Sloughis and Whippets.                                                                                                                                                  For your dog to get a title, one must attend field trials.  Different sight hound clubs around the country holds them.  These are official trials, with ASFA or AKC judges who will watch your dog run with others of its breed and give points for enthusiasm, follow, speed, agility and endurance.

To get the title of field champion, your hound will have to accumulate 100 points, and in addition get either 2 First Placements, or 1 First Placement and 2 Second Placements during his running career. Those placements have to be run with completion.

1st Place	4 times number of hounds competing	40 points maximum
2nd Place	3 times number of hounds competing	30 points maximum
3rd Place	2 times number of hounds completing	20 points maximum
4th Place	1 time number of hounds competing	10 points maximum
NBQ	Next Best Qualifier	No points awarded

Dogs run at least twice each trial and there are usually 4 stakes from which to choose:

Open - your dog hasn't gotten a title yet and will run with the other dogs that don't have their F. Ch. yet. 

Field Champion - your dog has accumulated at least 100 points and is running with other dogs who have qualified for F.Ch. and is on their way to accumulating points and placements to become a LCM (Lure Courser of Merit),

Veteran - your dog is 6 years old or older, except for whippets who have to be at least 7 years old, and Irish Wolfhounds who need only be 5 years old to be considered a Veteran, and

Single Stake - your dog runs alone and doesn't receive any points.  

The hounds are scored by the judges on each of the two runs they make at the trial using the criteria below:

ENTHUSIASM	15
FOLLOW	15
SPEED	25
AGILITY	25
ENDURANCE	20

The first run of the day is called the preliminary run. The second run of the day is called the final run.  Each dog will have a preliminary score and a final score that is summed together to give you a final score.  That score will tell you how well your dog ran, according to the judges, relative to the others in his stake and breed.  If your dog gets the highest score it wins for the stake.  But if there is a tie for the breed/stake, then your dog may run off against the other dogs to get the highest placement.  This is not a requirement as an owner can always forfeit a run off if their dog is too tired from the earlier runs.