The thrill of the chase

Lure coursing is earning its place as an exciting sport in its own right, giving sighthounds the joyful opportunity to do what they were bred for

- Janet Menzies

RALLYING his men to the breach at the assault on Harfleur, Shakespeare’s Henry V cries: ‘I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips/Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot.’ Shakespeare wrote the speech more than 400 years ago, and the Siege of Harfleur itself happened nearly 200 years earlier than that. Yet here we are now on the ancient chalk downland of Berkshire, holding hounds in the slips ready to contest the modern form of a sport both Shakespeare and Henry V would recognise.

It has to be admitted that some of the hounds competing are not ‘straining upon the start’ quite as much as others. The first Spring Meeting of UK Sighthound Sport (UKSS) has brought together sighthound owners from all over the country with a great variety of breeds and ages. A young Afghan hound having his first-ever lure-coursing run is a bit bemused by the whole thing. As the lure zips away on its electrically controlled wire, Matti looks statuesque – stunningly beautiful but not moving a great deal. Suddenly the penny drops and he is off after the lure, glamorous locks streaming out as he dashes forward and gets to full speed.

His owner, Paula Ward, is delighted to discover that Matti has what it takes after all, explaining: “He is a show dog I imported from Finland. We have come over from Oxford for him to take part for the first time, and I am so pleased with Matti. He was a little bit slow to start but he soon got the idea and was racing off after the lure even though he is only 18 months old. I think show dogs should also have other activities, and this is such an inclusive sport.”