We had another excellent turnout of Beagles for our second Beagles only lure coursing day for 2015. A fabulous 54 Beagles were entered in the competition. These, along with over 12 puppies that came along for the fun, made for a spectacular event for the Club.
Our first lure coursing event for 2015 was the annual sprint day held in April. Our June lure coursing day a full lure coursing event, taking in all aspects of the sport, with each Beagle having two full runs over the course that was laid out at Wally Tate Park, Kuraby. Each run was judged out of 100, with a total out of a possible 200 being provided to determine the top scores.
The Beagles could be entered into one of three categories: Novice, for those Beagles that had been to three lure coursing meets or fewer; Open, for those Beagles that had competed at more than three meets; and Veteran, for Beagles that were 7 years of age or older.
Congratulations to Sniffie, our top Beagle for the day and taking out the Apollo Trophy for 2015. Well done to all those Beagles who scored in the top 3. Most importantly, from a judge’s perspective, it was great to see so many excellent scores from the Beagles that ran. There is a lot of potential for Beagles in lure coursing and those Beagles that scored well should consider attending the regular QLCA lure coursing meets. The Beagles will certainly enjoy the time chasing the lure on a regular basis.
While there we many excellent runs from the pack of Beagles, it was the pack runs that brought the biggest smiles to the group. The puppies had their go at being a pack and while they all enjoyed themselves, the puppy “pack” quickly dispersed across all areas of the field, with the band of catchers scrambling to secure the puppies that wanted to have more of a play.
Then the big guns came out for the pack run. As there were way too many for one pack, we divided into two groups. The Beagles seem to be getting the hang of working together, as the first pack kept close formation behind the lure. A fabulous sight to behold.
A special mention of thanks to Mark, our honorary member for the day, who came down from Warwick and controlled the lure for us. Mark did a fabulous job and the Club greatly appreciated your support.
Massive appreciation from the Beagle Club of Queensland goes to all those that helped out on the day. It was very satisfying and encouraging to have an abundance of volunteers and assistance with all the various aspects that made up such a successful event for the Club. It was obvious that everyone who attended enjoyed their time and appreciated the work that everyone put in towards making the June lure coursing such a success.
For more information about lure coursing, visit the Queensland Lure Coursing Association web site at http://www.qldlurecoursing.com.