Great Game Fairs of Ireland racing update

[AlbertJ 569]

As I said in earlier posts and on other threads our full programme for the lurcher, whippet and terrier events at our three Game Fairs will be published when we have our final arrangements in place. This is in line with our policy of promoting only what will actually be there at our fairs and not publishing apparent 'wish lists'.

 

1. I made the decision to run the The Master Mc Grath Final over 150 yards after full discussions with a number of people. It was judged to be a distance that would bring large and smaller dogs together as fairly as possible. The results appeared to confirm our decision was right. Qualifiers for the event could be run over whatever distance the organisers of the qualifying event wished to set. ANY EVENT WISHING TO RUN A QUALIFIER FOR THIS YEAR's FINAL please pm me or email me to irishgamefair@btinternet.com The Final will take place at Shanes Castle on the 7th July 2012.

 

2. The All Ireland Championships Racing at Shanes in 2011 was run over c300 yards and will continue to be run over that distance.

 

3. To address the claims that some dogs dominate the racing we have decided to run a Novice event. The new Director's Challenge Novice Chamopionships are sponsored by Philip Lawton and ICS&CL magazine and will be run over 150 yards. With the same rationale as point 1. After extensive discussions we have decided that it will be run with three sets of qualifiers on the Saturday at Shanes. There will be a set of qualifying heats for 1. Rough Coated Lurchers 2. Terrier Bred Lurchers and 3. Sight hound bred lurchers. There will be a prize structure for each grouping and the top two from each category will run off in a grand six dog final.

 

The only qualifying criterion is that the dog has not previously won a race. Top prize for the challenge is €300 put up by my colleague Philip Lawton. I will look after good prizes for the group winners.

 

Personally I think it will make a great spectacle to see different types of lurchers compete over a distance which should ensure close racing.

 

4. We will also run a Novice event at Ballywalter on a similar basis but with a lesser prize fund.

 

5.Regarding whippet classifications we will make a final decision on this soon but this will be based on trying to allow the maximum number of people to compete fairly with their dogs : I would be grateful if I could have some ideas of the numbers of people who want to (a) race KC registered whippets ( race unregistered whippets of KC type © race Non ped whippets. Again please pm me if it is your intention to take part in our racing at Ballywalter,Shanes or Birr.

 

 

 

Albertj

[lurcher330 2,297]

The rough coated race is a great idea Albert

Edited February 16, 2012 by lurcher330

[AlbertJ 569]

The rough coated race is a great idea Albert

 

For 2012 we would intend to classify just the novice dogs but if it works well we will also look at classifying dogs who have won races in order to give owners who like a particular type of dog for working a chance to be in the prizes at the racing. I have also seen some pretty nippy terrier bred lurchers and it was a fine performance for the terrier bred lurcher to win the Five Nations Showing title.

 

Albertj

[lurcher330 2,297]

Mine is terrier bred as well (Wheaten)and she was reserve in the 5 nations,with a bit of luck she will be in the mix again this year

[up the beam 65]

Albert great to see a few new class to mix things up a wee bit should get people racing that would not usually bother the rough coat class will get my vote should be good crack. As for the whippet class I would like to see un reg whippets and kc whippets running together as I think you had as option (. I will pm you the rest as I don't want to start a whole debate on this thread.

[huntsbyhimself 82]

1

[AlbertJ 569]

Regarding the race for sighthound lurchers there is not really such a thing one sighthound crossed with another is a longdog.

 

Also what do you class a terrier type lurchers?? Does this include Bull Cross lurchers and if so would a lurcher wih 1/8 Bull terrier in its makeup be eligible to race.

 

HBH,

 

Thanks for your input. We can finalise name for third classification but I think most people know what we mean whether it be Sighthound/long dog .

 

Thankfully I won't be classifying any dog personally that will be up to the race organisers but a terrier cross lurcher could bring in a bull cross. Certainly the bull cross that won the Five Nations Show Ch at Birr last year looked as if it could be fairly quick.

 

Overall our objective is to let the greatest number of people race their dogs and as far as possible like with like. AND then possibly race against other types.

 

Suggestions for classification names welcome so that if possible we can have unanimity on what each classification name means.

 

Albertj

[flash3241 32]

what happens then if i enter my dog in this which is a bull wheaton greyhound an she won a few races last year which was just a lucky few days for her but when she is running she is up there along with all the racy types of lurchers am i goin have 2 put her in along with these as i dont think its goin 2 b fair me standing with a racy looking dog an a first cross bull or a hairy dog but i cant help her breeding

[lesleyd 24]

what happens then if i enter my dog in this which is a bull wheaton greyhound an she won a few races last year which was just a lucky few days for her but when she is running she is up there along with all the racy types of lurchers am i goin have 2 put her in along with these as i dont think its goin 2 b fair me standing with a racy looking dog an a first cross bull or a hairy dog but i cant help her breeding

 

if you dog has already won a race then you cant enter this one .

[flash3241 32]

im not talking about the novice races im talkin about the 1 there for taking long dogs out of the races an letting the other breeds have a race

[AlbertJ 569]

im not talking about the novice races im talkin about the 1 there for taking long dogs out of the races an letting the other breeds have a race

 

FLASH,

 

Lesley is correct. This year we had simply decided to try classifying dogs in the Novice Challenge with other dogs of similar breeding in the heats ( albeit with a good prize for winning against dogs of their own type of breeding) and then racing three different bred types in the final. Our first attempt at this will be at Ballywalter. If it goes well we may look at extending this to the Open Racing for winning dogs possibly at ahanes this year but if not in 2013.

 

Albert

[pigsy 34]

flash3241

 

Born Hunter

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Posted 08 February 2012 - 04:07 PM

this is all starting again for nothing an pigsy if u have looked back at the last few races that where run this year my lurcher bitch has won a few races an shes a lurcher bull wheaton greyhound not sure what way but thats what i bought her as so i cant say anythin if the dog has it the dog will win a race if the proper feeding an exercise is put in to the dog heres a pic of her shes not in good shape here

 

 

 

Should not be a problem running with the big boys Flash

Quote If the dog has it, It will win the race

Edited February 17, 2012 by pigsy

[flash3241 32]

i wasnt talking about my dog i dont really care if she wins another race as its only a bit of fun an thats y i run them at but i was talking about other 1s an i just got a bit confused there i wasnt reading the posts i just glanced thru it so i get it now lol

[speedy1234 5]

As I said in earlier posts and on other threads our full programme for the lurcher, whippet and terrier events at our three Game Fairs will be published when we have our final arrangements in place. This is in line with our policy of promoting only what will actually be there at our fairs and not publishing apparent 'wish lists'.

 

1. I made the decision to run the The Master Mc Grath Final over 150 yards after full discussions with a number of people. It was judged to be a distance that would bring large and smaller dogs together as fairly as possible. The results appeared to confirm our decision was right. Qualifiers for the event could be run over whatever distance the organisers of the qualifying event wished to set. ANY EVENT WISHING TO RUN A QUALIFIER FOR THIS YEAR's FINAL please pm me or email me to irishgamefair@btinternet.com The Final will take place at Shanes Castle on the 7th July 2012.

 

2. The All Ireland Championships Racing at Shanes in 2011 was run over c300 yards and will continue to be run over that distance.

 

3. To address the claims that some dogs dominate the racing we have decided to run a Novice event. The new Director's Challenge Novice Chamopionships are sponsored by Philip Lawton and ICS&CL magazine and will be run over 150 yards. With the same rationale as point 1. After extensive discussions we have decided that it will be run with three sets of qualifiers on the Saturday at Shanes. There will be a set of qualifying heats for 1. Rough Coated Lurchers 2. Terrier Bred Lurchers and 3. Sight hound bred lurchers. There will be a prize structure for each grouping and the top two from each category will run off in a grand six dog final.

 

The only qualifying criterion is that the dog has not previously won a race. Top prize for the challenge is €300 put up by my colleague Philip Lawton. I will look after good prizes for the group winners.

 

Personally I think it will make a great spectacle to see different types of lurchers compete over a distance which should ensure close racing.

 

4. We will also run a Novice event at Ballywalter on a similar basis but with a lesser prize fund.

 

5.Regarding whippet classifications we will make a final decision on this soon but this will be based on trying to allow the maximum number of people to compete fairly with their dogs : I would be grateful if I could have some ideas of the numbers of people who want to (a) race KC registered whippets ( race unregistered whippets of KC type © race Non ped whippets. Again please pm me if it is your intention to take part in our racing at Ballywalter,Shanes or Birr.

 

 

 

Albertj

 

albert could you tell me what a non ped whippet is please .

[AlbertJ 569]

As I said in earlier posts and on other threads our full programme for the lurcher, whippet and terrier events at our three Game Fairs will be published when we have our final arrangements in place. This is in line with our policy of promoting only what will actually be there at our fairs and not publishing apparent 'wish lists'.

 

1. I made the decision to run the The Master Mc Grath Final over 150 yards after full discussions with a number of people. It was judged to be a distance that would bring large and smaller dogs together as fairly as possible. The results appeared to confirm our decision was right. Qualifiers for the event could be run over whatever distance the organisers of the qualifying event wished to set. ANY EVENT WISHING TO RUN A QUALIFIER FOR THIS YEAR's FINAL please pm me or email me to irishgamefair@btinternet.com The Final will take place at Shanes Castle on the 7th July 2012.

 

2. The All Ireland Championships Racing at Shanes in 2011 was run over c300 yards and will continue to be run over that distance.

 

3. To address the claims that some dogs dominate the racing we have decided to run a Novice event. The new Director's Challenge Novice Chamopionships are sponsored by Philip Lawton and ICS&CL magazine and will be run over 150 yards. With the same rationale as point 1. After extensive discussions we have decided that it will be run with three sets of qualifiers on the Saturday at Shanes. There will be a set of qualifying heats for 1. Rough Coated Lurchers 2. Terrier Bred Lurchers and 3. Sight hound bred lurchers. There will be a prize structure for each grouping and the top two from each category will run off in a grand six dog final.

 

The only qualifying criterion is that the dog has not previously won a race. Top prize for the challenge is €300 put up by my colleague Philip Lawton. I will look after good prizes for the group winners.

 

Personally I think it will make a great spectacle to see different types of lurchers compete over a distance which should ensure close racing.

 

4. We will also run a Novice event at Ballywalter on a similar basis but with a lesser prize fund.

 

5.Regarding whippet classifications we will make a final decision on this soon but this will be based on trying to allow the maximum number of people to compete fairly with their dogs : I would be grateful if I could have some ideas of the numbers of people who want to (a) race KC registered whippets ( race unregistered whippets of KC type © race Non ped whippets. Again please pm me if it is your intention to take part in our racing at Ballywalter,Shanes or Birr.

 

 

 

Albertj

 

albert could you tell me what a non ped whippet is please .

 

 

Personally I would have taken the KC view which would be anything that its owner claimed was a whippet but was unregistered. Only KC registered whippets can be shown at a KC show. And since there appears to be a strong demand for it we will have a race restricted to them.

 

However we want to be as inclusive as possible and do not wish to penalise people who have purchased unregistered dogs for working and/or have failed to register their dogs AND those who have purchased working/racing dogs of unkown breeding described as whippets. We are honestly trying to sort this out.

My own inclination is to have the split we had at Birr i.e kC registered and Non KC registered but we are considering other points of view. Personally again I think it fun to race the winners of the two races .

 

Now to give you an example based on my own knowledge and experience as to how difficult it can be for anyone to state what is and what is not a 'true bred' dog of a particular breed.

 

I have owned both show bred and working golden retrievers. Many of the show bred ones are now cream /almost white fluffy heavy headed & boned dogs with a very flat topline whereas on the more extreme working side can have dark reddish, rather sparse coats, longer thinner heads, less level toplines,longer curlier tails and lighter bone. Members of the public used to the fluffy cream dogs often ask me what sort of dogs some of mine are.

 

I judge at Ch show level and yesterday I was asked by a chap who had purchased an unregistered golden retriever did I think it was pure bred. He had thought it was not until he saw my bitch beside it and was reassured by the fact that although it was lighter in bone again in body shape and colour it was similar. Where I personally dithered over it was its head which was small and spitz like. I couldn't say for sure whether it was pure bred or not. Certainly many of the small whippet type dogs over which there are apparent disputes look more like KC registered whippets than this dog did a show type cream golden retriever!

 

So other than the honesty of the owner I cannot see how we can definitely satisfy anyone other than owners of the KC registered dogs.

 

How would YOU classify whippets for racing and what is YOUR definition of a non ped whippet?

 

Albertj