Competitive Sports

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The presence of Irish Wolfhounds at various Competitive Sports venues is on the rise. The Irish Wolfhound Association of the Carolinas supports those who enjoy the challenge, camaraderie, and down right great fun of these sports, and the club hopes to encourage those who have not yet caught the Competitive Sports bug to join in and fall in love!

The purpose of this page is to provide education and information about a variety of fun and exciting Canine Competitive Sports opportunities and to make available a schedule of upcoming competitive sports events.

COMING SOON ~ A link to an Upcoming Events document will remain at the top of this page and will be updated at the beginning of each month. For further information or any questions related to this schedule, please contact Christine Laramee at clarameemd@gmail.com

Competitive Sports Goals:

Increase Irish Wolfhound participation in activities that are fulfilling their natural instincts
Improve your wolfhound's focus
Strengthen your bond with your Irish Wolfhound(s)
Improve your wolfhound's confidence, leading to a happier healthier, well-behaved dog.
Have fun with other Irish Wolfhound owners
Mentor Irish Wolfhound owners who are new to the competitive sports environment
Gather more owners at events in order to provide Irish Wolfhound awareness & education

Coursing and Racing Events

LGRA (Large Gazehound Racing Association) [pronounced as legra]

LGRA is a racing sport run on a 200 yard straight, flat track,

and is limited exclusively to purebred sighthounds. In this

sport, the hounds chase a drag lure for a short sprint of

200 yards. Each heat is run with 2 to 4 dogs of the same

breed, and the race is judged simply by speed--the first to

cross the finish line wins the heat. Each hound wears a

numbered blanket similar to lure coursing, and must wear

both a collar and a muzzle. A starting box is used for smaller dogs, however, Irish Wolfhounds are hand-slipped. A handler releases the hound at the starting line and then there is someone to catch at the finish line. It is not uncommon to find this high-action racing event being offered as part of an Irish Wolfhound Specialty.

Want to know more about this fun and exciting sport? All the details along with calendars of upcoming LGRA events throughout the country can be found on the Large Gazehound Racing Association Website ( https://www.lgra.club/ )

AKC Fast CAT

Think your Irish Wolfhound is fast?! Have you ever wondered how fast? The exciting and fast-paced sport of AKC Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test) is a timed 100-yard straight line dash. Each dog runs individually, chasing a lure, and their speed is measured to earn points toward AKC titles. All dogs can participate in Fast CAT, whether purebred or mixed breed, and all that is needed to compete, is that innate prey drive instinct possessed by so many of our Irish Wolfhounds!

For more information about AKC Fast CAT, visit the American Kennel Club Fast CAT page at: https://www.akc.org/sports/coursing/fast-cat/

Lure Coursing

Additional Resources:

American Kennel Club - Coursing

National Oval Track Racing Association

American Sighthound Field Association

Scent Work

Obedience

Trick Dog Title

Agility