Page 49 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW SPECIAL ISSUE 7 B

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 4 9

Switzerland

In Switzerland, sighthound racing developed at roughly the same pace as in a number of

leading countries in Europe. The Swiss Sighthound Club (Schweizerische Windhundclub,
SWC) was founded in 1918. On September 12, 1924, the first sighthound races took place in
Bern, at that time without artificial lure.

At a race in 1934, the traditional Autumn Races, the dogs refused to run because no lure
was used, which the dogs were accustomed to. A lure machine was quickly installed and

the race proceeded without any problems. From that moment on, only races behind an
artificial lure were held.

When Germany was forced to withdraw from the UICL in 1936 due to the political
situation, the German regulations were also no longer accepted. Switzerland took the
lead in writing new racing regulations. These were approved by the UICL in 1937.

From 1947 onwards, professional permanent racetracks began to appear. The UICL always
strongly condemned this type of racing. Dogs often had to be rescued from these tracks
in large numbers. From 1951 onwards, amateur racing developed, also on permanent
tracks. Results at races were determined by finishing order; no times were measured.

Traditional Berner Fuchsjagd