Page 6 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW SPECIAL ISSUE 7 B

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 0 6

A large participation from Russia was, of course, excluded in view of the current
circumstances, as this sport has so far only found a venue in England, and the

local dog quarantine regulations made participation by the island kingdom
impossible. Nevertheless, the international character of the meeting was
maintained through the participation of some French and Dutch competitors,
which significantly increased interest. A large audience had gathered and
rewarded the performances of the four-legged participants with loud applause,
and the betting spirit was extraordinarily lively so that the bookmakers' pockets
quickly filled with the gold coins of the active bettors.

The races took place over distances of 250, 300, and 400 meters. In the obstacle
races, which entertained the spectators immensely and offered both surprising
achievements and comical incidents in abundance, the course included a 1.10-
meter-high hurdle and a 5-meter-wide water ditch.

Many of our readers may not be aware of how such races are started and how
the dogs are encouraged to unleash their full power. A brief explanation is
therefore probably of interest. The 'slippers' hold the dogs at the start until a
signal announces the moment when they can be released. The owners of the
dogs rushed ahead to the finish line and stand just behind the finish line, where
they try to attract the animals' attention by shouting loudly and waving flags. A
well-trained dog goes straight to its owner, while less well-behaved animals

may fight with their opponents along the way; to make biting impossible,
muzzles are put on them. Obstacle races present particular difficulties, and it
requires a good deal of patience to train a Steeplechaser. For this reason, the
sport will only be slowly introduced on the continent.

Start of a sighthound race with 15 competitors