, p. 501.
[Contents]/[Detailed Contents, p. 7]/[Index]
[Appendix — The New Laws of Coursing]
'As Revised and Enlarged at a Meeting of Noblemen and Gentlemen, held at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's Street, June 1, 1839'.
- Two stewards shall be appointed by the members at dinner each day, to act in the field the following day, and to preside at dinner. They shall regulate the plan of beating the ground, under the sanction of the owner or occupier of the soil.
- Three or five members, including the secretary for the time being, shall form a Committee of Management, and shall name a person, for the approbation of the members, to judge all courses — all doubtful cases shall be referred to them.
- All courses shall be from slips, by a brace of greyhounds only.
- The time of putting the first brace of dogs in the slips shall be declared at dinner on the day preceding. If a prize is to be run for, and only one dog is ready, he shall run a by, and his owner shall receive forfeit: should neither be ready, the course shall be run when the Committee shall think fit. In a match, if only one dog be ready, his owner shall receive forfeit; if neither be present, the match shall be placed the last in the list.
- If any person shall enter a greyhound by a name different from that in which he last appeared in public, without giving notice of such alteration, he shall be disqualified from winning, and shall forfeit his match.
- No greyhounds shall be entered as puppies unless born on or after the 1st of January of the year preceding the day of running.
- Any member, or other person, running a greyhound at the meeting, having a dog at large which shall join in the course then running, shall forfeit one sovereign; and, if belonging to either of the parties running, the course shall be decided against him.
- The judge ought to be in a position where he can see the dogs leave the slips, and to decide by the colour of the dogs to a person appointed for that purpose: his decision shall be final.
- If, in running for prizes, the judge shall be of opinion that the course has not been of sufficient length to enable him to decide as to the merits of the dogs, he shall inquire of the Committee whether he is to decide the course or not; if in the negative, the dogs shall be immediately put again into the slips.
- The judge shall not answer any questions put to him regarding a course, unless such questions are asked by the Committee.
- If any member make any observation in the hearing of the judge respecting a course, during the time of running, or before he shall have delivered his judgment, he shall forfeit one sovereign to the fund; and, if either dog be his own, he shall lose the course. If he impugn the decision of the judge, he shall forfeit two sovereigns.
- When a course of an average length is so equally divided that the judge shall be unable to decide it, the owners of the dogs may toss for it; but, if either refuse, the dogs shall be again put in the slips, at such time as the Committee may think fit; but, if either dog be drawn, the winning dog shall not be obliged to run again.
- In running a match the judge may declare the course to be undecided.
- If a member shall enter more than one greyhound, bonâ fide his own property, for a prize, his dogs shall not run together, if it be possible to avoid it; and, if two greyhounds, the property of the same member, remain to the last tie, he may run it out or draw either, as he shall think fit.
- When dogs engaged are of the same colour, the last drawn shall wear a collar.
- If a greyhound stand still in a course when a hare is in his or her sight, the owner shall lose the course; but, if a greyhound drops from exhaustion, and it shall be the opinion of the judge that the merit up to the time of falling was greatly in his or her favour, then the judge shall have power to award the course to the greyhound so falling, if he think fit.
- Should two hares be on foot, and the dogs separate before reaching the hare slipped at, the course shall be undecided, and shall be run over again at such time as the Committee shall think fit, unless the owners of the dogs agree to toss for it, or to draw one dog; and if the dogs separate after running some time, it shall be at the discretion of the Committee whether the course shall be decided up to the point of separation.
- A course shall end if either dog be so unsighted as to cause an impediment in the course.
- If any member or his servant ride over his opponent's dog when running, so as to injure him in the course, the dog so ridden over shall be deemed to win the course.
- It is recommended to all union meetings to appoint a committee of five, consisting of members of different clubs, to determine all difficulties and cases of doubt.
'[The] following general rules are recommended to judges for their guidance:'
The features of merit are:
- The race from slips, and the first turn or wrench of the hare (provided it be a fair slip), and a straight run-up.
- Where one dog gives the other a go-by when both are in their full speed, and turns or wrenches the hare. (N. B. If one dog be in the stretch, and the other only turning at the time he passes, it is not a fair go-by.)
- Where one dog turns the hare when she is leading homewards, and keeps the lead so as to serve himself, and makes a second turn of the hare without losing the lead.
- A catch or kill of the hare, when she is running straight and leading homewards, is fully equal to a turn of the hare when running in the same direction, or perhaps more, if he show the speed over the other dog in doing it. If a dog draws the fleck from the hare, and causes her to wrench or rick only, it is equal to a turn of the hare when leading homewards.
- When a dog wrenches or ricks a hare twice following, without losing the lead, it is equal to a turn.