A Brief History
The AOK9 Program was developed in 2011 to fill a void in the sport of lure coursing and amateur dog racing. Sighthounds had been enjoying these sports since the 1980s, but no such competitive opportunities were yet available to dogs of other breeds. The AOK9 Program was modeled after the sprint racing program started by the Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA), and the lure coursing program started by the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA). Originally, the AOK9 Program was only open to non-sighthound breeds, but that soon changed, and the program is now a true "All Breed" performance organization.
The Sport of Racing Explained
Sprint racing is exactly what its name implies; it is a test of a dog's raw sprint speed. Racers are released, either from starting boxes or by hand slip, and must run down a straight track to the finish line. Sprint race tracks can be anywhere from 100 to 200 yards long, but most are 200 yards. Sprint race meets consist of three programs. Each program consists of a series of races with up to four dogs running at a time. Each dog runs once per program unless they are scratched for injury or are disqualified. Dogs are divided into divisions based either on breed or running style. Once they are separated into divisions they will only compete against dogs within their division. Placements in each race are recorded, and the results are used to determine the ordering of races for the next program. Each dog's cumulative performance across the three programs is then used to rank them for placements at the end of the meet. The dogs with the highest ranks in each division are eligible to earn points towards a sprint racing championship.
The Sport of Lure Coursing Explained
Lure coursing is a sport that was designed to simulate hare coursing. Lure coursing plans consist of twists and turns, going right and left, that mimic the movement of a prey animal, and can vary in length from 600 to 1000 yards. During a lure course, each dogs' performance is judged using either one of two different judging formats. One judging format evaluates each dog on a number of different criteria, including speed, agility and endurance. The other judging format determines the winner of a course based on which dog is the first honest dog to each successive turn, with additional points awarded when a dog passes another dog and leads that portion of the course. Dogs run in braces (two dogs), trios or singly (one dog).
The Sport of Racing Explained
Sprint racing is exactly what its name implies; it is a test of a dog's raw sprint speed. Racers are released, either from starting boxes or by hand slip, and must run down a straight track to the finish line. Sprint race tracks can be anywhere from 100 to 200 yards long, but most are 200 yards. Sprint race meets consist of three programs. Each program consists of a series of races with up to four dogs running at a time. Each dog runs once per program unless they are scratched for injury or are disqualified. Dogs are divided into divisions based either on breed or running style. Once they are separated into divisions they will only compete against dogs within their division. Placements in each race are recorded, and the results are used to determine the ordering of races for the next program. Each dog's cumulative performance across the three programs is then used to rank them for placements at the end of the meet. The dogs with the highest ranks in each division are eligible to earn points towards a sprint racing championship.
The Sport of Lure Coursing Explained
Lure coursing is a sport that was designed to simulate hare coursing. Lure coursing plans consist of twists and turns, going right and left, that mimic the movement of a prey animal, and can vary in length from 600 to 1000 yards. During a lure course, each dogs' performance is judged using either one of two different judging formats. One judging format evaluates each dog on a number of different criteria, including speed, agility and endurance. The other judging format determines the winner of a course based on which dog is the first honest dog to each successive turn, with additional points awarded when a dog passes another dog and leads that portion of the course. Dogs run in braces (two dogs), trios or singly (one dog).