The Grande Prix Trophies

These trophies have been around for 38 years. The names of the hounds inscribed on them is a history of Region 8.

2016 Win Photos

       

Photo on left:  "Chilly" the Basenji Grande Prix Challenge Cup  Breed Winner as well as the winner of Best in Event.

Owned by Audrey Silverstein and Kathy Sanders. Pictured with the "Treybeau  Grande Prix Challenge Cup" for Best in Event and

“The Bette Grande Prix Challenge Cup for Basenji”

Also from left to right Francis Byrne (judge), Audrey Silverstein (owner) and Dean Wright (judge)

Photo on right:  "Scooter" Whippet winner of then 2016 Grande Prix Challenge Cup for Whippets owned by Don and Nancy Ewing

 

2016 Grande Prix Winners by Breed

Breed Call Name Owner
Afghan Hound Zephyr Ellen Klosson
Basenji Chilly Audrey Silverstein
Borzoi Sir Lancelot Diana Darling
Greyhound Jayden Diana Darling
Ibizan Hound Tag Roxanne DeVillez
Italian Greyhound Ammo Celeste Mulcrone
Saluki Nimerah John Plugis
Whippet Scooter Pie Nancy Ewing

 

THE GRANDE PRIX CHALLENGE CUP

A Region Eight Tradition

By Dean Wright

     The idea for the Grande Prix Challenge Cup was conceived after attending the Grand National in Denver, Colorado. I felt that there should be a big trial on the East Coast similar to the Grande National. The original idea was to have a trial with nice trophies and two days of competition to find an overall winner. Unlike the Grand National, there would be ASFA points available both days, and only the Grande Prix Best in Field would not be ASGA sanctioned. Ed and Valerie Rees helped set up the first two Grande Prix Challenge cups.

     We asked owners of famous and good coursing hounds to donate trophies in honor of their hounds. The Best of Breed Trophy for each day was a medallion of a head study of a famous hound of that breed.

     We then solicited donations for a trophy to be presented to each breed over-all winner for the two days. These were designated the “Breed Challenge Cups” and were silver champagne coolers engraved with the name of the hound in whose honor it was donated. The hounds represented on the cups are listed below:

1.  AFGHAN HOUND – “MICHY MAY” (Ahmir’s Silence, LCM II, Am. Can. CD), Challenge Cup for Afghan Hounds, donated by Phyllis Roe. Michy was the first LCM, Best of Breed hurdle racer in 1975, one of the Top Ten lure coursers for three years and known for her 180’s and creative coursing.

2.  BASENJI – “BETTE” (Bublak’s Devine Bette, FCh), Challenge Cup for basenjis, donated by Mary DeWhitt. Bette was the first Basenji Field Champion and the first Basenji Best in Field.

3.  BORZOI – “PYERUN” Challenge Cup for Borzoi, donated by Ariel Duncan for Caspian Prince Pyerun, CD, LCM III, Can. FCh. Pyerun was the first Borzoi LCM and the #1 Borzoi in 1977. He earned the name “alligator” in Florida for his ability to capture the lure.

4.  GREYHOUND – “PANDAHARI PAT” LCM Challenge Cup for Greyhounds, donated by Chester and Betty Hickok and Pandahari’s Hounds for Pandahari’s Perfecta Pat, FCh, who has four Best in Fields and numerous Best of Breeds and hopes for a breed Championship.

5.  IBIZAN HOUND – “FLYER” Challenge Cup for Ibizan Hounds, donated by Dean Wright and the Hounds of Treybeau. Flyer was the first Ibizan LCM and #1 lure courser for two years. He won the 1977 Grand National.

6.  IRISH WOLFHOUND – MAKO” Challenge Cup for Irish Wolfhounds, donated by Joseph Grillo in honor of Seawolf’d Mako McQueen, CD, FCh, winner of Best of Breed at the first International Invitational.

7.  PHARAOH HOUND – “MISTER’ (PHCA Ch Beltara’s Mister Future, LCM), Challenge Cup for Pharaoh Hounds, donated by Ed and Val Rees and Val-Ed’s House of Pharaohs. Mister was the first Pharaoh Field Champion and the breed’s first Dual Champion.

8.  SALUKI - KAHTAHDIN Challenge Cup for Salukis, donated by Janis Copenhaver for the great lure coursing Salukis of Kahtahdin past, present and future.

9.  SCOTTISH DEERHOUND – “FLING” Challenge Cup for Scottish Deerhounds, donated by Howard and Jane Mayo for Fairyfort’s Highland Fling, LCM, Best in Field winner at the first International Invitational and #1 Scottish Deerhound in 9177 and 1978.

10. WHIPPET – “RALPH THE WHIPPET” Challenge Cup for Whippets, donated by Virginia Kimberly for Ch Flippet’s Appraxin Marshall, LCM IV.

Photos from the 1st Grande Prix

 

    

1st Photo - Mecca Lando

2nd Photo - Trina Bianchi, Dean Wright, Gary Forrester, Marietta Forrester barely visible

 

THE GRANDE PRIX CHALLENGE

     The winner of Best in Field, which is an elimination run of the challenge cup winners, receives the “BANDIT” Grande Pix Challenge Trophy. This is a 16-inch silver plated Revere bowl by Poole, donated by Gary and Marietta Forrester and the Hounds of Marah for Tamora’s Image of Ali, CD, LCM VIII, CFCh,TT. “Bandit” was the first great coursing hound in our region. He was the #1 sighthound in 1976, 1977 and 1978.

     To win the “Bandit” Grande Prix Challenge Trophy, the Challenge Cup winners for each breed compete in a Best in Field run-off consisting of three courses, each having three hounds. (If there are ten breeds represented, the Basenji competes in the third course and one hound in that course runs without a blanket.) The judges for this run-off are all the judges for the weekend. Hounds are placed 1 thru 3 by each judge. The hounds in each course with the lowest total points is the winner of that run and comes back to compete against other course winners for the Bandit Grande Prix Challenge Trophy, one of the most prestigious honors in the sport of lure coursing.

     The first Grande Prix Challenge event was held in Somerville, New Jersey in 1978. We ran two days, on two fields, with four different courses. One course was set up for speed, one for agility and two courses combined speed and agility. The rules for the Grande Prix have remained virtually unchanged for the 11 years that is has been run.

     The medallions, originally done each year by Bonnie Dalzell of a head study of each breed and inscribed on the reverse with the name of the hound, have been replaced by medallions engraved with BOB, GRANDE PRIX CHALLENGE CUP, naming the event at which they were won. These medallions are presented to each Best of Breed winner.

     The silver champagne coolers are Breed Challenge Cups and are retired by any owner who wins the same one three times. So far everyone that has retired a challenge cup has donated one for the following years. Each new cup has all the winners engraved on it, as did the retired one.

     The host club has changed through the years. It stated out with the Ibizan Hound Club of the United States and the Pharaoh Hound Club of America, and then went to the Upper Chesapeake Bay Saluki Club which has hosted it to the present time. The location has moved from Somerville, New Jersey to York, Pennsylvania. The courses are no longer set up to show just speed or just agility, but are all-around courses. The month has changed also from October to the Thanksgiving weekend in November.

     The rules for winning a Breed Challenge Cup have changed over the years. In the beginning, three dogs of each breed competed for it based on a complicated point system. Today, the Breed Challenge Cup winner is determined by the Best of Breed winner from each day competing with the hound that has the highest number of combined placements for the two days. Placements points being 1 for first, and ascending in value through the placements for the day. The hounds compete in one run-off, judged by every judge that judged for the weekend. The judges place three hounds 1-first, 2-second, and 3-third. The numbers from all the judges are added together for each dog and the hound with the lowest total number is that breeds Challenge Cup winner. A hound must compete both days to be eligible to win these cups. A hound that wins Best of Breed both days is automatically declared that breeds Challenge Cup winner.