It all started in 2001. Pam wanted a lurcher so I answered an ad. This took me to a farm in Lincolnshire where we met Sheba. She was one of 11 in a litter and had been retained by the owners as their pick should they not home all of them.

The deal was done. Two weeks later we asked about the availability of a similar bitch to be told that one of Sheba's litter sisters had come back to the breeder. Another visit, another deal done: Bracken was on board. In fact Sheba was the first born of the litter and Bracken the last, number eleven. The love affair with running dogs had begun!

Later in the same year I had decided that I would like a whippet. I advertised for a brindle bitch and was contacted by a lady who had a litter, one pup of which was brindle. A subsequent visit saw Moss join the pack together with her litter sister Tilley who I could not resist. It was my birthday and Diane paid. Little did she know where this was all going! Some weeks later, after the whippets had taken over the household, Pam made the serious error of stating that she could quite easily accommodate a whippet in her house with the two lurchers. Oh dear, thought I.

That same year we had entered the lurchers in a show where Sheba won fourth in her class. Not bad for a first time effort. Significantly, however, whippet breeders were in attendance. Phone numbers exchanged, promises to contact were made. Low and behold, some weeks later The Shiner arrived, so called because she had what looked like a black eye in her colouring.

Fast forward now to last year: Moss is four years old and has aquitted herself very well on the coursing fields of East Anglia. She is also in season. Many good contacts and friendships had been made over the last three years and a fair knowledge of suitable stud dogs gained. Zak ( What's Behind The Masque) was chosen to mate with Moss. He had been one of the best hare coursing whippets around before a leg injury forced his retirement. He had also sired some very capable puppies. Game on! A marriage made in heaven. On January 11 2005 Moss was delivered of a beautiful litter of six. We decided to keep two for ourselves: Zorro and Henrietta had arrived. The gang was now five whippets and two lurchers. Life could not be better!

Coursing:
In 2002 we applied to join the East Anglian Whippet Coursing Club to allow our Moss and Tilley to show their worth as running dogs. It must be remembered that the pedigree of these two was not particularly remarkable and we had no idea how they would take to hare coursing. For that season we attended meetings as non running members and as the next season opened we were invited to join the club as running members. Any doubts of this pair's ability to compete were soon dispelled. Moss in her first stake took the runners up spot and, as far as we were all concerned, we never looked back. As the hunting ban came with the consequential ban on hare coursing all our whippets had enjoyed many successes. Then came lure coursing and fortunately our dogs have made a seamless transition from the hare to the lure. More interesting times ahead we think.

Racing:
Due to a contact of Pam's we are in the fortunate position of having our own 170yard track. Over the last two years we have flattened, re-seeded and generally nurtured to the point where we now have an excellent surface on which to school our dogs. Currently Zorro and Henrietta are being put through their paces and chase the lure with ease. In late January of this year they are entered in trials in a club lure coursing event and we all wait with interest to see how they perform on the big stage. Competitive racing from traps etc. will never be our favoured discipline . The twists and turns of lure coursing, dog competing against dog, will always have the edge for us.

Hopes for the future:
We have all had a marvellous four years with our beautiful dogs and we look forward to many more. The Shiner will be mated at some stage as will Henrietta in the further future. Hopes are high that Zorro will eventually prove himself to be a useful stud dog. Competition will continue to play a large part in what we do. Above all the dogs will continue to express themselves as nature intended.That is what they do and put quite simply, they were BORN TO RUN!