About AOK9
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.
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(photo credit: Bob Hosker)
AOK9 Racing
Sprint racing is exactly what its name implies; it is a test of a dog's raw sprint speed.
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Racers are released, either from starting boxes or by hand slip, and must run down a straight track to the finish line.
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Sprint race tracks can be anywhere from 100 to 200 yards long; the NARC track is 200 yards.
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Sprint race meets consist of three programs.
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Each program consists of a series of races with up to four dogs running at a time.
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Each dog runs once per program unless they are scratched for injury or are disqualified.
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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.
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Placements in each race are recorded, and the results are used to determine the ordering of races for the next program.
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Each dog's cumulative performance across the three programs is then used to rank them for placements at the end of the meet.
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The dogs with the highest ranks in each division are eligible to earn points towards a sprint racing championship.
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All dogs who wish to participate in AOK9 must be registered with R.A.C.E. (one-time registration).
Contact
If you are interested in learning more about AOK9, please visit the R.A.C.E. website, or email NARC's AOK9 Race Secretary for more info.