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Unofficial Entrant's Guide · 48th ASFA International Invitational

First Time at the II?

You have coursed before — but the International Invitational is a different weekend. Here is what to expect at Couch Ranch on 24–25 October 2026, and how to be part of making it happen.

Full event guide Enter Online

The II is not just another trial

The International Invitational is the sport's annual gathering — 2026 is its 48th running. Every hound on the field qualified to be there: at least 20 lifetime ASFA points, a Field Championship of record elsewhere, or a placement at a Regional Invitational. Seventeen regular breeds plus Provisional, Singles and LCI run across two fields over two days, and perpetual trophies are handed on year after year.

How do I know how many points my hound has?

ASFA hound records are not publicly available — there is no online lookup for your hound's lifetime points. Email the ASFA Records Coordinator for your hound's record; contact details are on the ASFA trial results page.

Ask early. Entries close 25 September 2026 and eligibility must be met before then — do not assume the points are there.

Flights

If any one stake has 20 or more hounds entered, it is split into flights. The tentative flight draw is held in public view at 5:30 PM Friday at the field; the official draw follows roll call each morning, once scratches are known. Whether your breed is flighted depends on its entry numbers.

Fields rotate

Your breed runs one field on Saturday and the other on Sunday — Field A is 940 yards, Field B is 763. Check the field assignments in the full guide so you set up camp on the right side.

The Gillette — Saturday

A stake you will only see here: the top-scoring hound in each breed that is both a bench champion and an ASFA Field Champion runs for the Gillette Memorial Trophy on Field B. No extra fee — but it needs its own entry form, in advance.

Best in II — Sunday

All Best of Breed winners from both days who qualified both days meet on Field A at 1,110 yards. The winner takes the President's Cup and is credited with a Best in Field.

And it is social in a way a one-day local trial cannot be: an informal get-together Friday night (bring snacks and beverages to share), a food truck on the field, and the Awards Banquet Saturday evening — pre-reserved, $30, served about 45 minutes after ribbons.

Know before you go

The morning is early and strict

Trial hours start 5:30 AM Central. Roll call and inspection are promptly at 6:00 AM — all dogs, no exceptions — and hounds not present are scratched after a five-minute grace period. Plan your morning backwards from 6:00, in the dark, with coffee.

Camping is dry

On-site camping has no hookups, no water, no campfires. $75 for any motorized vehicle, $25 for a tent, for the weekend — reserved and paid with your entries. Sites open noon Friday; plan to arrive after that. Hotels and RV parks with hookups are listed in the full guide.

Field conditions

Average high around 68°F, natural vegetation, October in Oklahoma — pack for cold dark mornings and warm afternoons. Practice will not be offered, so do not plan on a warm-up run.

Food needs planning

Breakfast is on the field from the food truck ($8–$10). But lunch and the banquet are pre-order only — $15 and $30, reserved with your entries. If you did not pre-order, bring your own lunch.

Golf carts pre-reserve

Carts are $125 for the weekend and must be reserved in advance with a signed rental agreement — pickup Friday evening, return late Sunday afternoon. None are available on the day.

Rules that catch people out

  • $5 fine for any loose hound on the field not taking part in a course in progress.
  • $10 fine for not picking up after your own dog(s).
  • No one on the field except Field Committee members without the Field Trial Chairman's express permission.
  • Bitches in season and lame hounds at inspection are excused with entry fees refunded — tell the Field Trial Secretary before the close of roll call.
  • Muzzles are not required. Spayed, neutered, monorchid and cryptorchid hounds may run.

A day at the II

WhenWhat happens
5:30 AMTrial hours begin. Workers' hounds are accepted for early inspection from half an hour before roll call.
6:00 AMRoll call and inspection — all dogs, no exceptions.
PrelimsEvery hound runs twice in the trial — in trios where possible, or braces. Singles and LCI run alone.
FinalsThe course is reversed for finals and run-offs at the judges' discretion — then Best of Breed for each breed, each day.
Saturday featureThe Gillette Stake on Field B.
Sunday featureBest in International Invitational on Field A at 1,110 yards.
After ribbonsSaturday: the Awards Banquet at the field, about 45 minutes after ribbons. Sunday: safe travels home.

Running order is determined after entries close, and stakes run until completion — a two-field, full-entry day is long. Bring shade, water, chairs, and more patience than you think your hound needs.

Advice from people who have been there

We asked experienced handlers across the lure coursing community one question: what is the one piece of advice you would give a first-timer at the II? The answers below are theirs — some drawn from thirty years of IIs — grouped and condensed with thanks.

Your hound comes first

  • Condition your hound well before the event, and know its limits on the day.
  • If your hound seems sore or tired, pull it. Better to scratch over something minor than risk an injury on the next run — there will always be another meet.
  • Keep the water going all day, at both ends of the lead.
  • Do not leave a dog loose in a vehicle.
  • Some hounds wind themselves up within sight and sound of the field — if yours does, park farther out.
  • Paw wax on the pads before running — Musher's Secret is the community favourite.

Run your dog, not the rosettes

  • It is about having fun with your dog and seeing every hound finish safe. Be present — win or not, the memories are the point.
  • You will win some your dog did not deserve and lose some it should have won. It evens out in the long run; stick with it.
  • Your mood travels down the lead. If you are not having fun, your hound probably will not have its best day either.
  • Be a good sport — say congratulations, and mean it. And be forgiving of the trial crew: nobody out there is a professional, and they are working hard to make it a great event.
  • Say thank you all day — to the crew, to whoever holds your dog, to the vendors. It lightens your mood along with theirs.

Own the running order

  • Photograph the draw — your page and the page before yours.
  • The breed before yours is your cue: that is when to pull your dog out, dress and start the warm-up.
  • As you dress, check the photo one more time — blanket colour and flight.
  • Running hounds back to back? Arrange a hand-off person for each flight, and check in with them as your turn nears.
  • Know when you are on deck or in the hole — there is plenty of time to socialise later. If you are not where you are supposed to be, your hound misses its chance to shine.

Pack for four seasons

  • Hot gear, cold gear, rain gear — October does what it likes. One veteran packs three sets of rain gear.
  • Equipment fails: bring spares of anything you cannot run without.
  • Sunscreen, an extra pair of shoes, and more food and water than you think the day needs.

You are among friends

  • Be at roll call and the handlers meeting, and introduce yourself as a first-timer.
  • Do not be shy — ask questions. Everyone out there was new once, and if an answer comes back short, it is a busy day, not a brush-off.
  • Make friends in breeds besides your own. It gives you more dogs to root for.
  • Really new? Contact your Regional Director before the trial — they will know who from your region is going and can connect you.
  • If you see someone who needs a hand, offer yours.

The poop-bag protocol

  • Bags in every pocket — dogs go when least expected, and the $10 fine above is real.
  • On your way to the line when your dog goes? Toss your bag roll down beside it — the universal signal for "I am coming back" — run your dog, then collect both. A bag roll is far easier to spot than the alternative.
  • Being on the way to the line defers the pickup; it does not exempt you. And bags never go in the port-a-potty.

Bringing family & friends

The II is a wonderful first lure coursing event for the people in your life — two days of sighthounds at full stretch is its own argument for the sport. A few things will make their day easy:

Watching well

  • Stay off the field — it is Field Committee only, without the Field Trial Chairman's express permission.
  • Keep dogs leashed and well back from the line — a loose dog on the field draws a $5 fine.
  • Exhibitors are responsible for their children's behaviour, per the premium — the lure line is genuinely dangerous to small fast-moving people.

Photos

Kara Hamilton and Allison Shore are the only photographers allowed on the fields — each will have information at the trial on obtaining photos of your hounds. Everyone else photographs from the gallery.

Guests eat the same way you do: food-truck breakfast on the field, but lunch is pre-order only — order theirs with your entries or bring food for them. Banquet seats ($30) are pre-reserved too and guests are welcome.

Get involved — volunteer

A two-field, two-day trial takes a lot of hands — the premium names a Head Huntmaster and four Lure Operators, and roll call, inspection and the two fields all have to be staffed. One line in the premium shows workers are expected and accommodated: workers' hounds are accepted for early inspection, beginning half an hour before roll call, so helping need not cost you your own hound's morning.

How to offer

Volunteering is handled informally — just ask. Let the crew know you are willing to lend a hand, and ask what is needed rather than assuming: what helps most depends on the day.