Photo by Shot on Site

Sartre's Pedigree

Breeder: Bonnie Dalzell

DOB: February 28, 1999 - February 21, 2012

Sartre was the culmination of a dream. My first sighthound was an Afghan Hound named Savitar who introduced me to the sport of lure coursing. For years (15 to be exact) I tried to get a Borzoi who would lure course. I tried and tried and not one dog I got would run. But then I decided I would go to one of the premier lure coursing kennels in the USA, Silkenswift Borzoi.

Sartre not only ran, he blew me away. He was awesome. He had an enormously long stride during the double suspension gallop, which made him look like he was hardly working when he ran. And when you thought he was running fast, he could put on a burst of speed that took your breath away. One day, Sartre took an AKC 5 point major by going Best In Field. That was truly exciting.

Besides all of that, Mr. Sart was a cagey, funny fellow who liked to make me laugh. I loved his looks and enjoyed his companionship. Sartre's quick thinking and attention to duty may well have saved me and Flyte's puppies from being bitten by a four-foot long Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake during the summer of 2006. By cornering the snake and barking an alarm, Sartre kept the snake from entering the puppy pen and prevented me from stepping within striking distance of the serpent. I treasured Sartre, my protector so much and miss him deeply now that he is gone.

Sartre lived until he was 7 days shy of his 13th birthday. He lived life with gusto and never gave up his position as the King of Celeritas. He had kidney failure.

Sartre free standing. Look at the smile he has on his face. He is six years old in this picture

Another candid photo of Sartre from another angle.

Here is a photo of Sartre's handsome head.

On a lazy winter day, I went out to play with my camera and snapped this photo of Mr. Sart as he rested. Actually, I had spent the better part of an hour trying to get a good photo of him standing, but Sartre spent his time standing next to me. He finally got bored and went to rest in the shade, giving me my chance to take a picture of him. Photo taken on December 13, 2008.

Where does the time go? I took my camera with me when I went out for my daily yard cleaning chores and was able to get this shot of Sartre. It was September 30, 2007 when I took this photo. I can't believe he is 8 years old. It seems just like yesterday he was a puppy running amok in the yard. But so far, Sartre is in good health and still full of vim and vigor. Here's to many more years together, Mr. Sart.

I entered Sartre in the Veteran's Stake at the Alamo Area Whippet Club trial on January 12, 2008. He had a chance to compete with Mir, the Celeritas B Litter's sire. I think this is a lovely photo of both of the dogs. Sartre really enjoyed his chance to chase that lure!

For Sartre, the whole point of lure coursing is to catch the lure. He doesn't particularly do a very good job of following the lure now-a-days. Instead, he cuts across so he can make dramatic catches. He was in prime form at this trial. In this photo, you can see Mir making the turn (he was doing a better job than Sartre at actually following the lure) while Sartre makes a take of his plasitic prey.

"Look, Mom! I got the lure!" Yes, Sartre got the lure--which is always his objective--he is one happy dog!

Sartre demonstrates his winning lure snagging form as he grabs his toy on the fly. Sartre likes to play fetch, probably just so he can grab whatever toy he has chosen for that day in dramatic dives or just to practice for the lure field. This photo was taken on January 29, 2008. He is a month shy of his ninth birthday in this photo.