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Episode 42: Recorded February 7, 2024
“[Tommy] felt strongly that the lure coursing world had given him a mission, and he felt strongly that he needed to give back…”
Trina Bianchi, on her late husband, Tommy, and the “joy” which put into Injoy Lure Coursing products
Show Notes
The Injoy Lure Coursing story is one that started in the 1970s. Tom “Tommy” Bianchi and his wife, Trina, were living in Vermont and attended a dog show in Quebec in 1977 when they discovered sighthounds — in the form of Salukis — and sighthound sport of lure coursing. Tom was on the fence about acquiring a Saluki and getting into the sport, but Trina gave him a friendly nudge, and off they went.
At a lure coursing meeting in 1978, their Saluki was injured during the meeting. Tom was an accountant at the time, but his passion was woodworking, and he was always on the lookout for a way to turn his hobby into a full-time career. When he observed the less-than-safe equipment at the meeting, he realized that he could, in Trina’s words, “build a better mousetrap.” He believed he could design and building safer, high quality lure coursing equipment for the sport. Together, he and Trina would build and grow Injoy Lure Coursing equipment as the premiere brand for the community.
The company would take a hit in the 2000s when Tom developed cancer and later succumbed to the disease. Trina would continue to carry the torch, but in 2023, she realized that she needed someone to pick up the Injoy torch and carry it for the lure coursing community. Enter Eddie and Selma Kominek — Afghan Hound and lure coursing enthusiasts since 2004, they expressed interest in purchasing Injoy and continuing to build the high quality product that started with Tom and Trina.
In this episode, host John Parker sits down the past and present owners of Injoy Lure Coursing equipment — Trina, Eddie and Selma. They talk about Tom Bianchi’s commitment to excellence in all things — doing things with “joy in his heart” — and how this shaped Injoy Lure Coursing. John also learns how this philosophy was important in the recent purchase of Injoy by the Komineks and what it means for the future of the company and for the sport of lure coursing.
Links
- Injoy Lure Coursing (New Website / Online Store)
- Injoy Merchandise (Website)
- Kominek Afghan Hounds (Facebook Page)
