Harry-whats?: An X-C Term Demystified*

When I was in high school, I remember that the cross-country team, of which I was a member, would occasionally be referred to as a "harriers." Because of this, I would always associate the word "harrier" with running. About six(!) years later, I had a colleague who lived in one of those pre-fab housing communities called "Harrier Crossing," the sign for which depicted a sleek canine running across a field. My colleague insisted that a harrier was a type of dog, rather than a term synonymous with a long distance runner.

For a short time now, especially as I have become familiar with one of our local running clubs, the Genesee Valley Harriers, I have continued to be curious about what exactly a "harrier" is... so with a little time on my hands, and nothing else to post about, let's look at some definition and see what, if any, connection there is. Here is the second set of definitions offered on Dictionary.com:

1. one of a breed of medium-sized hounds, used, usually in packs, in hunting.
2. a cross-country runner.

So, it would appear we are both correct, depending on which definition you look at. How are the two connected?

Wikipedia also has separate entries for each type of harrier, each with a little more specific detail:

"a small to medium sized dog breed of the hound class, used for hunting hares by trailing them. It resembles an English Foxhound but is smaller, though not as small as a Beagle."

The second of these actually gets to why cross-country runners have been given a "name" which is derived from a type of dog:

"The reason for the names associated with hunting is that in many of the early (running) matches, the course was set by paper chasing: a few runners (the hares) would have a start on the bulk of the field (the hounds), and lay a 'scent' by scattering a paper trail behind them which the hounds would follow. Racing would take place between the hares and the hounds and within the hounds themselves. Because of the obvious nuisance this can generate, this form of racing was largely discontinued quite early on."

Odd, strange... COOL! Thanks to both reference sites for bringing some clarity to this (not-so-anymore) odd word association.

Now, what gives with the whole "harrier jet" deal?

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!
*Please note that this post was written prior to my trip to Wyoming and scheduled to be published n advance of my written. I should have pcitures and notes about the trip by Friday.