An introduction to the sport of Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing is the exciting, fast-paced and exhilarating sport of racing greyhounds. It has been around for decades as a source of entertainment for many people. Indeed, greyhound dog racing is a very popular activity that draws the attention of millions of people around the world. Greyhound racing, as we know it today, has actually originated from a sport called coursing. In that game, hunting dogs used to chase a live animal. The hunted animal was either a hare or a rabbit. Today, the final version of this race involves greyhounds running behind an artificial target but not a live animal.
Going back to ancient times, greyhounds were much admired by the Egyptians, who were especially enamoured by their physical attributes and speed. It was the only breed of dog permitted to enter their habitat and ride atop their camels. In early Arabian culture, after the birth of a son, the birth of a greyhound was ranked second in importance.
Greyhounds are a thin and sleek breed of dogs having contoured bodies. This helps them generate great speed, which can reach up to 45 miles per hour. Another special attribute of the Greyhound is that they make a wonderful and loyal pet. Other than that, they are also sensitive, intelligent and elegant creatures. However, being active dogs, they need a good amount of daily exercise.
Originally, many of today's prestigious greyhound racing events were first run on grass tracks. But now the vast majority of worldwide greyhound races take place on sand tracks. Other types of surfaces used include the 'loam tracks' seen at some Australian dog tracks and of course, the nearly forgotten 'cinder tracks' of greyhound racing's historical past. Let’s have a look at the dimensions of the racecourse. Nowadays, the track’s circumference is 385 meters and the distances are 270m, 465m, 655m, and 850m.
It is documented that the greyhound first arrived in England in the 16th century. In the 18th century, greyhound racing was introduced in America. The first recorded Greyhound Race was held in 1876 on a straight track. That track was beside the Welsh Harp reservoir Hendon. Greyhound racing as we know it today began around 1912 when American Owen Patrick Smith invented the mechanical lure, and made a circular track for the race. The first circular track opened in 1919 in Emeryville, California, in the San Francisco bay area, paving the way for the development of the greyhound racing industry in America. Since then, this sport became more successful in cities and towns throughout the world. After World War II, Greyhound Races attracted more spectators and attendances were at their highest. The greyhounds played an important role in the Civil War, often accompanying scouts on their missions. Because of their ability to detect movements from far away, they were considered exceptional guides and living warning signals against sudden enemy movement.
The first official coursing club was the Swaffham Coursing Society in Norfolk England, which arranged their first event in 1776. The rules stated that only two dogs at a time could be pitted against each other, and that the hare must be given a head start of 240 yards. Coursing quickly became a popular spectator sport. The Waterloo Cup Meet, which started in 1837, regularly drew crowds of 75,000 or more. This event is still in existence today.
Many people believed that the sport inflicts and promotes cruelty towards dogs. For this reason, and to ensure that the owners of the dogs take good care of them, today there are licenses and contracts that are usually being signed by prospective owners. The owner can get punishment and could be banned from the racetrack if caught mistreating the animal. In today’s times, the main purpose of Greyhound Racing is to generate income and earn large amount of profit. But sometimes the simple ‘Dog Racing’ is held for various social purposes, such as fundraising activities for the deserving, exhibition events with other breeds, etc.
Today, the main Greyhound racing countries are Australia, Ireland, UK, New Zealand and USA. The smaller scale Greyhound racing countries include Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Pakistan, South Africa and a few others. Crowds are once again attracted towards the tracks to watch these magnificent dogs run. There are few associations working for the betterment of the dogs, like the ‘British Greyhound Retired Database’ and ‘Greyhound Pets of America.’ Their mission is to try and adopt as many dogs as possible. And this way these dogs get saved from the cruelty and mistreatment by other people.
Greyhound racing has evolved over the years as a multi-million dollar sporting spectacle that attracts hordes of viewers in packed stadiums, and promises a thrilling and invigorating experience.
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