Greyhound racing history
A gunshot goes off. The starting gate opens and seven sleek greyhounds, built for speed, come running out of the gate as if they were held captive for weeks. A small mechanical hare is running parallel to the dogs in the centre ring of the track, and each
of the dogs is trying its hardest to catch it.
The crowd is cheering for their personal favourite greyhound and hoping that it crosses the finish line ahead of the others. It’s the perfect day for the races in Wentworth Park, one of Australia’s most popular tracks in the world of greyhound racing.
Although, greyhound racing is most popular in Australia, followed closely by Ireland and Great Britain, it was an American, who brought attention to this noble sport of dog racing.
Owen Patrick Smith, born July 12, 1886, went through many hardships in his earlier years. Surviving the Yellow Fever Epidemics of 1873 and 1878, Owen grew up to become an inventor, sports promoter, sportsman, and “The Father of Modern Greyhound Racing”.
Smith’s most notable invention was the mechanical hare that the greyhounds chase in the race, as well as the circular track, which he created in 1925. Prior to 1925, greyhounds raced in a straight line, chasing bait, usually a live hare or rabbit, which
ended up with one of the greyhounds killing the bait.
Smith struck a deal with Charles Munn, a businessman in Britain, who believed in the appeal of greyhound racing. Together, Smith and Munn joined politician Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley and businessman Sir William Gentle to start the Greyhound Racing
Association (GRA).
The GRA constructed the first stadium, solely for the purpose of greyhound racing, in Manchester, Britain. The first meeting that took place in the new stadium, named Belle Vue Stadium, attracted 1700 spectators, who watched six races of seven greyhounds
each, on July 24, 1926.
Mistley, a red greyhound, won the first race by eight lengths at odds of 6/1. Word spread quickly about this new exciting sport and only a few weeks later, crowds of 11,000 were clamouring to see the races
Only a year later, in the end of 1927, the GRA had paid back their initial loan of £10,000 and had opened a new stadium in White City, London. Later that year, the very first Greyhound Derby took place in White City, with a grand prize of £1,000. To this
date, the Greyhound Derby is the most anticipated event in greyhound racing, although it is now held at Wimbledon Stadium in south west London.
With large amounts of money changing hands and the potential for cheating and fixing races, the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) was set up in 1928 to enforce rules and regulations of greyhound racing.
Greyhound racing quickly became an affordable and enjoyable pastime. Stars of greyhound racing, such as Mick the Miller, had hordes of fans following him wherever he went. In the war years, attendance dropped dramatically, but after the war, greyhound racing
saw its highest attendance in history. People were overjoyed with the end of the war and were happy to be out and about, no longer having to stay in drab air raid shelters.
Attendance stayed high throughout the 1950’s and 60’s and only started dropping after the broadcasting of live horse races on television started.
In the 1980’s, one greyhound caught the public’s eye. Ballyregan Bob, a brindle greyhound from the south of England, achieved a world record of 32 consecutive wins. The 32nd win was aired live on BBC.
Just before Ballyregan Bob became a household name, the British Greyhound Racing Board (BGRB) was set up to discuss endorsement and development of the greyhound racing industry, to clarify the rules of racing with collaboration from the NGRC, and to promote
the care and wellbeing of the greyhounds.
Later, on January 1, 2009 the BGRB and NGRC were replaced by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which fulfilled the purposes of both organizations in one.
To date, there are 28 licensed racing stadiums in Britain. In spite of a decrease in number, the class of both the racing and facilities remains high with six-digit tracks renovations in racetracks throughout major cities.
When it comes to betting, greyhound racing is going strong. Over £2.5 billion is bet in greyhound racing every year, but an increasing percentage of the betting is done in private, away from the track. Those who bet would much rather bet online, or from
their mobile device, rather than drive for half an hour to the stadium. The challenge for the GBGB is to appeal to the new generation of spectators, while keeping the established fans’ needs fulfilled.
Attendance for the races slipped from 3.52m in 2005 to 3.32m in 2006, mostly due to private betting, but there are people all over the world betting on greyhound racing, not just those from Australia, Ireland, and Great Britain.
Even though many people worked hard, and are continuing to work hard to keep greyhound racing, which is Britain’s third most attended spectator sport, the real heroes of greyhound racing are the devoted dogs.
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