dog racing

dog racing trials of speed between dogs. Now contested on oval tracks, the sport developed from the ancient practice of coursing, in which specially trained dogs chase game animals in the open field. Whippets chased live rabbits until the protests of humane groups had the practice outlawed. Artificial hares, first tried in 1876 in England, eventually became standard and greyhounds, accustomed to hunting by sight and sound rather than by smell, replaced whippets. The sport became popular in the United States in the 1930s when some states permitted wagering. Dog tracks are popular in Florida, Massachusetts, and some western states as well as in England, Ireland, Australia, Spain, and Indonesia.

greyhound racing as a sport has its origins in the hunt. Irish hounds were reputedly known in ancient Rome and in Elizabethan England. Formal coursing events were held in Ireland from the 17th century. The success of Irish dogs in English hare coursing in the 19th century reinforced their reputation. However, the sport in its modern form came to Ireland in 1927, when electric hares were run in Belfast and Dublin. This development transformed greyhound racing from a popular rural pastime to a major urban attraction. By 1960 Ireland had 22 registered venues, four of which were in Northern Ireland. In 1980 1.2 million spectators attended meetings in the Irish Republic and £23 million was placed in wagers. The Irish Greyhound Racing Board was established in 1952, supported by a betting levy. It oversees racing and breeding, and began the formal industrialization of the sport. Between 1960 and 1980, 7,000 grey‐hounds were exported annually from the Republic, with breeding on a lesser scale also taking place in Northern Ireland.

Neal Garnham