Greyhound Nation

"How do we gather information about Greyhound adoption and share it with the rest of the adoption community?"Joan Belle Isle on the original goals of The Greyhound Project

Show Notes

The Greyhound Project was founded in 1993 by Joan Belle Isle and like minded, New England-based adoption group volunteers. Its mission was to "serve the common interests of greyhound adoption organizations, their volunteers, and others interested in the welfare of retired racing greyhounds on a national basis." The organization was adoption group agnostic and neutral on the topic of Greyhound racing.

The 1996 closing of the Waterloo Greyhound Park in Waterloo, Iowa was a litmus test for The Greyhound Project. Could the project and its founders, including Joan, bring together Greyhound adoption groups in the spirit of breed welfare and volunteer coordination? The Waterloo closing proved that national networking could be a powerful force in the Greyhound adoption community.

The organization's outreach began with a newsletter, Speaking of Greyhounds, as a means of starting conversations between different adoption groups around the country. The Greyhound Project also sought to raise funds for its operations and those of adoption groups. Its Celebrating Greyhounds Calendar became the centerpiece of this effort.

Sarah Norton became involved with The Greyhound Project in the late 1990s. She attended the Dewey Beach, Delaware meeting in 1999, organized by The Greyhound Project. Amongst 1000 Greyhounds and 1000 owners, she met Joan. They would become fast friends and collaborators within The Greyhound Project.

With the 2020 closure of Florida Greyhound tracks, The Greyhound Project entered a new era. Susie and John McQuade, of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT), reached out and offered to take over the project. Their goal is the preservation of soul of the project, including its vast website content and calendar fundraising program.

In this episode, host John Parker sits down with The Greyhound Project's founders and torchbearers to explore the past, present and future of the organization.

Links

The Greyhound Project (Website)Celebrating Greyhounds Calendar (Facebook)Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (Website)Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (Facebook)

"Over the last 5 years, I've learned an awful lot ... and really come to appreciate the passion that people have around the sport and the love of Greyhounds." Mark Bird, on his tenure with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain

Show Notes

Mark Bird traveled a different path into the sport of Greyhound racing than most. He had been around dogs all his life, including his career as a London-area police officer. When he retired in 2015, Mark applied for the role of Director of Regulation with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB). Today, he continues to use his law enforcement background in support of British Greyhound racing welfare programs.

Like Greyhound adopters around the world, Mark loves to see his own retired racer perk up at the sound of the mechanical lure on the television. He also gets to see those mechanical lures in person at any one of Great Britain's 19 registered Greyhound tracks on his regular visits as Managing Director of the GBGB. His staff at the GBGB is responsible for site visits and inspections, publishing track injury data, and reporting on retirement data for Greyhounds.

The GBGB released the Greyhound Commitment in 2018 to promote Greyhound welfare and demonstrate that regulation is positive for the breed. Mark and his colleagues sought to shift the mindset of racing Greyhounds as commodities to that individual racers who can become future pets. Their welfare activities include regulation of track safety, veterinary care, kennel standards, etc.

In this episode, host John Parker and Mark discuss all aspects of the GBGB's mission. Listeners who are passionate about the breed will find a kindred spirit in Mark as he shares how the GBGB regulates British Greyhound racing and promotes education about Greyhounds to the United Kingdom, Ireland and beyond.

Links

Greyhound Board of Great Britain (Website)Greyhound Board of Great Britain (Facebook)Greyhound Board of Great Britain (YouTube)

"I always find this warming to my heart that I get to do this. I'm not in it for the money. I just do it for the dogs."Steve Schiferl, Greyhound photographer

Show Notes

Steve Schiferl has traveled the country to capture Greyhounds in motion at Greyhound tracks and National Greyhound Association (NGA) schooling facilities. His fascination with and photography of the breed started with meet and greets. What began with simple photos from his smartphone evolved into a photographic career and love of Greyhounds.

Rachel Hogue's path to photographing the Greyhound started in her teens. A budding photographer heading off to college, Rachel sought the ideal canine companion for apartment living. She settled on a Greyhound and adopted in 2005. That same year, she invested in her first dSLR (digital camera). After college, she found work at Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis, Arkansas and developed a love for Greyhounds and a passion for photographing them.

Cindy Frezon's passion for photographing Greyhounds blossomed at lure coursing fields rather than Greyhound tracks. In 2000, she adopted her first Greyhound from Adopt A Greyhound Atlanta. Shortly thereafter, she discovered the sport of lure coursing in west Georgia at a Southeastern Greyhound Club meeting. Since then, Cindy's become the official "unofficial" club photographer and regularly shoots several thousand photos during a weekend of lure coursing.

In this episode, host John Parker and producer Michael Burns explore the art and science of photographing the Greyhound with Steve, Rachel and Cindy. John discusses each photographer's history with the breed. Michael digs in to the technical aspects of Greyhound action and portrait photography. It's an episode that will appeal to photographers of all backgrounds, amateur and pro alike.

Links

Rachel Hogue Photography (Facebook)Greyt Expressions Photography, Steve Schiferl (Facebook)Cindy Frezon Photography (Facebook)

Gallery

Example photos from this episode's photographers:

Photo by Rachel HoguePhoto by Steve SchiferlPhoto by Cindy Frezon

Episode 12: Recorded February 13, 2021

"I hope you children you all enjoy today, and I hope you will get as much fun from coursing and coursing people as I have done."Charlie Wilby, at a Newmarket coursing meeting for local children

Show Notes

Author Charlie Blanning and race horse trainer Sir Mark Prescott have certainly encountered the "greatest" in Greyhound coursing. Their shared experiences in coursing would begin in 1977. At the time, Charlie served as the coursing correspondent for The Field, a country sports magazine.

Over the years, they would bear witness to some of the most famous Greyhounds in history. Dashing Oak. Gallant. They would also encounter some of coursing's most memorable and infamous characters. Bob Burton. Michael O'Donovan. Lilah Shennen.

Charlie Wilby is one such individual. He was a Norfolk butcher known for sharing cuts of meat with coursing meeting staff. During one coursing meeting, he shared his love of the sport with local children. Paraphrasing Sir Mark -- Charlie represented a dying breed of local countrymen who had a love of animals and appreciation for the sport.

In this episode, host John Parker explores the "greatest" in coursing with Charlie and Sir Mark. It's a conversation replete with superlatives from the sport, from the Greyhound to the trainer to the hare.

Links

Please Mister: The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing (Facebook)Heath House Stables

Episode 11: Recorded February 20, 2021

"You see these discussions all the time on Greyhound groups. 'What's the best ______ for my Greyhound?'"John Parker, host of Greyhound Nation

Show Notes

Use the right tool for the job. This mantra applies to Greyhound ownership as much as it applies to car maintenance. New Greyhound owners often have questions about what "Greyhound gear" they need to care for and manage their new companion:

"What's the difference between a buckle collar and Martingale collar?"

"My Greyhound pulls on walks. Should I invest in a harness?"

"Is this crate too small for my Greyhound?"

In this episode, host John Parker and producer Michael Burns tackle these questions and more in the first ever gear show. Topics of interest to both new and veteran Greyhound owners alike include:

Select the right collar and leashSizing a crate or exercise penMonitoring your Greyhound with security cameras and GPS collars

Links to all of the products and vendors mentioned in the episode are listed below. Listeners are invited to comment on our website and Facebook page with their own "Greyhound gear" recommendations.

Links

Martingale Collars

Shore Dog and Grey Collars (Pensacola, FL)2 Hounds Design (Indian Trail, NC)Houndstown (Gastonia, NC)

Leather Fishtail Collars

The Trendy Whippet (Taunton, UK via Etsy)JakesPaws (United Kingdom via eBay)

Prong Collars

Herm Sprenger prong collar (via Amazon.com)Herm Sprenger extra links (via Amazon.com)Fitting a prong collar (via Leerburg.com)

Harnesses

PetSafe (Manufacturer)PetSafe Sure-Fit Harness (via Amazon.com)Freedom No-Pull Harness (via 2 Hounds Design)

e-Collars

Garmin (Manufacturer)BarkLimiter Deluxe (via Amazon.com)

Leads / Leashes

Shore Dog (Pensacola, FL)Houndstown (Gastonia, NC)Adityna Heavy Duty Leather Dog Leash (via Amazon.com)

Crates, Ex-Pens and Indoor Kennels

MidWest Homes for Pets (Manufacturer)42" Crate (via Amazon.com)48" Crate (via Amazon.com)42" Exercise Pen (via Amazon.com)Primo Pads (Manufacturer)Wire Crate Pads (via Manufacturer)Lucky Dog Kennels (Manufacturer)Welded Wire Kennels (via Manufacturer)PetSafe Cottageview Kennels (via Amazon.com Resellers)Hale Pet Door (Manufacturer)Door Model (via Manufacturer)Wall Model (via Manufacturer)

Cameras and GPS Collars

Blink for Home (Manufacturer)Outdoor Wireless Camera (via Amazon.com)Indoor Wireless Camera (via Amazon.com)Arlo (Manufacturer)Essential 3-Camera System (via Amazon.com)Pro3 3-Camera System (via Amazon.com)Q Camera System (via Amazon.com Resellers)Whistle (Manufacturer)

Episode 10: Recorded November 1, 2020

"It's very difficult to describe the euphoria of what it's like when the first Greyhound you own wins [a race]..."Kiaran O'Brien describes his first Greyhound's (Pole Rating) first win

Show Notes

Kiaran O'Brien's love affair with Greyhound racing started in the 1970s, growing up in Bristol, England. His father was involved in the betting industry, and he got his first job at the local track as a busboy. He dreamed of one day owning his own Greyhound.

His family moved to Ireland in his late teens, far away from English Greyhound racing. Uprooted from his school and his mates, Kiaran learned to farm in a small village in west Ireland. He found work in finance in the 1980s and moved to the Isle of Man.

Kiaran returned to England and fulfilled that promise to himself to buy a Greyhound. It would be the first of many Greyhounds he owned and raced. He and his brother even won an English hurdling championship with a Greyhound in the early 2000s.

A few years after returning to England, he took a job writing horse racing reviews. As his writing experience grew, he set out to write a Greyhound racing novel in the style of a Dick Francis. John Francome, an English jockey and author, encouraged Kiran to follow through with the endeavor.

In 2014, Kiaran self-published his first novel -- Edge Your Bets. He drew inspiration from his Greyhound racing experiences and his time spent in west Ireland. The Greyhound racing community had its first crime thriller.

In this episode, join host John Parker and Kiaran O'Brien as they discuss Kiaran's love of Greyhound racing, the inspiration for Edge Your Bets, and the experience of self-publishing a novel.

Links

Edge Your Bets (Amazon.com)

Episode 9: Recorded December 5, 2020

"I saw nice people and nice dogs and marvelous hares, and I thought, ‘What a grand spectacle.’"Sir Mark Prescott, on seeing his first coursing meeting in 1967

Show Notes

In the 1960s, Sir Mark Prescott found himself on the road back to Newmarket, home of British thoroughbred horse racing, from Cambridge. Along the way, he came across a large number of cars parked along the road. He discovered it was a coursing meeting. He was given a free “card” (program) by the gatekeeper and invited in to see his first coursing meeting.

A few months later, Sir Mark saw a television special about English hare coursing that presented the sport in a very negative light, in contrast to his own experiences. It inspired him to become further involved in coursing.

In 1970, Sir Mark assumed leadership of a struggling coursing club in Newmarket and cemented his presence in a sport which drew thousands of spectators and blurred English class lines. He quickly discovered that organizing a coursing event involved tremendous attention to detail and perseverance -- traits which he embodied and admired.

Sir Mark would later become one of the primary organizers of the Waterloo Cup, England’s longest running and most popular coursing meeting. He held this post until 2005 when the final Waterloo Cup was run and coursing was banned by Parliament. For nearly 40 years, Sir Mark served as an advocate for the sport and Greyhounds.

In this episode, host John Parker and Sir Mark share their experiences at the Waterloo Cup, including that famous last meeting. They also discuss the future of Irish coursing, preserving English coursing and Greyhound history, and Sir Mark's favorite Greyhounds over the years.

Glossary

American listeners may find the following British open coursing terms helpful:

An anti is a person who advocates the banning of coursing or racing.Beaters are people who walk through a field inhabited by hares and herd the hares toward the coursing ground. They guide single hares to the coursing field to be pursued by Greyhounds.The beat is a line of beaters spread out across a field.Keepers or gamekeepers help protect and conserve hares and other game living wild on estates and farms.Nominators have the right to "nominate" a Greyhound to run in the Waterloo Cup or other large coursing meeting. They are prominent individuals in the coursing community. They may nominate their own Greyhound or one owned by another individual.A slipper releases two Greyhounds simultaneously onto the coursing field using a special double leather collar-and-leash device.

Links

Heath House Stables

Episode 9: Recorded December 5, 2020

"I saw nice people and nice dogs and marvelous hares, and I thought, ‘What a grand spectacle.’"Sir Mark Prescott, on seeing his first coursing meeting in 1967

Show Notes

In the 1960s, Sir Mark Prescott found himself on the road back to Newmarket, home of British thoroughbred horse racing, from Cambridge. Along the way, he came across a large number of cars parked along the road. He discovered it was a coursing meeting. He was given a free “card” (program) by the gatekeeper and invited in to see his first coursing meeting.

A few months later, Sir Mark saw a television special about English hare coursing that presented the sport in a very negative light, in contrast to his own experiences. It inspired him to become further involved in coursing.

In 1970, Sir Mark assumed leadership of a struggling coursing club in Newmarket and cemented his presence in a sport which drew thousands of spectators and blurred English class lines. He quickly discovered that organizing a coursing event involved tremendous attention to detail and perseverance -- traits which he embodied and admired.

Sir Mark would later become one of the primary organizers of the Waterloo Cup, England’s longest running and most popular coursing meeting. He held this post until 2005 when the final Waterloo Cup was run and coursing was banned by Parliament. For nearly 40 years, Sir Mark served as an advocate for the sport and Greyhounds.

In this episode, host John Parker and Sir Mark share their experiences at the Waterloo Cup, including that famous last meeting. They also discuss the future of Irish coursing, preserving English coursing and Greyhound history, and Sir Mark's favorite Greyhounds over the years.

Glossary

American listeners may find the following British open coursing terms helpful:

An anti is a person who advocates the banning of coursing or racing.Beaters are people who walk through a field inhabited by hares and herd the hares toward the coursing ground. They guide single hares to the coursing field to be pursued by Greyhounds.The beat is a line of beaters spread out across a field.Keepers or gamekeepers help protect and conserve hares and other game living wild on estates and farms.Nominators have the right to "nominate" a Greyhound to run in the Waterloo Cup or other large coursing meeting. They are prominent individuals in the coursing community. They may nominate their own Greyhound or one owned by another individual.A slipper releases two Greyhounds simultaneously onto the coursing field using a special double leather collar-and-leash device.

Links

Heath House Stables

Episode 8: Recorded November 8, 2020

"A good Greyhound will chase anything..."Charlie Blanning

Show Notes

It’s the early 1920’s. Owen Patrick (O.P.) Smith, inventor of the artificial lure, accepts the challenge of some doubters at his track in Emeryville, CA.

“The dogs ain’t gonna chase that, O.P. ”

O.P. smiles, removes the "hare" from the rail and replaces it with his handkerchief, sending it off around the track. A Greyhound is slipped to give chase. The Greyhound did, indeed, run down that handkerchief.

And so began a new era of Greyhound sport – racing.

This story is just one of many told by Charlie Blanning in his new book, “Please Mister: The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing.” The book explores the birth of Greyhound racing in the United States, pioneered by O.P. Smith and his partners in the early 20th century. Readers will enjoy stories from the earliest days of the sport, from California to Florida and across the pond to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In this episode of Greyhound Nation, host John Parker and Charlie discuss the origins of the book, the experience of self-publishing and the possibility of a second “Golden Age” of Greyhound racing.

Links

Please Mister: The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing (Facebook)

Episode 8: Recorded November 8, 2020

"A good Greyhound will chase anything..."Charlie Blanning

Show Notes

It’s the early 1920’s. Owen Patrick (O.P.) Smith, inventor of the artificial lure, accepts the challenge of some doubters at his track in Emeryville, CA.

“The dogs ain’t gonna chase that, O.P. ”

O.P. smiles, removes the "hare" from the rail and replaces it with his handkerchief, sending it off around the track. A Greyhound is slipped to give chase. The Greyhound did, indeed, run down that handkerchief.

And so began a new era of Greyhound sport – racing.

This story is just one of many told by Charlie Blanning in his new book, “Please Mister: The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing.” The book explores the birth of Greyhound racing in the United States, pioneered by O.P. Smith and his partners in the early 20th century. Readers will enjoy stories from the earliest days of the sport, from California to Florida and across the pond to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In this episode of Greyhound Nation, host John Parker and Charlie discuss the origins of the book, the experience of self-publishing and the possibility of a second “Golden Age” of Greyhound racing.

Links

Please Mister: The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing (Facebook)