The number of litters registered with the Irish Coursing Club in 2020 was down 15% to below 2,000 for the first time ever.
A total of 1,962 litters were registered compared to 2,324 in 2019. This means that the number of greyhounds born has halved since 2007.
Interestingly, the number of namings increased by an average of almost 4%. It is understood that the increase was predominantly among “older dogs”. The obvious conclusion is that the demand from Britain (90% of UK racers are Irish bred), has been so strong that very slow dogs, who might otherwise have been considered as uneconomic to export, are now being registered for racing.
However, the downward trend in breeding is confirmed by the mating figures: 2,288 from 2,819 – a fall of 19%.
