I have just read your fascinating column ‘Perspective Trumps Blame’ and a few thoughts came to mind having only been an owner and new member of this great sport Greyhound Racing for just less than a year. Some will say probably well what do you know then and they may well be right in saying so, but on the other side of that point I may well be justified in saying a new pair of fresh eyes looking at a great underappreciated sport with many virtues may well have seen the sport from the outside.
Greyhound racing in general has issues and the perception of racing is frankly not great but perspective and reality are two different things with the truth lie if somewhere between them.
The good old days with huge crowds are gone and never to be seen again, as we all have changed in our outlooks but that does not mean racing is gone. You are quite right in saying adapt as change is not necessary a bad thing even though we British don’t like to change! I just wish I was involved in the sport when the crowds were big and could have appreciated those days as I am old enough to have done so, well not that old.
The main issue the sport has is indeed perception of poor welfare which has to be addressed, if wrong doing is or has taken place it must be stamped out we all must face up to this so the doomsayers have nothing to say – may not stop them but we all will know good welfare is everything.
We owners and our Trainers should be held responsible and all that I have meet are indeed so. We should know where our Greyhounds are after racing where their new homes are and help the various charities in taking care of them after racing as we can only have so many at home looking after the sofas. The racing authorities should and must check up where they are and it must be the aim to re-home all the Greyhounds if they are able to be as until this one issue has been addressed then the future of the sport will always be in doubt and will not encourage new people to racing after all the registration system is in place.
Seeing our Greyhounds at the kennels getting to know them, engaging with the Trainers and their staff with the cherry on the top of the cake being watching them race what a thrill, nothing like it. The sport needs others to join the fun in this friendly family orientated sport and developing it on it could well happen.
You made a good point about the size of the crowds not now needing to be large again unfortunately but life moves on and with technological innovation the interest will still be there if promoted correctly but in a different way.
As for technology look no further than Towcester at what they are doing and about to do. Look at the HD TV coverage which is engaging with the crowds on course and on line, you can watch your Greyhounds race or trial even play it all back if you wish in HD at home or on your phone – WOW one of our girls has won that race a dozen times!
Welfare and Technology are the keys to be able to enhance the appeal of the sport with the various bodies and interested parties getting together which may be a big ask but it has to be done, the betting fraternity will not let a good thing go by.
These points that I have aired are by no means in-depth and hopefully have avoided the politics and are just my observations. The one question that springs to mind is in what professional sport can anyone get involved in at any level from watching to full ownership at an affordable price? A sport that the main participants the Greyhounds are extremely well looked after by ridiculously hard working Trainers and kennel staff, this message must be promoted with much more vigour.
Kind regards
Garry Phillips
