2018 saw the second lowest number of greyhounds registered with GBGB in 34 years writes Floyd Amphlett.
A total of 7,392 greyhounds were registered, though there are probably as many ways to interpret the figures as there new greyhounds. For example, is the near 9 percent reduction, good news or bad news for welfare? Is there a risk of over-racing, or is it welcome news on the overstretched re-homing front?
Look back five years and the total was even lower. But looking over a longer scale, the most greyhounds ever registered in a single year was 2004 (see below). However – had we extended the chart back another 20 years, the numbers there were a series of peaks and troughs. For example, between 1999 and 2006, the figures bounced around the 10,500 mark.
Interestingly, we have now returned to registration numbers very similar to the early 1980s. In 1984, there were 7,390 new greyhounds registered. Go back to the early 1970s, and the numbers were around 6,500 despite there being 50 tracks racing under NGRC rules.
Our records aren’t complete, but there are some interesting figures to consider. In 1967, there were 7,023 greyhound registered and 47,578 races staged on 58 tracks (1 new greyhound for every 6.77 races). Last year, there were 7,392 greyhounds registered and 59,945 races staged on just 23 tracks (1 new greyhound for every 8.10 races).
All of which would suggest in a very ‘back of a fag packet’ calculation:
1) 50 years ago, tracks staged roughly 820 races per year, compared to the current 2,606 – more than 3 times as many.
2) that greyhounds are now being asked to race roughly 19% more than their predecessors.
Finally, roughly 1 in every 15 contests is an open race. Fifty years ago it was roughly 1 in 30.
