The registration of greyhounds by GBGB fell once again in 2021 though only by a minimal amount. A total of 6,769 new racing dogs were given clearance to commence trials. That was a fall of just 51, around 1% writes Floyd Amphlett.
The figures themselves are almost meaningless without some context, though that isn’t as simple as it might first seem. For example, although the decline was minimal, it is set against the Covid ravaged 2020 total.
Our records, complete to 1980, show 2021 was also the lowest total throughout that period. The peak in 2004 was almost 12,000 registrations.
If we assume that dogs entering the sport must equate to dogs leaving it, the strain on re-homing has plummeted. In fact, even on a shorter scale, the number going into retirement will have fallen by around 18% in the last five years.
But what of the strain on racing? The 2020 lockdown meant there were around 25% fewer races compared to 2021. Do we now have an over-racing issue?
At this point it might just be worth taking another look at those figures. . . on a longer scale. Let’s go back 50 years for a further comparison.
Registrations: 1971:6,578 2021:6,789
Tracks 1971: 50 2021: 18
Races 1971: 45,947 2021: 49,225
Make of it what you can!
